Non-Functional Testing

This section is based upon the testing of the application from its non-functional attributes. Non-functional testing of Software involves testing the Software from the requirements which are non functional in nature related but important a well such as performance, security, user interface etc.
Some of the important and commonly used non-functional testing types are mentioned as follows:

Performance Testing

It is mostly used to identify any bottlenecks or performance issues rather than finding the bugs in software. There are different causes which contribute in lowering the performance of software:

• Network delay.
• Client side processing.
• Database transaction processing.
• Load balancing between servers.
• Data rendering.

Performance testing is considered as one of the important and mandatory testing type in terms of following aspects:

• Speed (i.e. Response Time, data rendering and accessing)
• Capacity
• Stability
• Scalability

It can be either qualitative or quantitative testing activity and can be divided into different sub types such as Load testing and Stress testing.

Load Testing

A process of testing the behavior of the Software by applying maximum load in terms of Software accessing and manipulating large input data. It can be done at both normal and peak load conditions. This type of testing identifies the maximum capacity of Software and its behavior at peak time.
Most of the time, Load testing is performed with the help of automated tools such as Load Runner, AppLoader, IBM Rational Performance Tester, Apache JMeter, Silk Performer, Visual Studio Load Test etc.
Virtual users (VUsers) are defined in the automated testing tool and the script is executed to verify the Load testing for the Software. The quantity of users can be increased or decreased concurrently or incrementally based upon the requirements.

Stress Testing

This testing type includes the testing of Software behavior under abnormal conditions. Taking away the resources, applying load beyond the actual load limit is Stress testing.
The main intent is to test the Software by applying the load to the system and taking over the resources used by the Software to identify the breaking point. This testing can be performed by testing different scenarios such as:

• Shutdown or restart of Network ports randomly.
• Turning the database on or off.
• Running different processes that consume resources such as CPU, Memory, server etc.

Usability Testing

This section includes different concepts and definitions of Usability testing from Software point of view. It is a black box technique and is used to identify any error(s) and improvements in the Software by observing the users through their usage and operation.
According to Nielsen, Usability can be defined in terms of five factors i.e. Efficiency of use, Learn-ability, Memor-ability, Errors/safety, satisfaction. According to him the usability of the product will be good and the system is usable if it possesses the above factors.
Nigel Bevan and Macleod considered that Usability is the quality requirement which can be measured as the outcome of interactions with a computer system. This requirement can be fulfilled and the end user will be satisfied if the intended goals are achieved effectively with the use of proper resources.
Molich in 2000 stated that user friendly system should fulfill the following five goals i.e. Easy to Learn, Easy to Remember, Efficient to Use, Satisfactory to Use and Easy to Understand.
In addition to different definitions of usability, there are some standards and quality models and methods which define the usability in the form of attributes and sub attributes such as ISO-9126, ISO-9241-11, ISO-13407 and IEEE std.610.12 etc.

UI vs Usability Testing

UI testing involves the testing of Graphical User Interface of the Software. This testing ensures that the GUI should be according to requirements in terms of color, alignment, size and other properties.
On the other hand Usability testing ensures that a good and user friendly GUI is designed and is easy to use for the end user. UI testing can be considered as a sub part of Usability testing.

Security Testing

Security testing involves the testing of Software in order to identify any flaws ad gaps from security and vulnerability point of view. Following are the main aspects which Security testing should ensure:

• Confidentiality.
• Integrity.
• Authentication.
• Availability.
• Authorization.
• Non-repudiation.
• Software is secure against known and unknown vulnerabilities.
• Software data is secure.
• Software is according to all security regulations.
• Input checking and validation.
• SQL insertion attacks.
• Injection flaws.
• Session management issues.
• Cross-site scripting attacks.
• Buffer overflows vulnerabilities.
• Directory traversal attacks.

       Portability Testing

Portability testing includes the testing of Software with intend that it should be re-useable and can be moved from another Software as well. Following are the strategies that can be used for Portability testing.

• Transferred installed Software from one computer to another.
• Building executable (.exe) to run the Software on different platforms.

Portability testing can be considered as one of the sub parts of System testing, as this testing type includes the overall testing of Software with respect to its usage over different environments. Computer Hardware, Operating Systems and Browsers are the major focus of Portability testing. Following are some pre-conditions for Portability testing:

• Software should be designed and coded, keeping in mind Portability Requirements.
• Unit testing has been performed on the associated components.
• Integration testing has been performed.
• Test environment has been established.
  

   

  Installation Testing: -

      It is a type of testing in which one will install the application in to the environment by following the guide lines provided in the installation document and if the installation is successful then he will come a conclusion that the given guide lines are correct other wise he will come to a conclusion that the given guidelines are not correct.
  
  
  

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GREY BOX TESTING

Grey Box testing

Grey Box testing is a technique to test the application with limited knowledge of the internal workings of an application. In software testing, the term “the more you know the better” carries a lot of weight when testing an application.
Mastering the domain of a system always gives the tester an edge over someone with limited domain knowledge. Unlike black box testing, where the tester only tests the application’s user interface, in grey box testing, the tester has access to design documents and the database. Having this knowledge, the tester is able to better prepare test data and test scenarios when making the test plan.

Advantages

• Offers combined benefits of black box and white box testing wherever possible.

•  Grey box testers don’t rely on the source code; instead they rely on interface definition and functional specifications.

• Based on the limited information available, a grey box tester can design excellent test scenarios especially around communication protocols and data type handling.

