System, apparatus and computer program product for performing functional validation testing

1. A computer program product on a computer readable storage medium for performing functional validation testing in a system, the functional validation testing including a data acquisition and a data validation test, the computer program product comprising:

code means for setting up a pool of buffers in memory, the pool of buffers having a set of locations assigned to a first device, a set of locations assigned to a second device, the first and second device exchanging data during the data acquisition;

code means for entering each piece of data being exchanged by the first and the second device in memory in appropriate locations in the pool of buffers;

code means for determining whether the system is entering an idle cycle; and

code means for performing the data validation test by using the data in the pool of buffers in memory if it is determined that the system is entering an idle cycle.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein if the data fails the data validation test, the failed data is stored in a different area of memory with all information needed to understand why the test failed.

3. The computer program product of claim 2 wherein the system may enter an idle cycle when there is one test being performed and the first or the second device becomes inaccessible while exchanging data during the data acquisition part of the functional validation test.

4. The computer program product of claim 2 further code means for determining whether the pool of buffers has become full during the data acquisition of the functional validation test and code means for interrupting the data acquisition to perform the data validation test if it is determined that the pool of buffers has become full.

5. The computer program product of claim 4 wherein data used during the data validation is deleted from the pool of buffers.

6. An apparatus for performing functional validation testing in a system, the system including a memory device, the functional validation testing including a data acquisition and a data validation test, the apparatus comprising:

means for setting up a pool of buffers in the memory device of the system, the pool of buffers having a set of locations assigned to a first device, a set of locations assigned to a second device, the first and second device exchanging data during the data acquisition;

means for entering each piece of data being exchanged by the first and the second device in the memory device of the system in appropriate locations in the pool of buffers;

means for determining whether the system is entering an idle cycle; and

means for performing the data validation test by using the data in the pool of buffers in memory if it is determined that the system is entering an idle cycle.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein if the data fails the data validation test, the failed data is stored in a different area of memory with all information needed to understand why the test failed.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the system may enter an idle cycle when there is one test being performed and the first or the second device becomes inaccessible while exchanging data during the data acquisition part of the functional validation test.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 further including means for determining whether the pool of buffers has become full during the data acquisition of the functional validation test and means for interrupting the data acquisition to perform the data validation test if it is determined that the pool of buffers has become full.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein data used during the data validation is deleted from the pool of buffers.

11. A system in which functional validation testing is being performed, the functional validation testing including a data acquisition and a data validation test, the system comprising:

at least one storage device for storing code data; and

at least one processor for processing the code data to set up a pool of buffers in memory, the pool of buffers having a set of locations assigned to a first device, a set of locations assigned to a second device, the first and second device exchanging data during the data acquisition, to enter each piece of data being exchanged by the first and the second device in memory in appropriate locations in the pool of buffers, to determine whether the system is entering an idle cycle, and to perform the data validation test by using the data in the pool of buffers in memory if it is determined that the system is entering an idle cycle.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein if the data fails the data validation test, the failed data is stored in a different area of memory with all information needed to understand why the test failed.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the system may enter an idle cycle when there is one test being performed and the first or the second device becomes inaccessible while exchanging data during the data acquisition part of the functional validation test.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the code data is further processed to determine whether the pool of buffers has become full during the data acquisition test and to interrupt the data acquisition of the functional validation test to perform the data validation test if it is determined that the pool of buffers has become full.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein data used during the data validation is deleted from the pool of buffers.