Test automation

est automation is one of most abused testing technologies. The reason why many tried to do it but few succeeded lies in the difference in approach. Those who succeeded just did it right from the start, whereas those who are not gave up after series of unfruitful attempts.

Test automation is not equally effective if applied to different types of projects. As in business modeling, one needs to calculate the benefit before jumping in into implementation. Unfortunately, in many cases, they do just opposite. Having drawn to the need for test automation by advertising articles in journals they kind of try building a space shuttle in the backyard having blueprints downloaded from the Internet.

There is only one absolutely required factor that company needs to have to get the real benefit from test automation experience.

EffectiveSoft offers top-notch software test automation services with highly experienced staff. Our engineers know how to minimize efforts needed for creating and supporting automated test cases. Has learned how to do it right the first time, we can help you reduce test automation efforts in many times.

Our most sound experience comes from the client-server system, for which we created 20 000 automated tests (UI-based tests in SilkTest) and executed them every night on 70 virtual machines running at the same time. All the required configurations were prepared automatically. No manual work was required to run the tests but to point the framework to the location of a new build.

Ordering test automation services from EffectiveSoft you can be sure in high quality and maximal effectiveness of the test automation process.

We have most of experience with SilkTest, QuckTest Pro, TestComplete, and Selenium. But also consider other tools.

EffectiveSoft may also suggest you consulting services in test automation area.

Usability assessment

Usability or user experience evaluation testing is the quality of software with a growing importance. The number of systems with similar purpose increase day by day. Only those who provide best service to the user win. Usability is one of most important parameters of the system for the end users.

EffectiveSoft have user experience specialist who can help you assessing usability of your software and provide recommendation on making it more user-friendly.

Code inspection and review

Based on the result of different studies code review is one of the most effective defect removal activities. It does not take to build software or to test it before code review starts bringing the issues. Just looking at code having some code quality standards, typical mistakes or patterns in mind may reveal many issues, including those hard to detect using other methods. Finding critical and hardly detectable issues early can save efforts and avoid damaged reputation, lost sales and customers.

In order to be effective, code review should be done by skilled developers. EffectiveSoft have such "gurus" at hand. They may evaluate the level of quality of your code and provide recommendations on how to improve it.

Our engineers use latest software tools to assist in code analysis, so the first results are available very soon, in few days after the start of the analysis.

Test design

Test design is the process of creating test strategy and test cases based on product requirements. Test design must be concise and complete. These are the goals that appeal to the profound experience in software testing.

We have the experience of creating and managing database of 40 000 tests using latest test management tools. Our test design processes are defined and complemented with guidelines and checklists that help ensuring the quality of test cases that we create. Our test case templates contains minimum set of crucial information needed to make test design and test execution processes transparent, measurable, and manageable.

On customer request, we provide the full access to the test management system so they can observe testing process in the real time.

Test execution

Test execution is the process of executing tests designed for the system. The way the process is organized defines its effectiveness. We use test management tools and workflows to support test execution process, make it visible and controllable. We also have experience using custom software set up at the customer’s site. In both cases customers have full visibility and control over testing process, can measure its velocity and adjust priorities.

On customer request, we provide the full access to the test management system so they can observe testing process in the real time.

Testing process: Defect tracking

The goals of defect tracking is to make sure defects are filed and fixed accordingly to their severity as well as to information for measuring overall software quality. These goals are achieved using special workflow models and tools designed to keep information on defect, protect it from incorrect use and provide quality metrics. We use latest versions of the most sophisticated defect tracking tools. We may also use the tools provided by the customers.

Testing process: Reporting

Reporting is the way to communicate the progress, risks and projections back to the decision maker. This is fully customizable option for our customers. We can either suggest our template or stick to the template provided by customer. We can also define a completely new form of report that will suit the purpose of the project best.

A typical baseline report contains:

• Tasks completed
• Future tasks
• Quality metrics
  1. Defect arrival trend (newly found vs. resolved)
  2. Defect distribution by severity
  3. Defect density by module
• Risks
• Notes and comments

Testing process: Review of documentation

Requirements can be written so as no one can check if it is met. For example, one may write that a new system shall be better than the previous. But there is no criterion given that can help testing if it’s really so. In order to make sure that every requirement is testable we need to give it to test engineers for review. Additionally to reporting abovementioned cases testers usually come up with omissions, logical mistakes and inconsistencies in requirements noted as they do the review.

In general, review process is very effective as it helps eliminating issues before they are hard-coded into design and code.

All test engineers at EffectiveSoft are taught in doing requirement review. We have issues sophisticated internal guidelines and checklists to make sure that reviews are performed at a due quality level.

Component/Functional system testing

This black box type of testing is performed based on knowledge about system functionality. Testers create test cases that target different functional aspects of the system in different conditions. The goal of testing is achieving 100% functional coverage and finding defects related to using component or system in different specific usage scenarios.

