What is Cloud Testing? Why is Cloud Testing Important

Cloud testing uses the environment of cloud computing. For the same reason, the process an save a lot of money and time! Cloud testing will inform you about any problem in the application, network, and infrastructure and will provide you with the solutions to the problems incurred in these areas so that you can smoothly run your application.
Few Issues Which Can Incur If You Don’t Perform Cloud Testing

  •  You will not be able to authenticate your functional system and business prerequisite.
  • Complying with cloud-specific requirements and dealing with issues such as performance, data migration, scalability, and obtain-ability will be impossible
  • Your data may be less secure and can be vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
  • If you use a traditional approach of testing you will have to pay high charges to test the applications in which the numeral of users is erratic, distribution environment is according to the patrons prerequisite. But if you use cloud testing you can test the application over outsized topographical extent at a low price.
  • Without cloud testing, you will not be able to test the services anywhere because they require large hardware setup as they do not have virtualization or thin clients to reduce the hardware setup.
  • You have to install and maintain hardware if you use traditional methods of testing rather than cloud testing. Other testing methods cannot centralize all IT components as you will need to perform maintenance steps individually for each and every IT component.

  • You will not be able to reduce the hardware requirement, location dependencies and implementation using other software testing services, but you can do this using cloud testing services empowering your business to lessen the carbon footprint of its IT structure.
  • In other testing techniques, the scope of applications scalability is restricted to a certain number of users within the network while it is not in the case of cloud testing.
  • If you are shifting your application from a physical server environment to a cloud environment and you do not perform cloud testing then your application will recipe for adversity.
  • If you will not perform stress cloud testing then you will not be able to maintain the efficiency of the application beyond its breaking point and your application will not be able to work under traumatic situations and will not be steady.
  • If you do not perform load cloud testing then your application will not be able to bump into the prerequisite standards and you will not know how your application will retort when there is heavy user traffic.
  • If you do not do performance cloud testing you will not be able to find verges, tailbacks, and restrictions of your application. You will not be able to rouse those users whom you have targeted geographically at a minimal cost.
  • When you deploy an application on the cloud, cloud testing allows you to measure the dormancy amid the action and the analogous reaction of that application, other testing techniques do not offer this service.
  • You will not be able to authenticate applications maintenance effortlessly for numerous browser types and performance in each type without using cloud testing.
  • Compatibility testing will be effortless by generating on-demand illustrations of diverse operating systems without using cloud testing.
  • Other testing technique does not provide on-demand automated service testing, but with cloud testing, you can perform online testing anytime and from anyplace.

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These were some of the problems which can occur if you do not perform cloud testing.
Steps for Performing Effective Cloud Testing:

  • First user scenarios are established which have functional intents that users require and the outcome which is expected by the users.
  • After establishing user scenario, test cases are defined for testing and these test cases are grounded on user requirements and are developed by the testers.
  • After defining test cases a suitable cloud service vendor is selected for performing the tests.

  • After choosing the vendor the infrastructure and setup of a cloud server are established and with the support of the service provider, the testing traffic of the web is established.
  • After establishing the infrastructure and setting up the cloud server the testing process is started. Several types of testing liable on the interaction between consumers and suppliers are performed in this step using the test cases.

Many organizations prefer using a licensing model of the cloud to test products and services for clientele through the internet rather than installing tests because Cloud testing as a service is capable of authenticating different products for individuals or administrations.
Cloud testing has five forms i.e. testing inside a cloud, testing the infrastructure and competence, testing over clouds, testing the whole cloud.
Using cloud testing you pay for only the testing service you use. Cloud testing does not cost much and give quality testing service.

Database Testing: All Info you need to know!

With the advancement of technologies, the complexity of computer application is going top-notch with a number of applications and Mobile operating systems.
On top of that, if the front end is developed in a complicated manner than you can only assume what will happen at the back end.
Hence, now is the time to drown in the knowledge of the database in order to come up with quality and secure databases.
database testing

What is Database Testing?

The database is becoming more and more complex over time owing to the humongous amount of data that’s been stored in a software system.  Through Database basing process, we can evaluate the data integrity, data validity, database performance and functionalities wrapped around with it.
By performing the process maximum stability, efficiency, performance, and security of the database can be kept on a check from time to time to ensure that the software is stable once deployed in a competitive environment.

Types of Database Testing

Function and structure are what determines what type of testing has to be performed on a database system. On that basis of these factors, database testing can be further divided into
types of database testing
Structural database testing Components of the database that are not visible to users have to be tested. For that, structural database testing can be used. Another benefit of this type of testing is that it can be used for the validation of the database.
Functional testing – There are a lot of functionalities associated with the database from a user perspective.  White box and black box testing are the types of testing used for this purpose
Non-functional testing –  Risk factor of the database, requirements,  performance, etc. of the database has to put to test and that’s the non-functional factor of any database.

Database Testing Checklist

  1. Database synchronization
  2. Database performance
  3. Data integrity
  4. Data field validations
  5. Functionality
  6. Constraints
  7. Data transactions
  8. Database security
  9. Redundant data deletion
  10. Data consistency
  11.  To check whether data does not go outside the table
  12. Data compatibility
  13. Data duplication check
  14. Data migration ability
  15. Backup and recovery

How to Do Database Testing Manually

Open the SQL server and then the query analyzer, write the query and retrieve the data. Compare that with the expected result. Update or remove data and see how the software application performs
To run the test  there are a specific process involved, which includes,

  • Set up the test environment
  • Run the test
  • validate the result with the expected one
  • Report the findings to the stakeholders

Why Database Testing is Important?

1. Data Integrity
This will include the – Create, Retrieve, Update and Delete – CRUD operations, recent update or status or any of the value in the data that is shared or must be visible on a screen or form.

However, it is essential to take note that the value is not updated on-screen and the old value is the only one visible. Hence, you can take on your Database Test case to ensure to meet this point. It will include data checking points that might be in different places to check that they are the same consistently.
2. Data Mapping
While mapping out the data in any software, you need to understand that data keeps on moving from user interface (UI) to database backend and then move out all the way back to UI. The main aspects to keep in mind are:

  • You need to check out all the field that are in the frontend and UI so that they can consistently map with the corresponding table in the database. All of the mapping information is mentioned in the document in details making it easy to understand.
  • When front end action is performed in an application then the parallel CRUD will be involved at the back end. It is essential to test that actions performed are giving out the right results or not.

3. Rule Conformity
This point is entirely dependent on the complexity of the project. When the database has complexity then components will also be complex such as triggers, relational constraints, and stored procedures and so on. In such a case, tested need to keep a number of things in mind, especially SQL Queries that can help you to run the complexity easily.
4. Validation of ACID Properties
There are mainly four properties on which the performance of Database depends on

  • Atomicity is for the passes and fails in a transaction. This rule is usually known as all-or-nothing.
  • Consistency is the validation result of the whole transaction as per the databases.
  • Isolation is the point in which you can run out multiple transactions at once. However, the result will be shown in a continuous manner one after another.
  • Durability is the factor that shows that once the data is stored then no crash or power loss can eradicate it.

Steps by Step Process for Database Testing

The easiest way to run a database for almost all the applications is to follow up with simple essential points. However, the points might differ as per an application.

  • Environment preparation
  • Running essential test cases
  • Checking out the final outcome
  • As per the results, you need to check on the validation process
  • Documentation of the whole results to give a report to stakeholders

When you are trying out to prepare the test cases, you will require a number of SQL Queries. In this context, the most used command for the DB table is “Select”. This is used for almost all the commands in a way –
Select * from <TABLENAME> where <CONDITION>
Other than this, DB uses mainly three commands to run a table.