• The test is done from the point of view of the user and not the designer.

Disadvantages

• Since the access to source code is not available, the ability to go over the code and test coverage is limited.

• The tests can be redundant if the software designer has already run a test case.

• Testing every possible input stream is unrealistic because it would take an unreasonable amount of time; therefore, many program paths will go untested.

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Differences Between terms in Software Testing

Differences Between Audit and Inspection

Audit: A systematic process to determine how the actual testing process is conducted within an organization or a team. Generally, it is an independent examination of processes which are involved during the testing of software. As per IEEE, it is a review of documented processes whether organizations implements and follows the processes or not. Types of Audit include the Legal Compliance Audit, Internal Audit, and System Audit.


Inspection: A formal technique which involves the formal or informal technical reviews of any artifact by identifying any error or gap. Inspection includes the formal as well as informal technical reviews. As per IEEE94, Inspection is a formal evaluation technique in which software requirements, design, or code are examined in detail by a person or group other than the author to detect faults, violations of development standards, and other problems.
Formal Inspection meetings may have following process: Planning, Overview Preparation, Inspection Meeting, Rework, and Follow-up.


Difference between Testing and Debugging

Testing: It involves the identification of bug/error/defect in the software without correcting it. Normally professionals with a Quality Assurance background are involved in the identification of bugs. Testing is performed in the testing phase.

Debugging: It involves identifying, isolating and fixing the problems/bug. Developers who code the software conduct debugging upon encountering an error in the code. Debugging is the part of White box or Unit Testing. Debugging can be performed in the development phase while conducting Unit Testing or in phases while fixing the reported bugs.

Difference Between Testing, Quality Assurance and Quality Control

Most people are confused with the concepts and difference between Quality Assurance, Quality Control and Testing. Although they are interrelated and at some level they can be considered as the same activities, but there is indeed a difference between them. Mentioned below are the definitions and differences between them:

Difference Between Verification and Validation

Difference Between Black Box Testing White Box Testing and Grey Box Testing

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User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

What is User Acceptance Testing?
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User Acceptance Testing (UAT) - also called beta testing, application testing, and/or end user testing - is a phase of software development in which the software is tested in the "real world" by the intended audience or a business representative. Whilst the technical testing of IT systems is a highly professional and exhaustive process, testing of business functionality is an entirely different proposition.

User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is one sure way to reduce or eliminate change requests, and drastically reduce project costs.

Advantages of UAT

•       Ensuring that the application behaves exactly as expected.
•       Reducing the total cost of ownership.
•       Reducing the cost of developing the application.

Tasks of User Acceptance Testing
When performing UAT, there are seven (7) basic steps to ensure the system is tested thoroughly and meets the business needs.

1 – Analyze Business Requirements
2 – Identify UAT Scenarios
3 – Define the UAT Test Plan
4 – Create UAT Test Cases
5 – Run the Tests
6 – Record the Results
7 – Confirm Business Objectives are met

Alpha Testing

This test is the first stage of testing and will be performed amongst the teams (developer and QA teams). Unit testing, integration testing and system testing when combined are known as alpha testing. During this phase, the following will be tested in the application:

• Spelling Mistakes
• Broken Links
• Cloudy Directions
• The Application will be tested on machines with the lowest specification to test loading times and any latency problems.

Beta Testing

This test is performed after Alpha testing has been successfully performed. In beta testing a sample of the intended audience tests the application. Beta testing is also known as pre-release testing. Beta test versions of software are ideally distributed to a wide audience on the Web, partly to give the program a "real-world" test and partly to provide a preview of the next release. In this phase the audience will be testing the following:

• Users will install, run the application and send their feedback to the project team.
• Typographical errors, confusing application flow, and even crashes.
• Getting the feedback, the project team can fix the problems before releasing the software to the actual users.
• The more issues you fix that solve real user problems, the higher the quality of your application will be.
• Having a higher-quality application when you release to the general public will increase customer satisfaction.

Summary
Whether your organization designates the functional role associated with testing as a Business Analyst, Tester, or Quality Assurance professional, User Acceptance Testing done well will engage those responsible very early on in the project development cycle. DevelopMentor Business Analysis curriculum offers many opportunities for learning the skills required of those responsible for UAT.

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DEFECT TRACKING

DEFECT TRACKING

Defect : If a feature is not working according to the requirement, it is called a defect.

Deviation from requirement specification is called as defect.

Developer develops the product – test engineer starts testing the product – he finds a defect – now the TE must send the defect to the development team.

He prepares a defect report – and sends a mail to the Development lead saying “bug open.

Development lead looks at the mail and at the bug – and by looking at the bug – he comes to know to which development engineer developed that feature which had a bug – and sends the defect report to that particular developer and says “bug assigned”.

The development engineer fixes the bug – and sends a mail to the test engineer saying “bug fixed” – he also “cc mail” to the development lead.

Now the TE takes the new build in which the bug is fixed – and if the bug is really fixed – then sends a mail to the developer saying “bug closed” and also “cc mail” to the development lead.

Every bug will have an unique number.

If the defect is still there – it will be sent back as “bug reopen”. 

DEFECT LIFE CYCLE

DEFECT REPORT

Defect ID – it is an unique number given to the defect

Test Case Name – whenever we find a defect, we send the defect report and not the test case to the developer. For defect tracking, we only track the defect report and not the test case. Test case is only for reference for the TE. We always only send the defect report whenever we catch a bug.

Given below is – how a defect report looks like

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