Patent ID: 7577872

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: (a) launching a diagnostic tool designed for use with a primary software application (PSA); (b) determining, by the diagnostic tool, whether a diagnostic definitions file (DDF) for use by the diagnostic tool needs to be updated, wherein the DDF comprises: information specifying one or more diagnostic tests related to the PSA to be performed by the diagnostic tool, wherein each diagnostic test produces a result; information specifying an expected result for each diagnostic test; and specification of a failure action to be performed for each diagnostic test, if the result produced by the diagnostic test is not equivalent to the expected result for the diagnostic test; (c) updating the DDF, if the DDF needs to be updated; (d) performing, by the diagnostic tool, one or more of the diagnostic tests specified in the DDF; (e) determining, by the diagnostic tool, whether the result produced by each performed diagnostic test is equivalent to the expected result for the performed diagnostic test; and (f) performing the failure action specified for each performed diagnostic test whose result is not equivalent to the expected result for the performed diagnostic test.