  • Data Definition Language – DDL – This command contains a number of ways to handle a table such as TRUNCATE, DROP, RENAME, ALTER, CREATE and so on.
  • Data Manipulation Language – DML –This will have the statements that allow deletion, update, and addition in the record.
  • Data Control Language – DCL –This control helps in providing authorization to an individual. It will allow them to access and manipulation to the table(s) and can easily revoke the command statements.

Revoke Syntax:
Revokeselect/update
on <TABLENAME>
from<id1, id2…idn>;
Grant Syntax:
Grant select/update
on <TABLENAME>
to <id1, id2…idn>;
Test Database
The Database Testing workouts with the few essential points that helps in getting the changes. Here are the points that must be followed to do Database testing easily
1. Queries Creation
In order to easily test the database, you need to have deep SQL knowledge and that too Data Manipulation Language.
Then, the internal database structure understanding is a must to test it. Once, this is done, then comes the CRUD operations of an application.
This will help in the verification of SQL query results. It is even possible to use write queries with the help of SQL Query Analyzer in order to retrieve efficient results.

Also Read : Stress Testing : Why Is It Important For Your Software?

This is the most efficient way to do Database Testing , especially for the complex applications. However, these are the only criteria otherwise it won’t be possible to easily test DB.
On the other hand, in case of complex DB, it can be impossible to write the queries by a tester.
Hence, the developers help them up to ensure that the results do not tamper. This will not only increase the performance of testing but also help with SQL skills.
2. Observe Data
If you are a SQL tester then you know the importance of going through every single table to verify the result with the help of CRUD operations.
However, it can be a daunting process when a database consists of multiple tables.
This simple thing is enough to tell you that it is difficult to perform DB testing or verifying data in volumes. Hence, while performing a test on the table, ensure that you have proper knowledge regarding the structure of the table.
3. Developer Query
As mentioned above, when you are performing a test on DB, you will require a number of queries that will use CRUD operations.
However, in certain cases, when you are verifying the data, it is possible that the execution is not done in a certain manner.
Then, you can take help from your developer who has more depth knowledge regarding the subject.

It is certainly an ideal choice for a tester to avoid as many issues as possible. However, there can be few errors such as semantically wrong query, unsatisfied results, etc.
When such case arises, the client asks the developers or team to eliminate the problem or will simply exclude the whole project.
4. Testing Tools
Since the technology is at the peak, there is a number of tools that are available in the market that can be used by a tester. However, here the main challenge that will be faced by a tester is to come with the best possible tool available in the market.

Components Of Database Testing

1. Transactions
The most common use of the database is done for the transaction process. In such case, ACID properties are the friend in disguise of the user. The most common statements that are used in such case are –

  • BEGIN TRANSACTIONTRANSACTION#
  • END TRANSACTIONTRANSACTION#
  • ROLLBACK TRANSACTION#
  • SELECT * FROM TABLENAME <Transaction table>

The rollback statement helps in keeping a table consistent.

Also Read : Top 10 Game Testing Companies In India

2. Database Schema
You don’t have to be confused due to the term. It is just used to explain the working of data in a DB and its organization. Total of two ways are followed up to test such condition

  • Database operators– You will require:
  • Primary Key
  • Foreign Key
  • Field Name
  • Constraint Field Value
  • Tools Relevance – The tools will work as per the requirement.
  • SchemaCrawler
  • Validate the schema with a Query such as DESC<TABLENAME>
  • Regular expressions

3. Triggers
This trigger helps in the execution of a complete table independently in order to record the outcome. All you need to do at the end is to compare the complete result.
These type of tests are done in two ways such as:

Both the testing have their own technique and sets of rules that help in getting to the accurate outcome.
4. Stored Procedure
If you are familiar with user-defined function then you won’t take much time to understand it. The whole system works in coming up with the most reliable and accurate outcome.
All the processes can be invoked with the execute procedure or call procedure to obtain the output. This system is used for a number of applications where data is stored in RDBMS.
5. Field Constraints
The whole system works on the unique value, default value and foreign key.
All you need to get a hang off is SQL query to validate output and performing an operation on the frontend to ensure that the object condition in the database is exercised.
This is almost everything that you must know before starting with Database testing. If you are well informed then you are good to go.

What are the Database Testing Challenges? What’s the solution?

  • Test data creation and re-usability of data again for testing

Solution: the only way to avoid such data issues is to plan well ahead and create all the required data for all the iterations at a stretch and then use this data judiciously.

  • Testing huge data and production replicated database

Solution: While it is good to test in a production-like environment, it can sometimes become very challenging as well as time-consuming to test on huge data. The best solution would thus be a scaled-down or optimized database that is as close as possible to the production data set.

  • Frequently changing the database structure

Solution: This is one of the most frequently faced challenges by the DB testers. They would have to create the test cases and the SQL queries based on the certain structure that gets changed at the time of execution or during any other retesting. The best approach here would be to anticipate the changes and the impact as early as possible, so we can avoid the last-minute delays.

  • Isolation of data and queries

Solution: All the queries need to be isolated from each other, such as the input data and results of one query do not alter the results of another query.

  • Unwanted data modification

Solution: Access control is the best way to avoid unwanted changes in the database. Only a limited number of people should be given access to make the changes. The edit/delete access should be restricted.

  • Cost and time taken to get the data from a huge database

Solution: Quality comes at a cost; hence it is important to strike a balance between the expected quality, project timelines, expected data load, and other factors. These need to be indicated in the test strategy as well.

How automation can help in Database Testing

Automation testing helps in reducing redundant and repetitive manual work. This helps the testers to concentrate more on business-critical functionalities. This is true even for database testing. Here are some cases where automation can be a real life-saver.

  • New or frequently changing applications

Agile is the new buzz word. You will have a new release to production at the end of every sprint. This also means a complete round of testing every 2-3 weeks. By automating functionalities that are completely stable and unchanged in the recent sprint, you will be able to concentrate your efforts on new feature changes.

  • Changes in the database schema

After every schema change, the database needs exhaustive testing to ensure things are in place. Based on the size of the database and the number of scenarios to be covered, this can be time-consuming if done manually.

  • Monitoring for data integrity issues

Due to human error or other issues, there can be a situation where a set of data gets corrupted during retrieval or other actions. If automated monitoring processes are in place it would be easier to identify such changes and fix them at the earliest.

6 Commonly used automation tools

In this section let us briefly discuss a few of the most commonly used automation tools for database testing.

  • Data Factory

Data Factory Logo
This is one of the most popular tools available in the market today. It is mainly used for commercial applications and its USP is the simple UI. It is more suitable for big projects.

  • SQL Test

SQL_test logo png
It is the most loved DB testing tool available in the market. Being an open-source tool it is has been used by every DB tester at least once. The best part is it freely available and can be easily used to run huge SQL tests. The only drawback is that it is slow compared to other tools in the market.

  • Oracle SQL Developer

Oracle SQL Developer
This tool is preferred by testers because of the easy way in which it helps to create, modify, and handle stored procedures. It also supports cross-platform operations. But it is suitable only for large projects due to the cost factor.

  • MockupData

MockupData logo
MockupData allows users to generate huge quantities of data for testing. The created data set is very realistic and helps in avoiding tedious manual effort in data entry. The only drawback is the UI which is not very user-friendly

  • MS SQL Server

MS SQL Server Logo
This the most widely used tool for unit testing. It is suitable for VB and C# projects and the testers are expected to have an understanding of the project schema before starting the test. It offers a lot of versatile features and much loved by testers. The only drawback is the absence of a good UI.

  • SLOB

SLOB data testing tool
This stands for Silly Little Oracle Benchmark. It comes with an in-built test data generator and is thus preferred by testing professionals to use regularly. It can be used to test logical and physical memory with equal ease. And the only drawback is the absence of a user-friendly interface.

