Task submission systems and methods for a distributed test framework

1. A method of receiving tasks in a distributed test framework (DTF) comprising:

receiving a task in a task feeder, wherein the task is in a task feeder-specific format and wherein the task includes a corresponding plurality of computing system attributes required to execute the task, a location of a required external resource, and one or more pre-execution configuration parameters required to execute the task, the task feeder is included in a communication module in a server, the server coupled to a plurality of ad-hoc computing resources;

leasing at least one of the plurality of ad-hoc computing resources, wherein the server includes a look-up service, the look-up service including a list of the plurality of leased ad-hoc computing resources and the look-up service includes a plurality of attributes corresponding to each one of the leased ad-hoc computing resources;

converting the task to a DTF-specific format;

scheduling the converted task including:

recording a plurality of server activities in a log manager;

maintaining a wait queue in a queue manager, the wait queue including the task waiting to be executed, and

maintaining an execution queue in a scheduler, the execution queue including a current status corresponding to one or more converted dispatched tasks;

selecting at least one of the plurality of leased ad-hoc computing resources from the list wherein the selected at least one of the plurality of leased ad-hoc computing resources includes the corresponding plurality of attributes required to execute the converted task waiting to be executed in the wait queue;

dispatching the converted task to the selected at least one of the plurality of leased ad-hoc computing resources at a selected time to execute the converted task; and

maintaining the current status of the dispatched converted task in the execution queue.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein scheduling the converted task includes storing the converted task in an application under test sub-directory.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein converting the task to a DTF-specific format includes identifying at east one method required to execute the task.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the DTF is part of a first network.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the task is received from a source outside the first network.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the task feeder is an email feeder.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the task feeder is a remote messaging feeder.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the task feeder is a Java messaging service feeder.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the task feeder is a socket feeder.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the task feeder is a file feeder.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the task feeder is a FTP feeder.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the task feeder is a HTTP feeder.

13. A system for receiving tasks in a distributed test framework (DTF) comprising:

a system server group including:

a service component; and

a system controller including:

a test suite management module; and

a communication module that includes an interface and at least one task feeder in communication with the interface, the feeder for receiving a task, wherein the task includes a corresponding plurality of computing system attributes required to execute the task, a location of a required external resource, and one or more pre-execution configuration parameters required to execute the task; and

a test system group in communication with the system server group, the test group including a plurality of leased ad-hoc computing resources, the service component including a look-up service including a list of the plurality of leased ad-hoc computing resources, the look-up service includes a plurality of attributes corresponding to each one of the leased ad-hoc computing resources;

a log manager for recording a plurality of server activities;

a task converter capable converting the received task to a DTF-specific format;

a wait queue in a queue manager, the wait queue including the task waiting to be executed and

an execution queue in a scheduler, the execution queue including a current status corresponding to one or more converted dispatched tasks.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the task feeder is an email feeder.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the task feeder is a remote messaging feeder.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the task feeder is a Java messaging service feeder.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the task feeder is a socket feeder.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the task feeder is a file feeder.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the task feeder is a FTP feeder.

20. The system of claim 13 , wherein the task feeder is a HTTP feeder.

21. The system of claim 13 , wherein the interface includes a plurality of methods required to execute the task.

22. The system of claim 13 , wherein the DTF is part of a first network.

23. The system of claim 22 , wherein the task is received from a source outside the first network.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the first network includes an isolation system that isolates the first network from the source outside the first network.

25. A method of receiving tasks in a distributed test framework (DTF) comprising:

instantiating a first task feeder;

receiving a first task in the first task feeder, wherein the first task is in a first task feeder-specific format and wherein the task includes a corresponding plurality of computing system attributes required to execute the task, a location of a required external resource, and one or more pre-execution configuration parameters required to execute the task, the task feeder is included in a communication module in a server, the server coupled to a plurality of leased ad-hoc computing resources:

leasing at least one of the plurality of ad-hoc computing resources, wherein the server includes a look-up service, the look-up service including a list of the plurality of leased ad-hoc computing resources and the look-up service includes a plurality of attributes corresponding to each one of the leased ad-hoc computing resources;

converting the first task to a DTF-specific format;

scheduling the converted first task including:

recording a plurality of server activities in a log manager;

maintaining a wait queue in a queue manager, the wait queue including the task waiting to be executed, and

maintaining an execution queue in a scheduler, the execution queue including a current status corresponding to one or more converted dispatched tasks;

terminating the first task feeder;

selecting at least one of the plurality of leased ad-hoc computing resources from the list wherein the selected at least one of the plurality of leased ad-hoc computing resources includes the corresponding plurality of attributes required to execute the converted task waiting to be executed in the wait queue;

dispatching the converted task to the selected at least one of the plurality of leased ad-hoc computing resources at a selected time to execute the converted task; and

maintaining the current status of the dispatched converted task in the execution queue.

26. The method of claim 25 , further comprising:

instantiating a second task feeder;

receiving a second task in the second task feeder, wherein the second task is in a second task feeder-specific format;

converting the second task to a DTF-specific format;

scheduling the converted first task; and

terminating the second task feeder.

27. A method of receiving tasks in a distributed test framework (DTF) comprising:

receiving a first task wherein the task includes a corresponding plurality of computing system attributes required to execute the task, a location of a required external resource, and one or more pre-execution configuration parameters required to execute the task;

identifying a first task feeder from a plurality of task feeders, the first task feeder being compatible with the first task;

instantiating the first task feeder, the task feeder is included in a communication module in a server, the server coupled to a plurality of leased ad-hoc computing resources, the server including a look-up service, the look-up service including a list of the plurality of ad-hoc computing resources;

leasing at least one of the plurality of ad-hoc computing resources, wherein, wherein the server includes a look-up service, the look-up service including a list of the plurality of leased ad-hoc computing resources and the look-up service includes a plurality of attributes corresponding to each one of the leased ad-hoc computing resources;

converting the first task to a DTF-specific format;

terminating the first task feeder; and

scheduling the converted task including:

recording a plurality of server activities in a log manager;

maintaining a wait queue in a queue manager, the wait queue including the task waiting to be executed, and

maintaining an execution queue in a scheduler, the execution queue including a current status corresponding to one or more converted dispatched tasks.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein converting the first task to the DTF-specific format includes storing the converted first task.