Is there a test runner for .NET tests that can work with multiple threads to use multi-core machines?

Question

I am currently setting up CI using Cruise Toughtworks Studios, Gallio to run xunit.net facts / tests and ncover 2 to cover code.

I noticed that when launching the code coverage, it binds to one of the four processors that our development server has, and wondered if there is a multi-threaded tester that I could use instead to take advantage of the other 3 cores that are idle ? I had a quick search, but most calls relate to testing multi-threaded code, not multi-threaded testing ...

Answer 1

Gallio implements parallel test execution.

Answer 2

In NUnit, you can pass the / thread parameter , which starts the execution of the test in another thread. I would suggest that it would not be too much work to have a thread pool for running tests. You have to make damn sure you have no dependencies in the tests.

I would ask for either xUnit.NET or NUnit lists. I know that Charlie is working on this part of NUnit 3.0. You can also see PNunit as an extension. There's also an article with someone working on getting xUnit.NET in multiple threads.

Answer 3

Just yesterday I stumbled upon this post by Damon Payne:

http://www.damonpayne.com/2008/05/09/ConcurrentUnitTestingWithXUnitNet1.aspx

where he looks at his own test runner for xUnit.NET, which explicitly distributes test cases, using the class as a concurrency unit to take advantage of several cores.

Answer 4

If nothing else, I know that in CruiseControl.NET you can run several two operations at the same time. I would have thought it would be true for a cruise. You could have four run instances of 1/4 of your tests each, and then stitch the results back together. Knowing when to combine them can be difficult.