Week 9 Testing Strategies in Software Quality Assurance

Overview of Testing Strategies

• Key Focus Areas of Testing Strategies

  • Communication breakdowns in requirements and design leading to poor software quality.

  • Differentiation of system, integration, and acceptance testing.

  • Benefits and issues of testing within a DevOps framework.

Importance of Requirements Reviews

• Reviewed by a cross-functional team including:

  • Developers

  • Testers

  • Business Analysts

  • Product Designers

  • Product Management

• Ensures requirements are valid and clearly understood by all stakeholders.

Iteration and Sprint Planning in Agile Development

• Goals of Sprint Planning:

  • Estimate user stories.

  • Determine the number of user stories to accommodate in the upcoming Sprint.

  • Obtain clarification from the Product Owner.

  • Focus on understanding features and confirming acceptance criteria.

• Agile Change Management:

  • Prioritize items; higher priority items are better detailed, while lower priority items can be less detailed.

Types of Software Testing

System Testing Forms

• Smoke Testing

• Functional Testing

• Usability Testing

• Accessibility Testing

• Security Testing

• Regulatory Testing

• Performance Testing

Smoke Testing

• Validates basic functions in a new environment through a subset of critical test cases.

• Originates from early practices where devices were tested for smoke upon startup.

Functional Testing

• Validates that application functions follow specifications based on user stories and functional specs.

• Involves detailed test cycles aligned with ongoing development.

Usability Testing

• Assesses how easy the software is to use for end-users.

• Conducted ideally by actual users or observed users to ensure ease of use.

• Tools: Optimizely, CrazyEgg, Usabilla.

Accessibility Testing

• Ensures software is usable by individuals with physical limitations, following standards like WCAG and AODA.

Security Testing

• Identifies vulnerabilities in software based on Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability principles.

• Tools: Metasploit, NMAP, WireShark, Fiddler.

Regulatory/Compliance Testing

• Confirms adherence to governmental regulations in industries like healthcare, finance, and transportation.

Performance Testing

• Determines optimal operating conditions for software, focusing on non-functional requirements.

• Tools: Apache Jmeter, LoadRunner, WebLoad.

Acceptance Testing Types

• Business Acceptance Testing (BAT):

  • Ensures software meets business requirements.

• User Acceptance Testing (UAT):

  • Conducted by users to validate system meets user requirements.

Objectives of Acceptance Testing

• Confirm system meets criteria and performance standards.

• Identify and resolve discrepancies.

• Assess the system's readiness for launch.

Test Strategy Development

Test Strategies vs. Plans

• Strategy: Overall approach.

• Plan: Tactical elements, often reactionary and updated frequently.

Elements of a Test Strategy

• Objectives, scope, roles, test approach, test environment, test data, testing tools, risk analysis, review and approval, traceability matrix.

Heuristic Test Strategy Model (HTSM)

• Provides guidewords to focus testing strategy, aiming for comprehensive coverage.

Challenges in Agile Environments

• Traditional strategies often cover the entire project, while agile development focuses on Sprints and functionalities.

Using Mind Maps in Test Strategy Development

• Creating a Mind Map:

  • Start with a central idea (application name).

  • Branch out with sub-categories.

  • Continue to break down categories until complete.

Sample Mind Map Elements

• Covered topics such as performance, UI testing, acceptance testing, roles, responsibilities, and tools used.