CULTURAL EVOLUTION IN SOFTWARE TESTING

Alex Elentukh
Phone: (617) 821-7639; FAX: (617) 821-4956; e-mail: alex@erbin.dev.cdx.mot.com
Motorola Codex, Mail Stop: C3-10, 20 Cabot Blvd., Mansfield, MA 02048

1. Introduction problems at an experienced tester's will, without much

relevance to customer satisfaction. And another question
In order to successfully apply any modem test technique, it surhced "what is a problem? (and how to define it)?".
is imperative to establish a corresponding training program.
The deployment of appropriate tools is only a part of the
task, in fact, in some cases - a minor task. The bigger
question remains, as to how to plan the cultural shift of an
organization. Several successful companies , for example
IMA of Colorado, make their business in helping
organizations transition into a different culture. This paper no matter
explores this important subject, as it pertains to the
deployment of the operational profiles-based technique.

2. Cultural shift

The cultural shift represents one of the most visible

changes required for successful implementation of the
U testlng with
oper profiles
third approach
operational profile-based methodology. Figure 1 provides
an historical perspective of this shift. Figure 1. Three evolutionary approaches to system testing.

The initial culture developed during early stages of the
software testing epoch corresponds to the belief that a final
program must comply with its original requirements.
Hence, the process of revealing program deficiencies
consists of matching test outcomes with program
specifications. As with all good intentions that pave a way
to hell, this intention has not lasted long. The real
applicability of this test approach became inadequate by thc
time the number of KLOC (thousand lines of code) rolled
over the second digit. With 10 KLOC on its shoulders, the
exhausting program specifications became practically
impossible. Nevertheless, formal methods have enjoyed a
considerable proliferation.
The third culture grew out of realization that "there are bugs
and thcre are bugs". It is not enough just to find a bug. It is
more important to find a right bug. Moreover, it is not
enough to find the right bug, it is more important to find
them in the same order as a customer would find them.
The complete impossibility of providing reasonable test
coverage for the whole input space dictated a non-
deterministic approach. That is how software reliability
theory followed in the footsteps of a more mature hardware
rcliability theory.
3. Conclusion

The Next Culture that evolved, had a single idea in mind - Planning and deploying a new methodology does involve a
-
to find a bug no matter what, no matter how, just find it. considerable culture shift. In order to experience any rate of
success, it is imperative to thoroughly define the goals,
This has been eloquently expressed in the introduction to
Glen Myers "The Art Of Software Testing", as follows, "if methods, and personnel skills involved.
this book will help anyone to find at least a single bug in a
single program, then the price of the book will have been
paid many times over". Unfortunately this mentality has
not survived long either, when the number of KLOC rolled
over the fifth digit. A million lines of code easily exhibit

Paper 13.1 INTERNATIONAL TEST CONFERENCE 1993

270 0-7803-1429-8/93$3.00 1993 IEEE