Software Testing Life Cycle

Software Testing Life Cycle consists of six phases:

1) Planning
2) Analysis
3) Design
4) Execution
5) Cycles
6) Final Testing and Imlementation
!) Post Imlementation
1 Test Planning (Product Definition Phase):
T"e test lan "ase mainly signi#ies $ea$ation o# a test lan% A test lan is a "ig"
le&el'lanning document de$i&ed #$om t"e $o(ect lan )i# one exists) and details t"e
#utu$e cou$se o# testing% *ometimes+ a ,uality assu$ance lan ' -"ic" is .$oade$ in scoe
t"an a test lan is also made%
Contents o# a test lan a$e as #ollo-s/
*coe o# testing
Ent$y C$ite$ia )0"en testing -ill .egin1)
Exit C$ite$ia )0"en testing -ill sto1)
Testing *t$ategies )2lac3 2ox+ 0"ite 2ox+ etc%)
Testing 4e&els )Integ$ation testing+ 5eg$ession testing+ etc%)
4imitation )i# any)
Planned 5e&ie-s and Code 0al3t"$oug"s
Testing Tec"ni,ues )E,ui&alence Pa$titioning+ 2ounda$y 6alue Analysis etc%)
Testing Tools and Data.ases )Automatic Testing Tools+ Pe$#o$mance testing
tools)
5eo$ting )7o- -ould .ugs .e $eo$ted)
8ilestones
5esou$ces and T$aining
Contents o# a *9A Plan+ mo$e .$oade$ t"an a test lan+ a$e as #ollo-s/
T"e IEEE standa$d #o$ *9A Plan P$ea$ation contains t"e #ollo-ing outline/
Pu$ose
5e#e$ence Documents
8anagement
Documentation
*tanda$ds+ P$actices and Con&entions
5e&ie-s and Audits
*o#t-a$e Con#igu$ation 8anagement
P$o.lem 5eo$ting and Co$$ecti&e Action )*o#t-a$e 8et$ics to .e used can .e
identi#ied at t"is stage)
Tools+ Tec"ni,ues and 8et"odologies
Code Cont$ol
8edia Cont$ol
*ulie$ Cont$ol
5eco$ds+ Collection+ 8aintenance and 5etention
2 Test nalysis (Docu!entation Phase)
T"e Analysis P"ase is mo$e an extension o# t"e lanning "ase% 0"e$eas t"e lanning
"ase e$tains to "ig" le&el lans ' t"e Analysis "ase is -"e$e detailed lans a$e
documented% T"is is -"en actual test cases and sc$its a$e lanned and documented% T"is
"ase can .e #u$t"e$ .$o3en do-n into t"e #ollo-ing stes/

Review Inputs:
T"e $e,ui$ement seci#ication document+ #eatu$e seci#ication document and ot"e$
$o(ect lanning documents a$e conside$ed as inuts and t"e test lan is #u$t"e$
disinteg$ated into smalle$ le&el test cases%

Formats:
:ene$ally at t"is "ase a #unctional &alidation mat$ix .ased on 2usiness 5e,ui$ements is
c$eated% T"en t"e test case #o$mat is #inali;ed% Also *o#t-a$e 8et$ics a$e designed in t"is
stage% <sing some 3ind o# so#t-a$e li3e 8ic$oso#t $o(ect ' t"e testing timeline along
-it" milestones is c$eated%

Test Cases:
2ased on t"e #unctional &alidation mat$ix and ot"e$ inut documents+ test cases a$e
-$itten% Also some maing is done .et-een t"e #eatu$es and test cases%

Plan Automation:
0"ile c$eating test cases+ t"ose cases t"at s"ould .e automated a$e identi#ied% Ideally
t"ose test cases t"at a$e $ele&ant #o$ 5eg$ession Testing a$e identi#ied #o$ automation%
Also a$eas #o$ e$#o$mance+ load and st$ess testing a$e identi#ied%