Myths Surrounding Database Testing

  • It’s so tedious
  • Database testing constricts the production bottleneck
  • It’s a costly process
  • It’s baggage when it comes to software development

Best Practices For an Effective Database Testing

  • Make sure that the test environment is solely dedicated to the process
  • Tests should be monitored for run time errors and test completion
  • Trigger tables and the write tables should be backed up
  • perform data validation using UNIX script, QTP script or excel sheet
  • Analyze the result to find out conversion was successful or not

Differences Between GUI Testing and Data Testing

                          GUI Testing                   Database testing
Focus is on the visual part of the software Focus will be on schema, triggers., tables etc.
Must have thorough knowledge about business requirements and usage of development tools Strong database knowledge required
Can be used to check over all functionality Can only be used to check data related activities.
Database information is not required The process demands all the database information

What is Split Testing? Why is it important? – Testbytes

Imagine that you have launched or even revamped a website that has been your business forefront for a long time. Obviously there will be concern and anxiousness. But to make sure that the change works there is a process in existence. The name of the process is Split testing!

Stress Testing : Why Is It Important For Your Software?

There are various types of non-functional testing that checks non-functional aspects of software such as performance, stability, usability, etc.
selenium
A testing type which is used to check extremity of software is Stress Testing.
It is also an important aspect of testing which testers should be aware of. Stress testing is used to check the usability, stability, and reliability of software when it is working more than its maximum limit.
Why There is a Need to Conduct Stress Testing ?

  • Using stress testing for software will help the test team to interpret the performance of the system during its failures. What happens when it reaches its failure and crashes down? Test team gets to know the behavior of the software.
  • It will enable the test team to check whether the data has been saved by the software before crashing or not. This test will verify if the software is crashed, will the data be restored?
  • Another reason to conduct stress testing will enable the test team to understand the behavior of the software before crashing. Does it display any effective error while crashing or just display random exceptions? The test team will be able to get the answer through this test.

Also Read : 9 Reasons Why Software Testing Has a Brighter Future Than Development

  • While crashing, software sometimes may face security issues which cause problems in the future. Thus, it will enable the test team to understand the security of software is not affected by unexpected failures.
  • Executing stress testing will enable developers and testers to be prepared for extreme situations in software.
  • The test will also check the stability of the software. If the system fails under stress, the company may face a tremendous loss in their revenue. It will prepare the software to never fail its operation if working under heavy stress.

What can Stress Testing Achieve?
 To achieve a successful stress testing, software must display an appropriate type of error when it is operated under extreme conditions.
The main purpose of stress testing is to analyze the complete software after it has been failed and also to ensure the system is recovered after that failure.
Conducting stress testing means to provide a huge set of data that can be lost while processing this testing. It is important that this security based data should not be lost while doing the test.   
How Stress Testing is Different from Load Testing?
Load Testing: Generally, load testing of software is done under normal workload conditions. The main aim of load testing is to check whether the increased load can be sustained by the application or it is crashed down. Load testing is more like simulating actual workload on the application and is gradually increased over a certain period of time until it reaches the peak level of actual workload.
Testbytes
Stress Testing: Generally, stress testing is similar to load testing. The load to the application is increased gradually with multiple requests to the server until the application crashes down. Unlike load testing, it checks the unexpected limit of the software until it reaches the breakpoint.

Load Testing Stress Testing
·         Helps tester to determine the reliability of the software.
·         Helps tester to understand the behavior and observe the performance of the software under multiple loads.
·         The software is tested with a maximum number of users that can be operated by the software.
·         This test does not cause the software to break.
·         Helps tester to determine the stability of the software.
·         Helps tester to determine the breaking point of the software under extreme load conditions.
·         The software is tested with more than maximum number of users which it may not handle.
·         This test causes software to crash and break.

Types of Stress Testing
There are different types of stress testing which are listed below:

  • Distributed Stress Testing: In this type, the testing of the system is done across all the clients present in the server. It is also referred to as distributed client-server testing that distributes the stress tests to all the stress clients on the server to observe the status of the client. The server starts sending the data to the client for testing as soon as he adds the client on the server after making contact. Client’s system sends a signal to the server to show it is connected, if the server does not receive any signal then the client’s system is to be checked for debugging.
  • Application of Stress Testing: This type of stress testing usually deals with the identification of defects that are based on performance, network issues, data blocking and data locking in software.
  • Transactional Stress Testing: This testing is done on transactions between two or more systems. This test is usually used for optimizing and fine-tuning of the system.
  • Systemic Stress Testing: This test usually checks for defects where the data of one application blocks the other application. This test can be tested across multiple systems that use the same
  • Exploratory Stress Testing: This type of stress testing usually includes unexpected conditions that undergo through a system to check whether it can withstand the condition. These are the parameters which are not likely to happen in a real-world Conditions like a number of users logging in simultaneously or inserting a large amount of data to the database simultaneously.

Tools Recommended to Testers to Perform Stress Testing
To perform this testing, testers can utilize tools which are listed below:

  • JMeter: JMeter is an open-source Java-based tool which can be used for stress testing and performance testing. It can be used to cover all aspects of tests including stress, function, and load

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  • Load Runner: Load Runner is a tool used for load testing of software. It determines the behavior and performance of the system under load conditions.
  • Stress Tester: Stress Tester is another tool which can be used for this testing. This tool offers a high level of analysis for web application performance and provides reports in the form of graphical representation.
  • Neo Load: This popular tool can be used for load testing of mobile and web applications and can easily simulate thousands of users to evaluate the performance of the application under load.

Also Read : Top 7 Test Automation Companies In India

Big Data Testing : What You Need To Know

When data mining and handling techniques are not useful and are unable to expose the insights of large data, unstructured data or time-sensitive data, another aspect is used which is new to the realm of software industries.
selenium
This approach is known as big data that uses intense parallelism. Big data is embraced by many companies that involve in-depth testing procedures.
What is Big Data?
Big data can be referred to as a huge volume of structured and unstructured data that are accumulating in businesses on a daily basis.
It cannot be easily processed using the same old methods of extracting information because most of the data is unstructured.
Using various tools and testing frameworks, big data can be analyzed for insights and helps businesses to make better business strategies and decisions.
Big Data Testing
Big data testing can be referred to as the successful verification of processed data by simply using commodity cluster computing and other essential components.
It is the verification of processing data rather than testing the specification of any application.
Testing of big data requires a set of high testing skills as the processing can be very fast and it mainly depends on two valuable keys for testing, i.e. performance and functional testing.
Essential Necessities In Big Data Testing
Big data testing needs some aspects to run tests smoothly. Thus, below is the list of following needs and challenges which makes it vital for big data applications to run their tests smoothly.

  • Multiple Sources for Information: For the business to have a considerable amount of clean and reliable data, the data should be integrated from multiple sources. With the help of multiple sources of information from different data, it has become easier to integrate this information. This can only be ensured if the testing of the integrators and data sources is done through end-to-end testing.
  • Rapid collection of Data and its Deployment: Data should be collected and deployed simultaneously to push the business’s capabilities to adopt instant data collection solutions. Also, with the help of predictive analytics and the support of taking quick decisive actions, it has brought a significant impact on business by embracing these solutions of large data sets.
  • Real-Time Scalability Challenges: Hardcore big data testing involves smarter data sampling, skills, and techniques that can perform various testing scenarios with high efficiency. Big data applications are built in such a way that it can be changed and used in a wide range of capabilities. Any errors in the elements which produce big data applications can lead to difficult situations.