Our engineers are skilled in doing both traditional and exploratory testing. Exploratory testing differs from the traditional one by allowance to create new tests as tests are being executed. It was noted that this is much easier to come up with a new testing idea when one has a working product at hand. There is no need to busy one's mind with models of the future software. 100% of mind power can be applying to mocking up cases to try. Exploratory testing is the right choice for the systems having complex logic or projects with poorly defined requirements.

Regression testing

During development systems undergo changes. System parts that have already passed testing can be affected by the changes, so they need to be re-tested. The process of selecting areas and re-testing of what was tested before is called Regression testing. We used to perform analysis for the areas of risk based on our own experience, feedback from development and formal criteria.

Our own experience can help us define risky areas based on our knowledge of the system structure or past experience with system. We may know that some part of the product is very complex, so changes in it require careful examining of the remaining functionality. We may also know that component that was changed is used in several components, so all of them are now the subject for regression testing.

Selecting tests for regression testing also requires certain knowledge and experience. The easiest way is to re-run all the tests but this is also the most expensive solution. Careful selection of tests for re-running is the key for getting the most for your buck. EffectiveSoft offers testing processes that helps making selection for regression tests with one click.

Test automation is a big help for regression testing. You may save a lot of your budget having your major regression tests automated.

Localization or Internationalization testing

Companies who spread their business worldwide are faced with the problem of having their products translated into different languages, including such exotic ones as Arabic, Japanese, Korean, or Chinese. Testing of products translated into another language is labor-consuming task. The easiest way is complete re-testing of the software. The reason why many try going this way is the lack of knowledge of what may go wrong when you translate your product. So, having this type of testing outsourced to the experienced service provider, you save the budged and time.

EffectiveSoft has built enough experience in this area to know for sure where to look!

Compatibility/Configuration testing

Compatibility testing is checking the software under different environment configuration. Environment may include different operating systems and their settings as well as different software with which the software is intended to interact.

Most of products lack this type of testing because they cannot provide testing staff with required environment. Buying and setting up the hardware for such testing may prove to be too expensive. So, having this type of testing outsourced is more than just reasonable.

Besides, having done a lot of configuration testing projects, we know what specific problems to expect from different environment settings, so it takes less time to find issues.

EffectiveSoft offers vast test lab and skilled IT personnel that can set up any kind of environment you may need to test your product.

Stress/Volume testing

Stress testing is needed to check how system reacts to stressful environment, such as disk space or memory shortage. Examining the system in such conditions is crucial to make sure that it will behave correctly when such conditions appear to the end user. In many cases, if not build and tested carefully, incorrect system reactions to stressful conditions may lead to data loss and corruption. Having such problem exposed to the users may severely undermine their satisfaction and may damage company's image.

Volume testing is needed to verify how system reacts to big amounts of input data.

EffectiveSoft offers sophisticated stress and volume testing. We have special tools that help doing effective stress testing and a vast database of test data designed for volume testing.

Load testing

Load testing is checking system capabilities to tolerate high load. Client-server systems are the target for load testing. Server side processes input from clients. The more clients are in operation, the higher load on the server is. In order to make sure the system is able to cope with required level of load we need to emulate such conditions and make sure the system reacts correctly.

Load testing is usually automated with special tools. It is also very knowledge-intensive area where experience is the key for the success. Load testing is not as simple as create and run the test. This is the investigation process that involves many runs with different system and test settings with aim to get the reliable data and to draw correct conclusions. Experience in doing this kind of testing can dramatically reduce the number of such iterations needed to draw the conclusion.

Test engineers at EffectiveSoft have vast experience in designing and running load tests for web and client-server applications. We also offer skills in using different load testing tools such as: SilkPerformer, LoadRunner, WebLoad, TestComplete.

Besides providing load testing services we also can help you in defining load capability requirements for your product.

Performance testing

Performance is one of key qualities of a software product. Even if performance requirements are not defined they do exist. No matter if you define it or not in the product requirements customers expect the product to react in some acceptable time. This acceptable time can be different based on customer's expectations.

Performance testing is very like load testing. It also requires specific knowledge and tools to be effective. But unlike load testing it bears demonstrative function rather than destructive. The goal of performance testing is to emulate required conditions and measure system response. Whereas Load testing is aimed at finding the threshold after which system stops operating correctly.

The tools that we use for performance testing are the same as we use for load testing.

Besides providing load testing services we also can help you in defining load capability requirements for your product.

Security

EffectiveSoft places high emphasis on software security. With latest popularity of internet software security becomes more and more critical software property. Security testing is actually an attempt to break its defense and to bring it down or to obtain an access to sensitive customer's data. Systems are examined for such parameters as:

• Cookies substitution
• SQL injection
• HTML/DHTML injection
• Encryption of critical data
• Script parameter exploits
• Firewall settings
• Database security
• Password safety
• Backdoors in code
• Access permission settings