Real time test result promulgation from network component test device

1. A test device reporting results from testing a system or device under test (referred to as a “DUT”), the test device including:

at least one chassis;

a plurality of processing cards with memory mounted in the chassis, wherein the processing cards include ports or port groups;

distributed logic running on the processing cards that includes a plurality of database instances, at least one per port or port group, wherein said database instances include at least:

one or more tables of sample data collected during the test, the tables residing in memory on the processing card,

an API interface that updates and adds to the tables during the test, and

a query processing interface that receives queries, selects the sample data responsive to the queries, and returns the selected sample data during and after the test; and

at least one communications channel on the chassis coupled in communication with the distributed logic that distributes the queries to the processing cards.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processing cards further include a specialized logic device that processes test frame data to send to or received from the DUT during the test and updates counters during the test frame data processing, the specialized logic device coupled in communication with the ports, and the distributed logic periodically collects the sample data from the counters and adds the sample data to the tables via the API interface.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the ports or port groups are supported by a plurality of protocol handling modules running on the processing cards that emulate a multiplicity of devices in device-sessions, further including database instances per port group per protocol handling module, whereby different sample data statistics applicable to different protocols are stored in different database instances.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the test is organized into a plurality of test data streams that emulate a multiplicity of data sessions, further including database instances per port or port group per test data stream.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the ports or port groups emulate a plurality of sessions and a plurality of protocols in the sessions, further including database instances per port group per test data stream per protocol.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the query processing interface is SQL compatible.

7. An end of test data collection system including the device of claim 1 , further including management logic running on at least one additional processor that is coupled to the communications channel, wherein the management logic comprises:

a data collection module that the issues queries for return of substantially all of the sample data collected by the database instances for at least one segment of the test without waiting for query responses before sending successive queries to successive database instances, and receives responses from the identified database instances as they become available; and

at least one persistent database module coupled to the data collection module that maintains a persistent test result database.

8. A method of providing real time results using a test device to test a system or device under test (referred to as a “DUT”), wherein test device includes a plurality of processors driving a plurality of ports, the method including:

instantiating a plurality of database instances, at least one per port group, and associating them with the ports, wherein said database instances comprise at least:

one or more tables of sample data collected during the test, the tables residing in memory coupled to the processor,

an API interface that updates and adds to the tables during the test, and

a query processing interface that receives queries, selects the sample data responsive to the queries, and returns the selected sample data during and after the test; and

automatically retrieving sample data from the associated ports during the test and using the API interfaces to the database instances to add the retrieved sample data to the tables.

9. The method of claim 8 , further including receiving at a plurality of the database instances at least one query via the query processing interfaces, selecting the sample data responsive to the query, and returning the selected sample data during or after the test.

10. The method of claim 8 , further including instantiating a plurality of protocol handling objects for a plurality of the ports or port groups, wherein the instantiation of the database instances further includes instantiating database instances per port or port group and per protocol handling object, whereby different sample data statistics applicable to different protocols are stored in different database instances.

11. The method of claim 8 , further including organizing the test into a plurality of test data streams associated with the ports or port groups, wherein the plurality of test data streams emulate a multiplicity of data sessions, further including instantiating database instances per port or port group and per test data stream, whereby sample data statistics applicable to different test data streams are stored in different database instances.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the queries received at the query processing interface are SQL compatible.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein test device includes processing cards that include at least one of the processors and a plurality of ports, further including instantiating a plurality of database instances to run on a particular processing card to support the plurality of ports, whereby sample data statistics applicable to different ports are stored in different database instances.

14. A real time test data reporting method, including the method of claim 13 , further including:

receiving a user request via a user interface;

translating the user request into the queries for responsive sample data;

identifying a plurality of database instances to which the queries should be directed;

sending the queries to the identified database instances without waiting for responses before sending successive queries to successive database instances;

receiving responses from the identified database instances as they become available; and

combining the selected sample data from the responses and either persisting the combined data or making it perceptible to the user.

15. An end of test data reporting method, including the method of claim 8 , further including:

issuing queries from a data collection module for return of substantially all of the sample data collected by the database instances during the test for at least one type of protocol handling object without waiting for query responses before sending successive queries to successive database instances;

receiving responses from the identified database instances as they become available;

translating the responses directly into update commands; and

queuing the update commands to a persistent database module without waiting for update confirmations before issuing successive update commands.