Testing of Big Data Applications
Testing of big data applications can be further described in the following steps:
1. Data Staging Validation: The first stage also referred to as a Pre-Hadoop stage which involves the process of big data testing.

Also Read : Top 25 Software Testing Companies to Look Out For in 2018

  • Data should be first verified from different sources such as RDBMS, social media posts, blogs. It will ensure that only correct data is extracted into the Hadoop system.
  • The data which is received in the Hadoop system should be compared with data of different sources to ensure similar data is received.
  • Also, you need to verify that only the correct data that is received should be supplied to the HDFS location in Hadoop.

2. Map Reduce Validation: the Second stage comprises the verification and validation of Map Reduce. Usually, testers perform tests on business logic on every single node and run them on every different node for validation. These tests are run to ensure:

  • Valuable key pair’s creation is present.
  • Validation of data is done after the completion of the second
  • The process of map reducing is working properly.
  • Data aggregation or data segregation are implemented effectively on the data.

3. Output Validation Phase: This is the third and final stage of big data testing. After successful completion of stage two, the output data files are produced which is then ready to be moved to the location as per the requirement of the business. Initially, this stage includes processes such as:

  • Checking and verifying the transformation rules are applied accurately or not.
  • It verifies and checks whether the data loaded into the enterprise’s system is loaded successfully or not. Also, it verifies the integrity of the data during the loading procedure is maintained.
  • The last process would be verifying and checking the data which is loaded in the enterprise’s system is similar to the data present in the HDFS file system in Hadoop. Also, it ensures that there is no corrupt data in the system.

Challenges in Big Data Testing
 Following are the challenges faced in big data testing:

  • Automation Testing is Essential: Since the big data involves large data sets that need high processing power that takes more time than regular testing, testing it manually is no longer an option. Thus, it requires automated test scripts to detect any flaws in the process. It can only be written by programmers that mean middle-level testers or black box tester needs to scale up their skills to do big data testing.
  • Higher Technical Expertise: Dealing with big data doesn’t include only testers but it involves various technical expertise such as developers and project managers. The team involved in this system should be proficient in using big data frameworks such as Hadoop.

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  • Complexity and Integration Problems: As big data is collected from various sources it is not always compatible, coordinated or may not have similar formats as enterprise applications. For a proper functioning system, the information should be available in the expected time and the input/output data flow should also be free to run.
  • Cost Challenges: For a consistent development, integration and testing of big data require For business’s many big data specialists may cost more. Many businesses use a pay-as-you-use solution in order to come up with a cost-saving solution. Also, don’t forget to inquire about the testing procedure, most of the processes should include automation tests otherwise it will be taking weeks of manual testing.

What is User Acceptance Testing? Why is it so Awesome?

User Acceptance Testing  (UAT) is essential in SDCLC ( Software development life cycle). The process is considered an effective method to analyze the UX ( user experience) of the app and to check whether the app has met its requirement specification.

Just keep in mind that it is all done from the user’s perspective.
User Acceptance Testing

UAT is the last and the most important one in the lane to ensure that a user is enjoying your product to the max.

The main motive of this whole step is to make sure that a software system is all set to be in front of users in the real world.

This testing phase is also known as Beta and End-user Testing is considered chiefly during the web development process to ensure that the software is set for the final installation for the client site.

The software is tested in the real world by a particular set of users that test all the recording and correcting of any sort of small defects.

It is a chance for a user to do depth search on the application to understand the features and their working. The main task for a user is to look out for miscommunication, overlooked and not communicated points.

The key of UAT is to evaluate if a software system is able to support day-to-day activities and perform well in real scenarios.

Another use is to ensure that the system is necessary and precise for commercial practice.

What is User Testing?

It’s all about determining the app’s behavior with user interaction!

Mobile App User Testing is a great way to get the actual user to interact with your application.

The process will help help you to evaluate the behavior, and functionality of the app is performing as required.

it is a technique to evaluate the product by testing it on representative users by designing a user-oriented interaction environment to record the session and act according to the test results.

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Types of User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

There are mainly five types of User Acceptance Testing such as:

  • Alpha & Beta Testing–Alpha testing is done by the staff members only on an internal Whereas beta testing involves the testing on the field in the customer’s environment with the help of some customers that will use it.
  • Black Box Testing–It is a type of functional testing in which functionalities are analyzed without knowing about internal code structure.
  • Contract Acceptance Testing–In this type of testing, the software is tested against some specifications or criteria which are predefined in a proper contract.
  • Operational Acceptance Testing–The Production Acceptance Testing or Operational Readiness Testing ensure that all the workflow used in the system is intact in a place and working properly.
  • Regulation Acceptance Testing–Compliance Acceptance Testing helps in investigating that the software fulfills all the appropriate guidelines of the legal and governmental processes.

Different Methods for User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

Generally, there are six methods for a successful mobile app user testing and each method gives you deep insights into intended userbase requirements and expectations from the product.

Let’s discuss these methods and choose any one or all based on our project goal and resources.

Moderated and Unmoderated

A moderator is involved in Moderated Usability Testing who guides the participated users through the testing session telephonically using Skype, zoom calls, face-time, etc.

It enables the testers to analyze users’ thoughts and reactions about the application and ask follow-up questions for elaborated feedback and clarification for better accuracy.

Unlike moderated, unmoderated testing does not require anyone for direct supervision.

The testing participants can freely interact with your app without any external input.

This method is the best to record user experience while they navigate through your app and learn more about their thoughts and feelings.

It can draw quick results but lacks accuracy and follow-up feedback is out of the equation.

Lab-based and Guerrilla Testing

Lab-based testing is one of the most used methods to validate the app design.

It is performed in a controlled environment, to restrict naturalistic bias, on a small size selected population and evaluates the easiness of users to complete the set of tasks on an app while being evaluated.

Once the test is complete, ask about users’ feedback with follow-up questions.

This method may cost you more but provides deep insights you may haven’t noticed.

Whereas Guerrilla Testing enables testers to select a completely random group of people from a public place and get them to test the usability of your app in exchange for gift cards or coupons while also building interest and awareness about your product.

It is cost-effective but you cannot have a follow-up as customers are reluctant to disclose their personal identities like numbers or addresses.

In-person and Remote Testing

In-person app user testing is more effective and provides the testers with a larger context and deep insights into the product’s behavior by observing users’ facial expressions and body language.

It is performed during moderated lab-based testing and can be performed remotely when necessary.

Remote Testing is much less costly and provides researchers an opportunity to perform a test on a larger number of people at once, in different geographical locations, using limited resources.

It is performed during moderated remote testing where users and researchers are connected via recorded video/phone call or webcam, and real-time interaction.

Card sorting

An effective approach to prioritizing app features and functions in the user interface helps determine the effective way to organize an app’s navigation structure.

The user is asked to sort virtual cards representing different items or shapes in the app’s navigation structure that make sense to the users.

Eye Tracking

This method lets the testers observe and evaluate the eye movements of the users via advanced eye-tracking technology to monitor the direction where the user is looking, the features they are interacting with, and for how long. It also allows testers to address the challenges faced by the users without interrupting the user’s natural flow.

Session Recording

It is a method used to record the actions on the screen by the user in a real-time environment. It includes clicking, scrolling, and selecting an element while using an application on their phone. It also allows the testers to observe the type of content attracting the users most for better engagement and understanding of the possible user interaction challenges they may face while using the mobile application.

What is the need for User Acceptance Testing (UAT)?

For someone who is in direct contact or has been involved in a thorough app development process, testing an application cannot be unbiased.

To get the unbiased test results, they must be conducted by the user who is not familiar with your application workings.

