Method and apparatus for automated testing of a utility computing system

1. An apparatus for testing a utility computing system having a plurality of hardware and/or software planes, said apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a plurality of hardware and/or software components, the software executed by the processor, the components including:

a plurality of administration units, each administration unit being arranged to carry out test operations on a utility computing system during use, and each administration unit having associated access details usable to gain access to at least one plane of the utility computing system during use;

an authenticator arranged to receive access details and to permit or restrict access by an administration unit to one or more planes of the utility computing system during use depending on whether the received access details correspond to the access details associated with the administration unit; and

a dispatcher arranged, for each administration unit, to automatically forward the access details associated with the administration unit to the authenticator so as to thereby permit the administration unit to gain access to one or more planes of the utility computing system during use and carry out test operations on said accessed one or more planes;

wherein the dispatcher is arranged, after the administration unit is permitted to gain access to one or more planes of the utility computing system, to invoke the administration unit associated with the test operations; and

wherein the utility computing system is an enterprise data center.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a framework manager arranged to facilitate configuration of at least one of the components by a user.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the framework manager is implemented using a workflow manager or a web based tool.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the framework manager is arranged to facilitate creation of test details by a user, the test details being indicative of at least one test operation to be carried out on a utility computing system during use by at least one administration unit.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the framework manager is arranged to facilitate creation for each administration unit of test operations to be carried out on a utility computing system during use by the administration unit.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the framework manager is arranged to facilitate creation for each administration unit of access details usable to gain access to at least one plane of the utility computing system during use.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a test data storage device arranged to store test details indicative of at least one test operation to be carried out on a utility computing system during use by at least one administration unit.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising at least one execution application, each execution application being arranged to cause at least one administration unit to carry out at least one test operation on a utility computing system during use, and a segregator arranged to invoke at least one execution application based on the test details.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the at least one execution application comprises at least one of a sanity checker, an executor and an error analyzer.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an autocorrector arranged to cause at least one administration unit to carry out at least one correction operation on a utility computing system during use in response to results of at least one test operation.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a test results storage device service arranged to store results of at least one test operation carried out on a utility computing system during use by at least one administration unit.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a scheduler arranged to facilitate creation and execution of a schedule indicative of the dates and times at which tests are to be carried out on a utility computing system during use.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the administration units comprise at least one of a data center administration unit, a network administration unit, a farm administration unit, a backup administration unit and a system administration unit.

14. A method of testing a utility computing system having a plurality of hardware and/or software planes, said method comprising:

providing a plurality of administration units, each administration unit being arranged to carry out associated test operations on a utility computing system during use;

storing for each administration unit associated access details usable to gain access to at least one plane of the utility computing system during use;

providing an authenticator arranged to receive access details and to permit or restrict access by an administration unit to one or more planes of the utility computing system during use depending on whether the received access details correspond to the access details associated with the administration unit;

automatically forwarding, by a dispatcher, the access details associated with an administration unit to the authenticator so as to thereby permit the administration unit to gain access to one or more planes of the utility computing system during use;

invoking, by the dispatcher and as a result of the administration unit being permitted to gain access to one or more planes of the utility computing system, the administration unit so as to carry out at least one test operation associated with the administration unit;

carrying out at least one test operation associated with the invoked administration unit on said accessed one or more planes,

wherein the utility computing system is an enterprise data center.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising facilitating creation of test details by a user, the test details being indicative of at least one test operation to be carried out on a utility computing system during use by at least one administration unit.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising facilitating creation for each administration unit of test operations to be carried out on a utility computing system during use by the administration unit.

17. A method as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising facilitating creation for each administration unit of access details usable to gain access to at least one plane of the utility computing system during use.

18. A method as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising storing test details indicative of at least one test operation to be carried out on a utility computing system during use by at least one administration unit.

19. A method as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising:

providing at least one execution application arranged to cause at least one administration unit to carry out at least one test operation on a utility computing system

during use; and

providing a segregator arranged to invoke at least one execution application based on the test details.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the at least one execution application comprises at least one of a sanity checker, an executor and an error analyzer.

21. A method as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising carrying out at least one correction operation on a utility computing system during use in response to results of at least one test operation.

22. A method as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising storing results of at least one test operation carried out on a utility computing system during use by at least one administration unit in the test results storage device.

23. A method as claimed in claim 14 , further comprising providing a scheduler arranged to facilitate creation of a schedule indicative of the dates and times at which tests are to be carried out on a utility computing system during use.

24. A method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the administration units comprise at least one of the data center administration unit, the network administration unit, a farm administration unit, a backup administration unit and a system administration unit.