| Systems
Testing |
Generally, this
means the testing of the software in laboratory
conditions to ensure that it performs as it should
(i.e. to specification).
Testing is normally
carried out by the development team, including
programmers and analysts.
Testing should be
carried out module-by-module and for the whole
system. Any "bugs" or faults are
noted and analysed. In addition to user
functionality checks, a critical aspect of systems
testing is to ensure that data interfaces work
properly. |
|
|
| Regression
Testing |
The
retesting of parts, or all, of the application
after changes have been made to the software since
the previous test. This is a vitally
important aspect of testing as it is all too
common to find that, in fixing a "bug"
the developers create new faults in previously
acceptable modules. |
|
|
| Stress
Testing |
The
development team test the software against high
volume usage to ensure that the application will
not slow down under heavy usage. This type
of testing often requires sophisticated software
and equipment. |
|
|
| Acceptance
Testing |
The
testing procedures adopted by USERS to check that
the application works in accordance with the
specification.
It is impossible to test for
every possible condition. Therefore, user
testing normally comprises -
|
|
Module
Testing - where users test each module
to see that they conform to the
specification |
|
|
Walk-Through
- where users process a small set of data
serially through each module to see that the
application produces the expected results |
|
|
|
| Fault
Assessment |
To
provide structure to a testing programme, there
needs to be some way of assessing the importance
of the faults that are found. A common
approach is to grade faults from 1- Unacceptable
to 6 - Minor.
It is important that the testers
agree with the development team the priorities and
response time that will be given to each of the
fault grades.
| Severity |
Grade |
|
Description |
|
1 |
Unacceptable |
- |
testing
cannot continue because of the seriousness
of the fault |
|
2 |
Severe |
- |
testing
can continue but the system cannot go live
with this fault |
|
3 |
Major |
- |
testing
can continue but the fault could be highly
disruptive to the business if unresolved |
|
4 |
Medium |
- |
testing
can continue and the system is likely to go
live with agreed changes to business
processes and manual
"work-arounds" to compensate for
the fault |
|
5 |
Minor |
- |
testing
can continue and the system allowed to go
live. There should be little change to
the planned business processes |
|
6 |
Cosmetic |
- |
the
system can go live as planned. Faults
relate to font sizes, colours, position of
fields on dialog boxes, etc |
|
|
|
| Test
Data |
A set of
data chosen to represent as many valid and invalid
combinations of data as possible. The data
are then processed manually to produce a known set
of results. The test data are then used
repeatedly (regression testing) for future
testing. |
|
|