From a UI/UX perspective, doing a pre-launch app testing can help you understand the ways to improve your app, and hence, usability testing is essential for-

  • Valuable insights into what works better and what may create hindrances after post-launch.
  • Increases user satisfaction and your revenue. Excellent for the bootstrapped apps.
  • Learning about user experience, behavior, and preferences.

Points To Note Before User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

UAT is an essential phase for software development. It can’t be taken until a software system is complete and intact with the fundamental features.

However, there are a few points that must be taken into consideration before placing it for UAT.

  • All the requirements must be intact.
  • The entire application code must be up-to-date.
  • The main three-phase of testing must be done beforehand – Integration testing, Unit testing, and System testing.
  • There must be no discontinuing or medium/high faults in the Integration phase of testing.
  • Before sending for UAT, Improving errors are adequate in the application.
  • There must be no major defect in the regression testing.
  • All the defects that come into play during the time of testing must be corrected and tested again.
  • The traceability environment must be complete for all the testing.
  • UAT setting must be complete.
  • Sign off communication or mail from any of your testing system team that elaborates that the software is all set for UAT.

There are so many changes that can be missed during the testing phase and it will look complete.
app testing
However, there can be many changes that might be missed. Once a user will know because they know what they need and hence all the features will be checked by them thoroughly.

A customer and client can easily discover the problem that might be missed out on by you.

This will help you to conduct an accurate test, deliver the best outcome and maintain your reputation.

On top of that, customers will know that there is something new launched in the market for them to use.

Involvement of users in User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

The peer group that is most essential for the UAT testing must include real end-users that will perform a test on your system.

The stakeholders and role group must be incorporated.

This simply means that an individual of every group that is involved in the development phase must be in the team.

How to do User Acceptance Testing?

After the above explanation, you must be clear about what and why UAT must be included in the software development phase.

Now, you need to understand the ‘how’ of the UAT. Mainly there is a total of four steps that must be considered but it will depend on the number of users that will take advantage of this software.

Is it going to be a single client or for purchase for all the users or is it intended for the off-the-shelf applications.

Also Read : 10 Key Factors for Successful Test Automation

The main criteria that must be followed in the software are the ‘working’ requirement of the assembled application.

You can easily get a hang of it from the stories of users or system requirements. The second step is to create some test cases for UAT.

The UAT test cases are the test step sets, expected results, and execution conditions that must be developed for one or some specific purpose(s).

For instance, to authenticate the agreement with a precise requirement or to look out for a specific program or a feature.

In the next step when everything is in place then the tests are run and all the results must be documented.

Is there any defect? Are they successful? If there are any errors then it is essential to correct them and then perform a re-test on them.

At the final point, if everything turns out right in the testing phase then an orderly sign-off is the next thing to complete.

If you have an individual client then it is easier where the results must be documented. Once the application meets the criteria of the project then it is good to go.

Here are the Steps for User Acceptance Testing

Prepare and Plan

To run a successful usability testing, you must first develop a clear map with defined structures, test objectives, selecting participants, task-list to be completed by a user, create a testing environment, test moderator role, what data to collect, evaluate, and action, document and presentation.

Determine your Testing goals

Determining the exact goal for app testing is critical. Depending on the stage your app is on, the user testing goals may change according to its lifecycle.

The approach and extent of the testing are based on the goals and objectives. Find out which similar app a user is using and determine the users’ expectations from your app.

Determine the Testing Method Next, you need to figure out what approach is more effective and accurate, in-person and remote moderated or unmoderated while going to conduct the tests.

Remember each method has its pros and cons so choose wisely.

Recruit the test participants

It is crucial to find the right participants to get an accurate test response from the users.

Don’t just select the random people, look beyond the prospect. Select prior experienced people who have used similar apps to yours.

Organize testing environment

Once the participant’s recruitment is complete, it’s time to prepare a testing environment.

Keep the specific testing module and goals to be achieved in mind and create a list of tasks in a formatted test script.

You are not telling them how to do a test, you’re telling them what you want them to do without intervening with their natural flow while using your app.

make sure the testing environment doesn’t affect the user interface.

Prepare follow-up questions and ask for feedback from the user.

Keep it short and to the point

A developer knows the mechanics behind the app but a user doesn’t.

Follow the testing script and keep your sessions short, about 30 minutes or less, and to the point.

Make a list of the modules to be tested and explain to the user what he is supposed to look into.

Run the Test

After all your hard work, it’s time to finally conduct the test for your app.

This is the easiest step in the process, followed everything that is explained before.

Your participants are already recruited, and you’ve created a testing environment.

Now, just sit relax and let the users explore your product to your desired objectives.

Analyze and Act

Analyze the overall effectiveness of the app testing and gather all the useful information like recordings and feedback to get accurate recommendations to improve the overall app usability.

Conducting the sessions on participants and finding out the pattern will help you for understanding the problem better.

Analyze and resolve the issues, and repeat the usability test as many times as required until the app’s errors are fixed.

Determine what’s missing and plan for future

Ask the participants to point out the specific features they feel should change or are missing in your application. This makes your interface and overall application more intuitive and helps you plan better features and user interfaces in the future.

Conclusion

These are the main points of the User Acceptance Testing that is used in the development cycle.

The projects are reduced to the likelihood of any errors that are elevated.
Test-your-WebApps-for-better-stability
These are to reduce the total work required in the maintenance or development phase. It is another phase that must be managed but it will reduce a lot of costs.

On top of that, you will get a happy and satisfied user that will get you more revenue.

Code Refactoring : Why Is It Crucial For Software Testers

Software development involves one of the major key terms which is essential for the testers. This key term is known as Code Refactoring.

We’ll take a closer look at this technique and how important it is to know. What are the benefits associated with code refactoring? And most importantly why testers need to know about it?
What Exactly is Code Refactoring?
Basically, software normally fails when it becomes so complex that it can no longer provide additional features while remaining error-free. Code refactoring is used to improve code design to make it easier to understand and extend.
It is the process of modifying the code without actually modifying the functionality of that code.
If you believe a feature may be needed in the future and your current code won’t easily be able to accommodate it, you refactor that code to make it easier to add that feature now rather than worrying about what you need to change with your code to add the feature later.
Why There is a Need For Refactor?
By moving duplicate code, you remove the amount of code and hence, the less code that you have the easier it is to modify as well as to understand.
If you’ve looked at huge programs and tried to understand how they work by writing understandable codes, you will be able to easily modify the code using the process of code refactoring.
This will enable you to understand the system better. This would come into play if you were given someone else’s code. Very often, you can look at that code and not have any idea what’s going on, but if you go in and refactor it on your own, you’ll completely understand of how the system works.
By better understanding the system, the easier it will be to spot bugs.
Moreover, if you’re writing understandable codes, refactoring will help you to write these codes quicker.
Adding the features in source code usually takes a lot of time and tries to fix bugs by going back repetitively.
Therefore, instead of adding features to your code, try to go back and understand the code better which will help you to get rid of bugs. Not only this, it also makes code easy to read by minimizing the complex conditional logic and eliminating duplications.
Many people think refactoring only deals with forcing design patterns into your code, this is absolutely not true. However, that is what you spend a lot of your time doing. Creating a better design is the simple goal of refactoring.
Types of Code Refactoring
There are many techniques of code refactoring, but we’ll discuss only few which are commonly used and easy to learn. Following are the types of code refactoring:
1. Preparatory Refactoring: While creating an application, there are certain aspects which testers can use in their codes to make it effortless while building new features for their code. This feature is called preparatory refactoring. While adding a new feature in the code, the existing code might be structured in such a way that makes it difficult for them to add new features. With the help of this technique, they can first refactor the structure of the code which makes it easier for them to add new features.  
 2. Red-Green Refactoring: This approach of refactoring helps the testers to build a test suite, write codes and modify their code in a short period of time. This type of refactoring is based on Test-Driven Development where testers first writes tests and then uses these tests to modify and develop software applications. It can be broken into three phases:

  • Red: This is the first stage of the Red-Green-Refactor In this phase, the tester generally writes a test that informs the implementation of a feature. Only if the exceptions are met, the test will pass.
  • Green: The green phase is where the tester will implement codes to ensure the test pass. The main purpose is to find an optimal solution without modifying the implementation.
  • Refactor: This stage is the final stage of the cycle which involves the thinking and how a developer/tester can implement ideas to improve the code with better efficiency.

