Test Levels / Levels of Execution /

Phases of Testing
Unit, Integration, System & Acceptance are 4 common test levels.
Unit Testing
Execution of test cases on smallest testable piece of software which is either a
moule ! unit ! component ! program. Smallest testable piece of software is teste,
in isolation, with an intention to uncover & fin all the eviations in smallest piece
software.
Unit testing is accomplishe within the evelopment environment by eveloper
class people.
"unctional testing! #on$"unctional testing! Structural testing! %esting &elate to
'hanges is possible at Unit (evel. )owever, Unit testing is ominate by structural
testing.
&obustness test, *ynamic analysis, 'oe reviews for control flow analysis, ata flow
analysis, as well as 'oe coverage are common tests at Unit level. Stress test is not
one at this level.
Component Integration testing
+hen more than one unit is combine & chec,e to expose errors that might exist
in interfaces or in communication between them.
Integration of components may follow a strategy of either -ig -ang Integration or
Incremental integration. -ig bang integration is when all the units are integrate at
once & teste for interfacial & communication errors. +hereas Incremental
integration combines available components at the beginning & incrementally
combines more units as & when they are available.
Incremental integration strategy is preferable as the isolation of efects is much
easier & further time management is better.
Incremental integration may be accomplishe either as %op$own integration
approach or -ottom$up approach or a mixe approach calle )ybri ! Sanwich
approach.
%op$own approach is possible when the main moule or the moules .at the top of
the 'ontrol flow ! architecture iagram/ are available for integration & more units
that fall below such top moules are incrementally integrate.
-ottom$up approach is possible when the bottom moules are available & moules
that fall above it are incrementally integrate.
A mixe approach may involve ranom integration involving some of the top &
some of the bottom moules incrementally integrate.
Incremental integration re0uires temporary programs such as Stub or *river to
facilitate test execution.
Stub: is a temporary program that replaces an unfinishe 'alle function or 'alle
moule. Stub reacts when calle with a message & returns bac, the control
Driver: is a temporary program that replaces an unfinishe 'alling function or
'alling moule. *river can initiate control
A test execution environment which facilitates test execution with the help of Stub !
*river is referre to as Test Harness. Sometimes a Stub ! *river is referre to as
%est )arness.
Integration testing is execute in evelopment environment by eveloper class
people or Specialist integrators. Any type of test is possible at any level.
System Testing
+hen all the components are integrate an eploye into a customer expecte
environment & sub1ecte to rigorous testing, such testing is calle System testing.
System testing is with an intention of uncovering as many efects that exist in the
system as a whole. *efects are then referre to the evelopment & once correction
is proper then the 0uality of the system gets improve.
A rigorous evaluation of the system from one en to another involving many
negative tests is how system testing can be characteri2e.
System testing, also calle En to En testing, is carrie out by Inepenent testers
in a customer expecte environment.
Any type of test may be one at this level & must inclue evaluation of "unctional &
#on$"unctional characteristics.
%he source artifacts for System testing can be S&S! "&S! Use 'ases! -usiness
processes.
Acceptance Testing
+hen a system is assesse as to whether it meets user purpose & reasonable
expectations such a test is referre to as Acceptance testing.
Acceptance testing is the responsibility of Users ! 'lient & oesn3t involve #egative
testing.
%he source artifacts for Acceptance testing can be -&S! Use 'ases! -usiness
processes.
Acceptance testing one at *evelopment company environment is ,nown as Alpha
test whereas Acceptance test one at 'lient ! User environment is ,nown as -eta
test.
Alpha test is also ,nown as "actory test & -eta test is ,nown as "iel test or Site
testing.
+hen acceptance test is one as per contractual criteria such a test is calle
Contractual acceptance test
+hen acceptance test is one as per &egulatory stanar such a test is calle
Regulatory acceptance test
UAT: User Acceptance %est is to assess whether the software meets user nees &
reasonable expectations.
OAT: 4perational Acceptance %est is to assess whether UA% approve software can
be mae live. In operationali2ing a software criteria such as training to users, ata
bac,up & restore proceures, security permissions, isaster recovery proceures
may nee to be efine & achieve. #etwor, amin of the client verifies if such
criteria is satisfie before ma,ing the application live.
System Integration testing:
+hen our system combine with a thir party component in forming the total
solution then an aitional test level is involve which is calle System Integration
%esting.
An external software component calle '.4.%.S .'ommercial 4ff %he Shelf
Software/ 5 our system 6 'omplete Solution
It is re0uire to assess if system of systems has any errors at interfaces or in
communication between them.
Maintenance Testing
+hen a live system .release system/ is teste such testing is referre to as
7aintenance testing.
A release system may nee to be teste because of the following triggers,
8. 7oification9 to correct failures notice by the client or to implement change
re0uest mae by the client or implementation of aitional features .enhancement/
:. 7igration9 change in the environment from one to another
;. &etirement9 existing application is being retire & possibly being replace with a
new technology application. Such about$to$be$retire application nees to be
evaluate as to whether the ata can be safely bac,e up ! restore, ata can be
migrate to another technology, or ata can be retaine for longer uration.
Workflow:
'ustomer reports an issue << Support staff << Support staff escalates the issue to
higher level calle ''- as they are unable to aress this issue << 'hange 'ontrol
-oar, comprising of the people who have wor,e on this pro1ect, shall analy2e for
what exactly nees to be change, extent of the change & impact of propose
change on other aspects of software .calle Impact analysis/. If ''- approves the
changes << Such changes are implemente by evelopers << Such changes are
teste by testers << =atch ! Upate ! )ot fix ! #ew version is release.
7aintenance testing is ominate by &egression testing & influence by Impact
analysis stuy.