NonStop Testing now Possible from non-NonStop World

With the trend to move core Electronic Funds Transfer applications like BASE24 away from its "legacy" base on HP Integrity NonStop servers onto open platforms, Ascert has ensured that its customers can continue to carry out state of the art automated software testing, independent of the target hardware.

Sausalito, California (PRWEB) June 19, 2007 -- Ascert has announced the launch of VersaTest version 5.0, the latest release of its market leading transaction test tool for mission-critical servers. This release has specific features allowing users to make use of new technologies while retaining existing HP Integrity NonStop Server capabilities.

The HP Integrity NonStop Server, formerly the Tandem platform, has been the mainstay of Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) applications for several decades with ACI's BASE24 a clear leader in the marketplace. As hardware and software reliability have improved in more recent times, it has become easier for CIO's to opt for less expensive hardware for these applications. ACI has followed this trend with its BASE24-EPS open platform offering.

The reason for the move to open platforms is however, much more than just cost of hardware. Tools available on these platforms make development much easier, which is why Ascert made the decision several years ago to re-write its NonStop Server-based tool, VersaTest, and launch a platform independent version, VersaTest/MP. The multi-platform version was launched in 2002 and has proven successful since its release with over 400 licenses globally, with the product running under Windows, LINUX and Solaris.

Ascert's CTO, Andrew Mould, viewed the move to open platforms as essential for the VersaTest product. "Our customer base was demanding more and more sophisticated testing from VersaTest, and the development tools were not available to keep pace on the HP NonStop Kernel. We made the decision to go with Java for VersaTest/MP, a strategy which has proven itself over and over since the product was released," he said.

As a result of developing VersaTest/MP on Java, Ascert was faced with the challenge that many software vendors with multi- platform offerings must address. How to keep existing NonStop customers happy, while benefiting from the ease of development offered by the Java development environment?

Andrew Mould continues, "For a period of time, we were keeping the two products in step as much as we could, but several new features are now only available on VersaTest/MP. Some of our existing customers have moved with us to take advantage of this, while others have good reasons to stay with the NonStop platform version, usually due to legacy communications interfaces."

With version 5.0 of VersaTest, this last barrier has been eliminated. This release provides for the ability to run VersaTest/MP on Windows or LINUX servers, for example, and carry out testing on the NonStop Server, via a Proxy Line Handler. This configuration allows users to benefit from the utilization of the native communications capabilities of the NonStop server, while residing on any Java-enabled platform.

VersaTest version 5.0 was developed in this way to allow NonStop Kernel users a migration path to VersaTest/MP's improved feature set. Through the new Proxy Line Handler, NonStop Server connectivity is retained during testing, via legacy communications interfaces such as X.25 and SNA or proprietary communications interfaces such as ACI's XPNET.

"Even those customers, for whom it is essential to keep all their testing on the NonStop Server, can now fully utilize the latest testing features, by running VersaTest/MP on Java within the NonStop Server's OSS (POSIX) personality," concludes Andrew Mould.

The first implementation of this configuration has now been completed at a South African bank, which found the process of moving its existing VersaTest scripts across from the NonStop Server to VersaTest/MP running on Windows, to be straightforward and simple. "We were up and running within days on the new setup and the fact that the scripts are being executed on Windows and the communications is on the NonStop system is completely transparent," said Eric Chetty of ABSA Bank.

Once again, Ascert has found a way to improve the testing of mission critical systems and applications. The company was founded on the premise that automation of the complete testing lifecycle should be the goal of all testing groups, and they are continually moving in that direction with this latest product offering. Write once, test anywhere with VersaTest.

Company Background:

Ascert was founded in 1992 to build automated software testing solutions that help companies measure the performance, reliability and scalability of their mission-critical back-end servers and applications. With over 100 clients worldwide, Ascert's products and services are used at some of the world's most successful companies. Off-the-shelf simulators include solutions for EFT testing, POS testing, ATM testing, IFX testing, EMV/chip card testing, ISO8583 testing and 3270 & 6530 terminal testing, while our custom simulators have been used for testing air traffic control systems and biometric payment systems. Ascert's products help testing professionals across industry segments better manage their testing processes and environments through an end-to-end tool set.

VersaTest is a trademark of Ascert, LLC

BASE24 and BASE24-EPS are trademarks of ACI Worldwide

Java and Solaris are trademarks of Sun Microsystems

Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds

Integrity NonStop is a trademark of Hewlett-Packard Company

Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation

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