Test Data Automation Some Basic Knowledge

1. Test Data Automation: Some Basic Knowledge

2. Before rolling out any software it is important to test it for quality assurance. Now, one might think that it is sufficient to test a system or software for all possible bugs, exceptional cases and test cases. But, that’s not it. Having valid test data is as much critical as testing the software itself. If testing is breathing and pumping of heart, test data is the blood supply for this phase. This article discusses the significance of Test Data Automation, and other knowledge about test data. Let’s Begin!

3. 1. What is the significance of Test Data in Software Testing? Software testing relies on the input of test data for successful test execution. It provides valid data in the same format, as the software will receive during real-time functioning. It is important to test a software using reliable and quality data so that the effects of data on software can be assessed, and software could be put into rigorous testing. Test data is used for constructive testing; to verify that the software performs desired functions after receiving expected inputs. Test data is also used for destructive testing; so assess whether the software can handle unexpected data entry and circumstances or not. If software collapses under any type of testing, it cannot be rolled out for usage. Test data must good, valid and sufficient so that all possible test scenarios can be tested. Insufficient or poor quality data affects the quality and performance of the software.

4. 2. Test Data generation: Some Tips and Tricks Software testing requires a large amount of test data. Data used in software testing indicate the basic requirements for a test and provide solid grounds according to which the software will be improved for smooth functioning. Many times, you might need to generate data for optimum testing because required data is not available, or the available data cannot be used for testing due to data privacy or security concerns. Therefore, test data has to be generated as per the required test cases and environment. Test can be provided manually or using data from legacy clients. It can also be obtained from production to testing environment.

5. 3. Test Data Automation Before you start the testing process, there should be sample data generated so that the test execution and management is smooth. Generating test data is a demanding process as there are various steps involved in it, and it consumes a lot of time for test environment configurations. Moreover, there is high chance of exceeding testing deadline if the data generation comes to an end during the test execution phase. This section discusses various testing types and tips for efficient testing.

6.  i. White Box Testing In this testing, the code to be tested is examined for figuring out for required test data Management. For thorough and complete testing, create as many use cases as possible because it is always a good idea to test each possible as well as exceptional scenario at least once. All branches and routs must be tested. ii. Negative API Testing: For effective testing, sometimes invalid parameter types and combination of arguments are also included so that different methods can be called. 

7.    iii. Performance Testing Performance Testing is conducted to test the efficiency and speed of a system under intense load. The aim of this kind of testing is not to identify and locate bugs, but only to test the endurance and performance of a system under high usage or traffic. Performance testing requires real data, or a data set which very much like the real data. Whatever approach you adopt, data privacy and security must be ensured under all circumstances. Sensitive information such as Social Security Number, Credit Card Numbers, Bank Details etc. should be masked or anonymized.    iv. Security Testing Security Testing is a highly sensitive matter because it aims at validating authentic users to provide access to certain information. For security testing, the test data must ensure that system offers following:

8. Confidentiality: The information provided by users must never be revealed to anyone else. For example, if a system runs using SSL then test data must verify correct encryption. Authorization: User-specific access to the information is granted using this process. While authorization testing, various combination of users and roles are checked. While some users can have more privileges and larger access to the system, other may have restricted data access. Authentication: The process of confirming a user’s identity is known as authentication. It can be tested using various combinations of usernames and passwords to check if the system allows access to the protected information. Integrity: the information provided by the system has to be tested for being authentic. This can be ensured by designing test data which analyze and assess code, design, databases and file structures.

9.   v. Black Box Testing This testing does not reveal coding to the testing team. This is done to check following conditions: No data: to read the system response without any data. Decision Table Data Set for testing decision table testing strategy Valid and Invalid data: to see how system responds upon submission of Valid test data, and invalid test data. Use Case Test Data provides test data for all required use cases of the system Illegal data format: set of data which is used to check behavior of system in the event of an invalid data format entry State Transition Data Set provides data to test the state transition strategy Boundary Condition Data set to check the response upon meeting boundary value conditions.

10. 4. Test Data Automation Tools There can be various tests used to test a system thoroughly. The required data can be generated using test data automation tools.  The DTM Test Data generator is used to generate complex data set such as tables for checking functionality such as views and procedures. The data set can be customized as per needs and requirements. On the other hand, some Test data automation tools generate a variety of realistic test data in ASCII flat files. Other tools can be used for generating test data for RDBMS, Oracle, Sybase, and SQL Server.

11. Final Words For reliable EDI Testing and quality assurance, get in touch with our representative at GenRocket. with our sophisticated Test Data Automationtools, we guarantee delivery of flawless and high performance systems. Source: https://soft2share.com/test-data-automation-some-basic-knowledge/