rspec users - Dec 2011 - Advice on using Rspec as a data validation engine

I have a project that collects various application configurations across a 
couple thousand servers and wants to validate settings are following 
recommended values. For example, all weblogic servers should have a minimum 
memory heap size of 512M. Any violators should be reported. 

Being very impressed with the RSpec DSL, I am using RSpec to validate these 
data rules. I pre-populate an object with all configurations for a given 
server and use RSpec expectations to ensure they match the recommended 
values. My current runner loads each instance and runs RSpec. 

Of course this is not truly performing unit testing, but it appears to be 
an easy way to expressively define data rules and run expectations.
I''ve
gotten it to work. However, this is my first time at instrumenting RSpec 
outside of rake and creating my own custom formatter. I am curious if I am 
mangling the use of RSpec and/or complete missing a better way of scripting 
RSpec to perform data validation rules.

I would really appreciate any feedback on how I am using RSpec, or the runner 
code <https://gist.github.com/1475144> I put together, or suggestions on 
looking at other projects automating RSpec executions for inspiration.

Thanks in advance.
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On Dec 13, 2011, at 9:32 PM, Bill Christian <bill.christian at gmail.com>
wrote:
> I have a project that collects various application configurations across a
couple thousand servers and wants to validate settings are following recommended
values. For example, all weblogic servers should have a minimum memory heap size
of 512M. Any violators should be reported.
> 
> Being very impressed with the RSpec DSL, I am using RSpec to validate these
data rules. I pre-populate an object with all configurations for a given server
and use RSpec expectations to ensure they match the recommended values. My
current runner loads each instance and runs RSpec.
> 
> Of course this is not truly performing unit testing, but it appears to be
an easy way to expressively define data rules and run expectations.
I''ve gotten it to work. However, this is my first time at instrumenting
RSpec outside of rake and creating my own custom formatter. I am curious if I am
mangling the use of RSpec and/or complete missing a better way of scripting
RSpec to perform data validation rules.
> 
> I would really appreciate any feedback on how I am using RSpec, or the
runner code I put together, or suggestions on looking at other projects
automating RSpec executions for inspiration.
> 
> Thanks in advance.
> _______________________________________________
> rspec-users mailing list
> rspec-users at rubyforge.org
> http://rubyforge.org/mailman/listinfo/rspec-users

I can''t comment on the specifics of your configuration but I think this
is a fine use of RSpec. I love using RSpec for stuff like this. Unit tests
aren''t the only things in the world that need automated checks :)

Pat
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I have a working prototype. However, I am having trouble instrumenting the 
automation. Are there existing examples or libraries that execute tests 
outside of a console? 
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