Plan Regression and Correction Verification Testing:
T"e testing cycles+ i%e% num.e$ o# times t"at testing -ill .e $e'done to &e$i#y t"at .ugs
#ixed "a&e not int$oduced ne-e$ e$$o$s is lanned%
" Test Design (rchitecture Docu!ent and #e$iew Phase)
=ne "as to $eali;e t"at t"e testing li#e cycle $uns a$allel to t"e so#t-a$e de&eloment li#e
cycle% *o .y t"e time+ one $eac"es t"is "ase ' t"e de&eloment team -ould "a&e c$eated
some code o$ at least some $ototye o$ minimum a design document -ould .e c$eated%
7ence in t"e Test Design )A$c"itectu$e Document P"ase) ' all t"e lans+ test cases+ etc%
#$om t"e Analysis "ase a$e $e&ised and #inali;ed% In ot"e$ -o$ds+ loo3ing at t"e -o$3
$oduct o$ design ' t"e test cases+ test cycles and ot"e$ lans a$e #inali;ed% >e-e$ test
cases a$e added%
Also some 3ind o# 5is3 Assessment C$ite$ia is de&eloed% Also -$iting o# automated
testing sc$its .egins% Finally ' t"e testing $eo$ts )esecially unit testing $eo$ts) a$e
#inali;ed%
9uality c"ec3oints+ i# any+ a$e included in t"e test cases .ased on t"e *9A Plan%


% Test &xecution ('nit ( )unctional Testing Phase)
2y t"is time t"e de&eloment team -ould "a&e .een comleted c$eation o# t"e -o$3
$oducts% =# Cou$se ' t"e -o$3 $oduct -ould still contain .ugs% *o+ in t"e execution
"ase ' de&eloe$s -ould ca$$y out unit testing -it" teste$?s "el+ i# $e,ui$ed% Teste$s
-ould execute t"e test lans%
Automatic testing *c$its -ould .e comleted% *t$ess and e$#o$mance testing -ould .e
executed%
0"ite .ox testing+ code $e&ie-s+ etc% -ould .e conducted%
As and -"en .ugs a$e #ound ' $eo$ting -ould .e done%
* Test Cycle (#e+Testing Phase)
2y t"is time+ minimum one test cycle )one $ound o# test execution) -ould "a&e .een
comleted and .ugs -ould "a&e .een $eo$ted% =nce t"e de&eloment team #ixes t"e
.ugs+ t"en a second $ound o# testing .egins% T"is testing could .e me$e co$$ection
&e$i#ication testing '' t"at is c"ec3ing only t"at a$t o# t"e code t"at "as .een co$$ected% It
could also .e 5eg$ession Testing ' -"e$e t"e enti$e -o$3 $oduct is tested to &e$i#y t"at
co$$ection to t"e code "as not a##ected ot"e$ a$ts o# t"e code% 7ence t"is $ocess o# /
Testing ''@ 2ug $eo$ting ''@ 2ug #ixing )and en"ancements) ''@ 5etesting is ca$$ied out
as lanned% 7e$e is -"e$e automation tests a$e ext$emely use#ul to $eeat t"e same test
cases again and again%
Du$ing t"is "ase ' $e&ie- o# test cases and test lan could also .e ca$$ied out%
, )inal Testing and -!ple!entation (Code )ree.e Phase)
0"en t"e exit c$ite$ia a$e ac"ie&ed o$ lanned test cycles a$e comleted ' t"en #inal
testing is done% Ideally ' t"is is *ystem o$ Integ$ation testing% Also any $emaining *t$ess
and Pe$#o$mance testing is ca$$ied out% Inuts #o$ $ocess im$o&ements in te$ms o#
so#t-a$e met$ics a$e gi&en%
Test $eo$ts a$e $ea$ed% I# $e,ui$ed+ a test $elease note ' $eleasing t"e $oduct #o$ $oll
out could .e $ea$ed% =t"e$ $emaining documentation is comleted%

/ Post -!ple!entation (Process -!pro$e!ent Phase)
T"is "ase+ t"at loo3s good on ae$+ is seldom ca$$ied out% In t"is "ase+ t"e testing is
e&aluated and lessons lea$nt a$e documented% *o#t-a$e 8et$ics )2ug Analysis 8et$ics)
a$e analy;ed statistically and conclusions a$e d$a-n% *t$ategies to $e&ent simila$
$o.lems in #utu$e $o(ects a$e identi#ied% P$ocess Im$o&ement *uggestions a$e
imlemented% Cleaning u o# testing en&i$onment and A$c"i&al o# test cases+ $eco$ds and
$eo$ts a$e done%