Method for validating the proper operation of a transactional management system
A transactional management system includes a plurality of functional modules, distributed in a WAN, for receiving and processing transactional information. The functional modules can include a dealer management system that receives transactional information and formats the information into a regular or test message for transmission over the WAN to either a router or a transaction service system which receives the message, performs certain service operations on the information contained in the message, and transmits the message to a provider management system. The transaction service system includes functionality that identifies a message as a test message, compares the test message to a test case, and if the test message is the same as the test case, generates a message to this effect.
1. In a distributed transaction management system including a first transaction processing module for initiating a transaction session and for transmitting information associated with the transaction session in the form of a message over a first communications link to a second transaction processing module that receives the message and transmits the message over a second communications link to a third transaction processing module used for processing the message, a method of validating the integration of the first transaction processing module and the third transaction processing module comprising the steps of:
entering predetermined transactional information into the first transaction processing module;
the first transaction processing module using the predetermined transaction information to create a message;
the first transaction processing module transmitting the message over a first communications link to the second transaction processing module;
the second transaction processing module receiving the message and transmitting the message over a second communications link to a third transaction processing module;
the third transaction processing module receiving the message, identifying the message as a test message and determining which of a plurality of test cases the test message corresponds to;
the third transaction processing module comparing at least one test message characteristic with at least one corresponding test case characteristic; and
as the result of the third transaction processing module comparing the at least one test message characteristic with the at least one corresponding test case characteristic, the transaction processing module generating a message that contains an indication of the successful integration of the first and third transaction processing modules.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the third transaction processing module transmitting the message containing an indication of the successful integration of the first and third transaction processing modules to a network address.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first transaction processing module is comprised of an input device for receiving the predetermined transaction information, an application server for storing one or more application modules, and a communications module for formatting and transmitting the test message.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second transaction processing module is a router.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the third transaction processing module is comprised of one or more communication interfaces, a transaction processing function, a message generation module, a test message validation module and a database for storing test cases.
6. The test message of claim 1 is comprised of at least one key data element and predetermined transaction information.
7. The predetermined transaction information of claim 1 is comprised of at least one of a transaction type, a transaction number, transaction specific information, a customer identification number, and a destination number.
8. The test message characteristics of claim 1 are comprised of all of the information contained in a single field of a message.
9. In a distributed transaction management system including a first transaction processing module for initiating a transaction session and for transmitting information associated with the transaction session in the form of a message over a first communications link to a second transaction processing module that receives and processes the message, a method of validating the integration of the first transaction processing module and the second transaction processing module comprising the steps of:
entering predetermined transactional information into the first transaction processing module;
the first transaction processing module using the predetermined transaction information to create a message;
the first transaction processing module transmitting the message over a first communications link to the second transaction processing module;
the second transaction processing module receiving the message, identifying the message as a test message and determining which of a plurality of test cases the test message corresponds to;
the second transaction processing module comparing at least one test message characteristic with at least one corresponding test case characteristic; and
as the result of the second transaction processing module comparing the at least one test message characteristic with the at least one corresponding test case characteristic, the second transaction processing module generating a message that contains an indication of the successful integration of the first and second transaction processing modules.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the second transaction processing module transmitting the message containing an indication of the successful integration of the first and second transaction processing modules to a network address.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein the first transaction processing module is comprised of an input device for receiving the predetermined transaction information, an application server for storing one or more application modules, and a communications module for formatting and transmitting the test message.
12. The method of claim 9 wherein the second transaction processing module is comprised of one or more communication interfaces, a transaction processing function, a message generation module, a test message validation module and a database for storing test cases.
13. The test message of claim 9 is comprised of at least one key data element and predetermined transaction information.
14. The predetermined transaction information of claim 9 is comprised of at least one of a transaction type, a transaction number, transaction specific information, a customer identification number, and a destination number.
15. The test message characteristics of claim 9 are comprised of all of the information contained in a single field of a message.
16. In a distributed transaction management system including a first transaction processing module for initiating a transaction session and for transmitting information associated with the transaction session in the form of a message over a first communications link to a second transaction processing module that receives and processes the message, a method of validating the integration of the first transaction processing module and the second transaction processing module comprising the steps of:
entering predetermined transactional information into the first transaction processing module;
the first transaction processing module using the predetermined transaction information to create a message;
the first transaction processing module transmitting the message over a first communications link to the second transaction processing module;
the second transaction processing module receiving the message, identifying the message as a test message and determining which of a plurality of test cases the test message corresponds to;
the second transaction processing module comparing at least one test message characteristic with at least one corresponding test case characteristic;
as the result of the second transaction processing module comparing the at least one test message characteristic with the at least one corresponding test case characteristic, the second transaction processing module generating a message that contains an indication of the successful integration of the first and second transaction processing modules;
the second transaction processing module generating a simulated response message to the test message if it is determine that a response message is required; and
the second transaction processing module transmitting the response message to the first transaction processing module.