Patents by Inventor Sean A. McGrath

Sean A. McGrath has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8161458
    Abstract: Techniques for efficiently isolating software regressions are provided. A system test tool determines that a particular regression is present in a particular build of a software system, but not in a baseline build. Using historical data, the tool determines, for each of a plurality of intermediate builds between these two builds, a likelihood that that intermediate build introduced the particular regression. A particular intermediate build can be identified as a build to be tested. Here, the particular intermediate build comprises a plurality of layered putbacks, each of which putbacks comprises one or more code changes in the software system. The tool determines, for each putback, a likelihood that that putback introduced the particular regression. A particular putback in the plurality of putbacks may be selected as a putback to be tested. In some embodiments, the particular putback is the putback that has the greatest likelihood of introducing the particular regression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventors: Darrin P. Johnson, Damien Farnham, Fintan Ryan, Sean A. McGrath
  • Patent number: 8117598
    Abstract: Techniques for efficiently isolating software regressions are provided. In one embodiment, it is determined that a particular regression is present in a particular build of a software system. A set of candidate code components that may have caused the particular regression is identified. In accordance with an order established based on historical data for the software system, one or more intermediate builds each involving some subsets of the candidate code components may be tested to identify a set of suspect code components that caused the particular regression. For each candidate code component that is not in the set of suspect code component, a likelihood factor associated with that candidate code component is decremented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Oracle America, Inc.
    Inventors: Darrin P. Johnson, Damien Farnham, Fintan Ryan, Sean A. McGrath
  • Publication number: 20090089745
    Abstract: Techniques for efficiently isolating software regressions are provided. In one embodiment, it is determined that a particular regression is present in a particular build of a software system. A set of candidate code components that may have caused the particular regression is identified. In accordance with an order established based on historical data for the software system, one or more intermediate builds each involving some subsets of the candidate code components may be tested to identify a set of suspect code components that caused the particular regression. For each candidate code component that is not in the set of suspect code component, a likelihood factor associated with that candidate code component is decremented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Applicant: SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Darrin P. Johnson, Damien Farnham, Fintan Ryan, Sean A. McGrath
  • Publication number: 20090089755
    Abstract: Techniques for efficiently isolating software regressions are provided. A system test tool determines that a particular regression is present in a particular build of a software system, but not in a baseline build. Using historical data, the tool determines, for each of a plurality of intermediate builds between these two builds, a likelihood that that intermediate build introduced the particular regression. A particular intermediate build can be identified as a build to be tested. Here, the particular intermediate build comprises a plurality of layered putbacks, each of which putbacks comprises one or more code changes in the software system. The tool determines, for each putback, a likelihood that that putback introduced the particular regression. A particular putback in the plurality of putbacks may be selected as a putback to be tested. In some embodiments, the particular putback is the putback that has the greatest likelihood of introducing the particular regression.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Applicant: SUN MICROSYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Darrin P. Johnson, Damien Farnham, Fintan Ryan, Sean A. McGrath