3. Composing Methods Refactoring: In most cases, the code can be extremely long and repetitive. This may cause difficulties in understanding the logic of the code and thus becomes harder to change. This refactoring technique will eliminate every repetitive code, or remove any other streamline This will help the tester to easily understand the logic and look for any other improvements.
4. Simplifying Conditional Expressions Refactoring: Conditional expressions can sometimes become more complicated which also complicates their logic over time. This approach of refactoring will simplify the conditional expressions which eventually turn the code simple and understandable. The logic behind complicated conditional expressions becomes clearer and it is easier for the tester to understand logic better.
Benefits of Using Code Refactoring
There are various benefits that are associated with the use of code refactoring. These benefits are mentioned below:

  • Efficient Process: Using this technique eliminates the efforts that are needed in the future while modifying or adding any new features to the code which eventually improves efficiency.
  • Eliminates Complexity: It helps in the reduction of complexity thus makes it easier for you and your team to work on a development
  • Sustainability: Code refactoring usually organizes and creates clear codes that are easy to read and understand. Thus, it helps in maintaining a properly structured code which is ready for an improvement in the future.
  • Easy to Read and Understand: No doubt, code refactoring will make it easy for people to read and understand the code more effectively.
  • Understand the Concept Better: When there is only one method which handles all the functionality of the process, there are chances that it becomes exceptionally complex to understand. If the process is broken down into parts it is easy to understand what actually is really being done. This can be achieved through the use of code refactoring.

Why does a Tester need to Know About Code Refactoring?
 As the term code refactoring has been discussed in brief, we’ll look for the further important question which needs an answer. Thus, discussed below is the answer to the question, why a tester needs to know about refactoring?
1. For Unit Testers: Refactoring the code means adding of new code and updating different elements of the code. Such as new classes are being added, old classes, are being updated which leads to failure of existing unit testing. Thus, the Unit tester needs to create and set up new unit tests for these updated classes.
2. For Testers: When the code is refactored (considering there is no addition of new features) the functionality of the code remains the same for the end users. For testers, to test a refactored code usually means to use comprehensive testing and regression testing. In comprehensive testing, the tester will ensure whether the functionality of the code is working as before or not and In regression testing, tester ensures whether the updated code has affected the functionality of the code or not.
3. For Automation Test Engineers: The functional and non-functional automation scripts may face failure if the code is refactored. This may occur because the selenium automation which tester uses, rely on the page objects. If these page objects are updated during refactoring procedure it may cause the failure in an automation To overcome this failure, it is recommended for automation testers that functional automation tests should only be conducted when the feature of code has become stable otherwise, there would be a lot of rework.
 4. For Test Leads: Test leads usually work together with the development team, product analyst and stakeholders to ensure proper test planning of the projects is done carefully. Therefore, it is important to ensure the proper documentation and functioning of the product, user flows, user acceptance tests or business cases. If the code is refactored, these scenarios need to be validated with the help of regression testing of the affected functionality.
Use of Refactoring Technique for Testers
Refactoring can be important for testers too, here are a few reasons to illustrate why it is important for testers to use refactoring techniques.

  • Testers ensure the proper testing of the functionality of the application. As the test written by testers is code too, it is necessary for testers to use refactoring technique to simplify their complex code.
  • The test code written by testers should be easily understandable and readable. Using code refactoring , the tester can use better expressions which make it easier for other testers to understand the test code.
  • As the develop uses code refactoring to make their code easier to update, in the same way, testers can also use this technique to make their test easy to update.

app testing
To summarize above details, learning code refactoring can be beneficial for the testers to improve their test cases as well as to make proper test procedure for developer’s refactored code.

Also Read : TestCafe vs Selenium : Which is better?

Testing Block Chain Applications: 5 Important Factors

The block chain is a rising technology that offers applications a long way beyond secure payments.
While blockchain is usually considered in the context of cryptocurrencies and financial services, this technology has a wide array of potential applications.
This is the reason why block chain-enabled innovations are getting more widespread.

As it develops into a stage for digital revolution, blockchain grants an unsettled and cost-saving option to the current consolidated exchange and record-keeping components that exist in worldwide companies today.
Similarly, as with any new innovation, the achievement and reception of blockchain are asserted upon its versatility. With blockchain, in any case, trust in the agreement is major to the probity and consistency of all blockchain transactions. Owing to the obvious reasons testing block chain application is cardinal.
Let’s discuss challenges and factors for Testing Block Chain Applications:
1. Smart contracts
Smart contracts are major elements of the validation technology in a blockchain. A smart contract is an arrangement of standards as programmable constructs that are proficient in automatically imposing themselves as predefined requirements are satisfied.
So, for what reason do we feel that testers are critical when Testing Block Chain Applications over different kinds of frameworks?
Basically, in light of the fact that once an agreement is sent to a blockchain, it can never be substituted.
Majority of the Blockchain key notions can be produced and tested in a general way, though smart contracts are the exception.

Also Read : How to write a neat Bug Report? Complete Guide

We can’t allow errors in that code. So, you must be exceptionally sure the testing that is conducted is of a high-grade quality and that every factor that ought to be secured has been secured. The key factors to consider while Testing Block Chain Applications are:

  • Approve the techniques for smart contracts similarly as in API testing.
  • Validating the strategies.
  • Confirming the boundary value.
  • Validating the conditional statement.
  • Testing all the APIs for the smart contract independently.

2. Security
Blockchain appears to show up in the news to either announce the developing value of bitcoin or the theft of bitcoin, bringing up the conspicuous issue: is bitcoin safe?
Numerous layers of security are incorporated with deciding identity. Sadly, once the character layers have been hacked, the prompt exchanges can’t be halted. The variety of keys may confuse theft, at the end of the day, anything that can be entered can likewise be stolen, by shortcomings, for example, lackluster caching or tools like sniffers.
Some testing should be considered for a safe transaction utilizing blockchain by beating hurdles.
These testing factors will offer a direction to test adequately with right validation and a verifying way for the applications based on blockchain technology.
The testing factors are as follows:

  • Access and authentication
  • Authenticating data provided
  • Private keys
  • Secure hash, a consensus algorithm
  • Wallet signature process
  • OWAPS guideline for web and mobile application
  • Vulnerability evaluation

3. Performance
As blockchain advances, the member user experience will center as much around trust as transaction handling speed.
app testing
The performance test ought to be connected to blockchain as per the viewpoint of a customer application end user, reactions required from smart contracts, and system interfaces.
Also, testing the size of the system and its capacity to process transactions is basic, as it enables you to distinguish software and hardware bottlenecks ahead of time.
This can likewise enable you to make sense of the potential expenses of running the application in the cloud or different situations.The key factors are as follows:

  • Performance testing in blockchain incorporates
  • Recognizing execution bottlenecks
  • Describing the metrics for tuning the framework
  • Surveying whether the app is prepared for production
  • Anticipated transaction size
  • Network latency depending on block size

4. Node testing
The quality of the blockchain prevails in having the shared ledger be precisely the same at every single node, with a similar set and string of transactions.
This is accomplished through an agreement over all nodes on the sequence in which exchanges are added to the system.
Testing for flexibility of transactions includes testing the consensus protocol to guarantee exchanges are saved in the best possible flow under typical conditions and additionally in situations where nodes flop simultaneously or enough nodes don’t take an interest in the network for a timeframe.
One approach to test this would be by imitating Byzantine nodes. Versatility likewise should be checked by approving the ledger after nodes that restarted or rejoined the system match up with other approving peers. The key factors are as follows –

  • Every single heterogeneous node should be autonomously tested.
  • Validate the block for its legitimacy to make a prolific transaction.

