Patent ID: 7343520

Claim:
A method for conducting a built in test (BIT) within a system having one or more central processing units, said central processing units connected to storage means, and one or more assemblies to be tested, comprising the steps of: initiating a test call from a test initiator using an input/output means to one or more of said central processing units, said test call descriptive of a test to be concurrently conducted on one or more of said assemblies to be tested using said central processing units; interpreting said test call in a test executive, said test executive executing using one or more of said central processing units; searching for test parameters stored in a BIT reconfiguration table within said storage means with said test executive, said storage means and said one or more of said central processing units located within said one or more assemblies to be tested; transmitting said test parameters to a test code for execution of said BIT on one of said assemblies to be tested by said test executive in response to content of BIT reconfiguration table; executing concurrently said BIT on one or more of said assemblies to be tested using said test parameters within said test code; transmitting said test code test results from said test code to said test executive; storing code test results in a test results table using said test executive; and reporting test executive results to said test initiator using said test executive, wherein said test initiator is an operating system on a system central processing unit running concurrently with said one or more central processing units; and wherein said test initiator running on said system central processing unit shares said storage means with said one or more central processing units.