Stateless self-sufficient test agents

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a test master by a web server operating with a test agent, a request for executing a test against a set of software and hardware components located in one or more data centers separate from the test master, the web server and the test agent, wherein the request is sent by the test master to an endpoint of the web server;

in response to receiving the request by the web server, without exchanging further information between the test agent and the test master, the test agent performing:

determining a complete set of test steps for the test against the set of software and hardware components and a complete set of test data used to execute the complete set of test steps;

executing the complete set of test steps for the test against the set of software and hardware components with the complete set of test data;

generating a final test execution status for the test against the set of software and hardware components; and

causing, by the test agent, the final test execution status for the test to be available for one or more test monitors to retrieve by way of the web server;

wherein the final test execution status for the test indicates whether the test has been successfully executed by the test agent.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the endpoint of the web server represents a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) endpoint.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the test master communicates with the test agent by way of the web server in a Representational State Transfer (REST) framework; and wherein the endpoint of the web server represents a HTTP-based RESTful endpoint.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the request for executing the test comprises: a Universal Resource Locator (URL), one or more Representational State Transfer (REST) data elements, and a standard Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) method.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the standard HTTP method represents one of: an HTTP POST method, or an HTTP PUT method.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the final test execution status for the test is sent to the test master in one of: a response to the request for executing the test, or a response to a subsequent request sent by the test master based on one of an HTTP GET method or an HTTP LIST method.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the request for executing the test causes the web server to invoke an Application Programming Interface (API) call exposed by a test execution engine of the test agent, and wherein the test execution engine is to schedule and carry out executing the test.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the web server is implemented as a part of the test agent.

9. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing a program of instructions that is executable by a device to perform:

receiving, from a test master by a web server operating with a test agent, a request for executing a test against a set of software and hardware components located in one or more data centers separate from the test master, the web server and the test agent, wherein the request is sent by the test master to an endpoint of the web server;

in response to receiving the request by the web server, without exchanging further information between the test agent and the test master, the test agent performing:

determining a complete set of test steps for the test against the set of software and hardware components and a complete set of test data used to execute the complete set of test steps;

executing the complete set of test steps for the test against the set of software and hardware components with the complete set of test data;

generating a final test execution status for the test against the set of software and hardware components; and

causing, by the test agent, the final test execution status for the test to be available for one or more test monitors to retrieve by way of the web server;

wherein the final test execution status for the test indicates whether the test has been successfully executed by the test agent.

10. The computer readable media as recited in claim 9 , wherein the endpoint of the web server represents a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) endpoint.

11. The computer readable media as recited in claim 9 , wherein the request for executing the test comprises: a Universal Resource Locator (URL), one or more Representational State Transfer (REST) data elements, and a standard Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) method.

12. The computer readable media as recited in claim 9 , wherein the final test execution status for the test is sent to the test master in one of: a response to the request for executing the test, or a response to a subsequent request sent by the test master based on one of an HTTP GET method or an HTTP LIST method.

13. The computer readable media as recited in claim 9 , wherein the request for executing the test causes the web server to invoke an Application Programming Interface (API) call exposed by a test execution engine of the test agent, and wherein the test execution engine is to schedule and carry out executing the test.

14. The computer readable media as recited in claim 9 , wherein the web server is implemented as a part of the test agent.

15. A system, comprising:

one or more computing processors;

one or more non-transitory computer readable media storing a program of instructions that is executable by the one or more computing processors to perform:

receiving, from a test master by a web server operating with a test agent, a request for executing a test against a set of software and hardware components located in one or more data centers separate from the test master, the web server and the test agent, wherein the request is sent by the test master to an endpoint of the web server;

in response to receiving the request by the web server, without exchanging further information between the test agent and the test master, the test agent performing:

determining a complete set of test steps for the test against the set of software and hardware components and a complete set of test data used to execute the complete set of test steps;

executing the complete set of test steps for the test against the set of software and hardware components with the complete set of test data;

generating a final test execution status for the test against the set of software and hardware components; and

causing, by the test agent, the final test execution status for the test to be available for one or more test monitors to retrieve by way of the web server;

wherein the final test execution status for the test indicates whether the test has been successfully executed by the test agent.

16. The system as recited in claim 15 , wherein the endpoint of the web server represents a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) endpoint.

17. The system as recited in claim 15 , wherein the request for executing the test comprises: a Universal Resource Locator (URL), one or more Representational State Transfer (REST) data elements, and a standard Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) method.

18. The system as recited in claim 15 , wherein the final test execution status for the test is sent to the test master in one of: a response to the request for executing the test, or a response to a subsequent request sent by the test master based on one of an HTTP GET method or an HTTP LIST method.

19. The system as recited in claim 15 , wherein the request for executing the test causes the web server to invoke an Application Programming Interface (API) call exposed by a test execution engine of the test agent, and wherein the test execution engine is to schedule and carry out executing the test.

20. The system as recited in claim 15 , wherein the web server is implemented as a part of the test agent.