5. Block size
Block size will probably fluctuate on the basis of the use of the blockchain. Consequently, the payloads in the block will also differ in value.
For some blockchains, fewer than 100 bytes per block is assigned for non-payload. As of this written work, there is right now a settled maximum confinement of 1MB for every block of Bitcoin.
Keep in mind that different exchanges can be allocated to one block. The fact of the matter is, testers need to assess:

  • How changing block size affects performance?
  • By what means will the block be managed?
  • What happens when the quantity of new information going into a block surpasses the maximumblock size for that blockchain application?

WHAT TOOLS WILL YOU NEED FOR BLOCKCHAIN APPLICATION TESTING?
The determination of the correct Testing Block Chain Applications tools is also the important step for effective and successful testing. Here is the list that may be considered by those who’ll need to guarantee the blockchain-based applications are functioning properly:

  • Tools for Bug and Test Tracking.
  • Testnet Indexing Tool. For instance, the site ropsten.etherscan.io permits checking the continuous wallet balance and the complete data on any exchange.
  • It can be needed to set up a local node for the given blockchain. There are different tools with agreeable UI that will efficiently do this.
  • API Testing Tools. Such as soapUI, Postman.
  • Encoding and encryption program.
  • Database Testing Tools.

Final thoughts….
Testing Block Chain Applications are very unique in relation to testing customary apps. And in addition to all the typical problem-solving techniques, we need to consider things like:

  • how our application will function when incidents outside of our control influence the system?
  • if individuals can front-run our exchanges,
  • and also, whether our transactions will turn out to be excessively costly, making it impossible to legitimize the presence of our application.

This is only the start of a checklist of potential testing challenges for blockchain applications testing.Testing ought to go beyond.
automation testing
None of this Testing Block Chain Applications matters when you can’t duplicate real-world contingencies all the while. That is the reason, aside from all the testing schedules and innovation, you need to connect with subject specialists amid the testing stage. This could be your front-end engineers or business people who are basically customer friendly programmers. They know the wants from the customer encounter viewpoint.

Recommended For You : 10 Effective E-commerce Website Testing Techniques

10 Key Factors for Successful Test Automation

Most people in the software world have tried automating functional testing, with varying levels of success.
Reasons are in plenty when it comes to organizations failing to achieve the potential benefits of test automation, both management and technical.
automation testing
But the question still stands tall, what are the factors that influence the success of automating a test?
10 Essential Factors for Successful Test Automation
Build a Dedicated Team: Having a talented staff includes professionals along with the newest and smartest graduates from local universities.
They can greatly help you with guaranteed quality you expect.
A flexible staffing facilitates you to format your team according to your changing business demands.
There are various sites that provide you with the best solutions to eliminate your recruiting process.
They will provide you with the best people and the best price at the lowest market cost.
Selecting Tool: The bests approach is to use a selection process that is completely tailored towards your requirements.
Now, what happens when you do not try a logical evaluation of the best-automated testing tool for you? Well, it can result in the selection of a wrong tool or a sub-optimal tool.
By the wrong tool, it means that the tool is not at all suited to your particular requirements.
One of the biggest challenges that an automation tester has to tackle is the appropriate tool selection.
First, identify the requirements; explore various tools and its capability.
Set the expectation from the tool and go for a proof concept. Selecting a wrong or a sub-optimal testing tool can lead to the loss of licensing fees, effort spent and automation opportunity.
You can look for the best-automated testing tools such as Selenium, Waitr, Wapt, Apache JMeter etc. This will help you to meet your specific requirements for testing.
Automation Framework:  It’s a misbelief that if you select the right tool you can automate anything.
A framework is a set of automation guidelines which helps in maintaining consistency of the testing and less maintenance of code. It also improves reusability.
Generally, there are four types of frameworks used in software automation testing such as:

  • Data-driven automation Framework
  • Keyword driven automation framework
  • Modular automation framework
  • Hybrid automation framework

Choosing an appropriate framework can greatly help in making your automation successful.
Measure Metrics: Success of automation cannot be determined by comparing the manual efforts with the automation effort but by capturing the metrics like percent of defects found and productivity improvement etc.
Metrics matters to people because this is how you justify investments and QA.
Many people struggle when trying to justify why they should invest in a test automation solution versus manual testing.
One of the first things to look at is what number of hours or annual savings you get from a manual or scripted test.
There are few things to look at such as:

  • SAP transport impact analysis
  • Defect reduction (reduce production defects by 60%)
  • Improve productivity with automation
  • Accelerate time to market

Finding The Right Tool: Usually, the conversion between people regarding, implementing automation, begins with tools and frameworks. Selecting the right tool and appropriate framework is certainly important.
However, they are only part of the solution and not really the place to start the discussion.

If you want to be able to sustain a successful automation function, you either need to be very lucky or should have a good plan.
It is rarely seen, organization talking about the vision for automation because their aim is to automatically execute tests.
There is nothing specific about what that means or what the benefits might be. What that leads to is jumping right into picking the tool and building a framework with no overarching objective to guide the development or the roadmap.
Therefore, take the time to think about what you can achieve with automation.
Moreover, it will help you to make the strategy and development of the solution much more valuable.
Budget Cost and Process: A dedicated budget is essential which includes costs related to the test tool, development, resources, and training.
Additionally, the maintenance cost for automated tests and tools must be included.  Also, a well-defined testing process is crucial as it defines the test-coverage.
It should be a well-defined quality control procedure and test execution and should define test criteria at each stage.
Preference of Tool Selected: A major factor which impacts the selection of the test tool is the technology utilized for application development.
For Example, QTP will never support informatics. Therefore, it cannot be used for testing informatics applications. It is a good idea to conduct proof of concept of the tool on AUT.
Well, selecting the right tool can be a tricky task. There are a few criteria that can greatly help you in selecting the best tool according to your requirement such as scripting language used.
It will also support numerous types of test including functional, test management, mobile etc. Moreover, it will maintain the support for various testing frameworks.
Automation cannot be Done for Everything: Scope of automation needs to be determined in detail before the start of the project.
There are few criteria that are used for selecting those test cases to be automated such as test cases that are:

  • Executed repeatedly
  • Are difficult to perform manually
  • Are time-consuming
  • High-risk business

On the other hand, there are a few categories of test cases that are not suitable for automation.
For example test cases which are:

  • Newly designed and not executed manually
  • Whose requirements change
  • Are executed on an Ad-HOC

Reducing Time for Testing and Test Automation: Reducing your testing time is one of the most important objectives.
However, the thing that normally makes testing take a long time has nothing to do with the automation.
What makes testing takes a long time is the fact of finding bugs. The bugs have to be fixed and the process is repeated again.
Maintenance of the tests may take a lot longer than the maintenance of the manual test. Step- up and executing may also take longer.
Moreover, Analyzing failures and clear-ups may take significantly longer time. Ideally, you should have all activities associated with more matured automation that takes less time and indeed you will be able to do testing in less time.
So, reducing testing time might be a long-term goal for test execution but it may not be that easy.
Automated Maintenance: Automation scripts need to be added to the system that is under test with successive cycles.
Also, they have to be thoroughly checked and maintained for each release cycle.
Maintenance is essential in improving the effectiveness of automation scripts.
How can automated maintenance help you? Use automated tasks to simplify routine duties such as restarts, cleaning out temp files and defrags.
By automating patch management, you can ensure that your client’s machines are up to date with the latest software patches and ensure system stability.
Run scripts from the library or upload your own custom scripts. Schedule scripts to run one specific date of the week or the month or even trigger them to run automatically after a failed monitoring check.
If you are not familiar with the script, no worries! There are various communities like Fixit Scripts that has a lot of useful scripts to help you.
app testing
Taking everything into account, the right selection of automation tool, testing process, and the team are important players for automation to be successful.

Top 5 Tech-Based TV shows on Amazon and Netflix

Writing or directing a technology-related story is never easy and that too, when its aim is to offer entertainment and engage the viewers.

While half the work is done when the movie is launched in the market, the other half of making it available to the viewers is being well-managed by both Netflix and Amazon.
So, if you are a technology-buff and enjoy watching shows related to it, then this write-up brings to you a list of top 5 TV shows that you must watch. Worry not as these are easily available on the live streaming networks.
1. Altered Carbon

Available on Netflix since February 2018, the series is based on Richard Morgan’s 2002 cyberpunk novel.
Depicting the impact of technology on our lives after 350 years, the movie shows a world where humans would be able to upload and download their digital versions into stacks and discs that would be stored in the back of our necks.
This Tv shows will imply that humans would be able to switch bodies after their death.
The idea has been depicted through the story of the trained killer Takeshi Kovacs who, one fine day, wakes up and finds himself in someone else’s body in prison. He is, then, given a choice to either stay in prison or solve the murder mystery of one of the world’s wealthiest men, Laurens Bancroft.
2. Robot

Mr. Robot is an excellent depiction of the idea of what a person can do using his keyboard.
Available on Amazon Instant Video, the show is about a cyber security engineer during the day and a white-hat hacker during the night.
This man is made to participate in a conspiracy planned to hack the America’s biggest corporation and get rid of all the debt.
The show talks a lot about technology, ethics and details of hacking, the impact of cryptocurrencies on world economies, etc. To keep the show as real as possible its makers have taken the details about hacking and related concepts from the people from the same industry.
3. Black Mirror

This show by Charlie Brooker depicts the dark side of technology and how it negatively affects the society.
A long-running collection of short films, the series takes a simple technological idea to the worst possible effect on the society.
For example, social media likes and virtual reality gaming. This is what makes the show pitch dark while keeping the viewers interest intact. The show is available for the views on Netflix.
4. Halt and Catch Fire

This is probably one of the best TV shows by Chris Rogers and Chris Cantwell that did not garner much of the viewers’ attention and love.
The first season beautifully depicts the story of Compaq copying the IBM in 1980s followed by the other two parts showing the birth of the modern internet.
Appealing the viewers for the beautiful depiction of the story and wonderful direction, the show could not attain much success owing to its slow transformation through the 80s and 90s.
The series will soon end with its fourth season. Watch all the seasons of the series on Amazon Instant Video.
5. Westworld

One of the highest rated Tv shows Westworld has managed to create a huge fan base all over the world within a short span of time once it has started airing on HBO.
Westworld was first released as a movie in the year 1973 and has managed to create cult followers. The series was released in the year 2016 and became success within a short span of time.
The plot of the series is like this, An American old west atmosphere was created by Delos inc. and they deployed androids in the habitat for quenching all sorts of needs of humans.
The androids named as hosts are programmed with memories and will act accordingly. Once the story is done, their memory will be erased and will be programmed again. However, certain hosts eventually manage to remember their past and started developing awareness.
app testing
The series was made by brother of acclaimed director-writer Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan and his wife Lisa Joy. Lead actors of the series include, Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Anthony Hopkins, Jeffrey Wright, Ed Harris, James Marsden, Jimmi Simpson,Luke Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson etc.
That’s not the end!
The list goes on as there are several other live streaming channels that run many more such Tv shows like Westworld on HBO Go and Sky Go, Silicon Valley on HBO Go and Sky Go, etc.
Moreover, the advancements in technology is inspiring many other writers and directors to make similar show.
So, if technology is your first love or you love watching such shows, then do not miss to watch these series as there’s a lot more in store.

Also Read : Top 17 Hacker Based Movies You Cant Miss [Infographic]

10 Effective E-commerce Website Testing Techniques

Developing an e-commerce website is a complex process. From defining the purpose, design to identifying the ways in which its user will make the payment, developing a website requires a lot of efforts. But, all those efforts might go in vain if the website is solely developed and no step is taken to ensure its proper functionality.
Test-your-WebApps-for-better-stability
Testing an e-commerce website is a crucial step that helps ensure that it continues to deliver the required performance and keeps its users happy. It is also important to be sure about software’s reliable performance, optimum quality and capacity utilization. Similar to its development, testing an e-commerce website demands the tester’s proper attention. Some of the common techniques that can be used for testing an e-commerce website are as mentioned below:
1. Compatibility With Different Browsers

This form of testing is conducted to ensure that the product being developed offers provide proper support for early browsers and has browser specific extensions. While conducting this testing, it is also important to verify that it is able to cover main platforms like Linux, Windows, Mac etc.
2. Page Display
Testing the product for this feature helps in verifying any incorrect display of pages, runtime error messages, poor download time of a page, dead hyperlink or font sizing error. Identifying this form of error helps in ensuring that all such errors are rectified on time.
3. Session Expiry
This includes testing the website on parameters like the duration for which a session lasts, its storage, etc. Testing this feature is important to ensure the maximum safety and security of the user’s confidential data like bank account details, passwords, etc.

Also Read : 7 Features That Have To Be Tested In An E-Commerce Website

4. Usability
When you own an e-commerce website, it is important to ensure that it proves useful to its users. Test to ensure that it does not have poor site navigation, performs when someone navigates through the catalogue and is also available with complete support, in case the need arises.
5. Analysis of Content
One must ensure that the content available/visible to the end user is authentic and not at all misleading. This implies that the website should be thoroughly checked for the presence of any offensive or deceptive content, copyright of the images present on the website, possibility of personalizing the content, etc.

6. Data Backup and Recovery
Any e-commerce business runs on the basis of data availability. Therefore, it is important to ensure that there is no risk of data loss. In case of any data loss, there should always be a possibility of recovering the same. The risk of backup failure should not exist in case of e-commerce website.
7. Performance of Shopping Cart Features
The functionality of shopping cart is the utmost important part of an e-commerce website. When testing an e-commerce website, one must check the performance of its shopping cart in terms of adding or removing the items, processing of order and payment, tracking order, etc.
8. Performance for Global Audience
The website should never be limited to serve a particular set of audience. Making it viable to use for a mass audience by offering features like language support and display, its sensitivity to different cultures and regional accounting can make the website a path towards gaining a large customer base.
9. System Integration
The extent to which a website integrates with the system is an important factor to consider when developing an e-commerce website. To verify this, the testing team needs to check and confirm the data interface format, interface frequency and volume capacity, updates and performance.
10. Login and Security
Testing an e-commerce website requires one to test it on several grounds like login capability, access control, ability to handle web attacks, transmission of information and viruses. It is also important to ensure that there is no breach of data or threat to the user’s data when he/she is using the website.
app testing
Conclusion
It is important to remember that performance testing is the key to success for any e-commerce website. Conducting this form of testing ensures that there is no delay in its response time or handling any requests raised by the user. Remember, launching an e-commerce website is not an end; it is rather a beginning to delivering the best-in-class experience to the user that can be ensured only by conducting regular testing and maintenance.

Recommended for You : How to Test an Ecommerce Website: Points To Remember