Test Data & Test Env Management | Tech-Arcis Solutions

Key challenges in Test Environment Management (Updated JAN 2024)

Test Environment Management (TEM) refers to directing, controlling and managing the enterprise level test environments. It consists of using procedures, tools and resources to manage multiple components like software, hardware, databases, test data and applications. TEM in cloud is another aspect that offers on-demand test labs in multi-platform environments, which are scalable and virtualizable. Such test environments can be quickly provisioned in the cloud and turned on/off and scaled down/up as required. As business IT landscapes are becoming more complex and integrated, it’s increasingly becoming a big challenge to manage test environments.

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Key TEM Activities

Key TEM activities may vary depending on the technique chosen and may include:

Test environment allocation as needed
Maintaining a central storehouse of test-environments (in their latest version) along with connectivity details
Creation of new test environments
Provisioning infrastructure and platform
Test environment configuration (module, system, sub-module)
Test data provisioning (privatization, traceability, ETL, segregation)
Endpoint integration
Monitoring the test environment
Updating/deleting outdated test-environments and their details
Investigation of test environment issues and at times, co-ordination till its resolution
Analyzing data for identifying trends, spotting test environment issues, and taking steps to resolve them

Key Challenges in TEM

Remote environment: Test environments or assets are often placed in geographically remote sites, making the test teams depend on support teams at the location to deal with challenges related to hardware, software, firmware, networking, build/firmware upgrade etc. this often takes time and causes delays, especially where the test teams and support teams are based in different time zones.
Virtual test environments: Move to virtualization often creates VM management problems. Easy integration of existing test tools, upgrading existing hardware (to avoid purchasing additional hardware), ensuring that a user accesses only his/her respective virtual test environment, providing connectivity to employees (including those at remote locations) to the new virtual test methodology are other challenges in cloud-based TEM. Though virtualization let testers create unlimited user configurations and test with different user profiles and even potentially incompatible applications, challenges like equipment conflict (between drivers of tested equipment and virtual environment) can be difficult to deal with.
Shared environment assets: In most cases, test and development teams use the same environment and assets, which causes conflict when both teams want to use the same resources simultaneously. Since test environment assets aren’t consolidated properly and don’t have any tracking mechanism, some are often left under- or over-utilized.

Some other challenges include

Elaborate set up times for test environments
Test environment configuration issues
Absence of a dedicated TEM team
Best practices are not defined or implemented
Nil or little reusable value and documentation
Implementing precise forecasting and capacity demands
Lack of adequate, responsive support to resolve issues in test environment
Most activities involved manual work as no tools are employed

Best Practices in TEM to overcome the challenges

Working under these challenges have made organizations worried about lower test coverage and escalating operations cost. Thus, after recognizing these challenges, they are implementing best practices to change the present model of operation to a test environment that’s efficient and delivers results fast.

Establishing a dedicated TEM team: Assigning complete ownership of the test environment to a dedicated team will make it the single point of contact for all test related activities and make it accountable for test environment management, thus removing problems associated with accountability or poor management and irregular maintenance which happen when ownership is shared.
Implementing thorough documentation: Thorough documentation of test environment resource allocation, configurations and incidents will help in effective management of test environments. Such documentation should be complemented by the four W’s namely Who (refers to the person or team requesting or initiating the alteration), What (description of the alteration, request or incident), When (time or period of the alteration, request or incident) and Why (the reason of alteration, request or incident). Development teams can document and manage such data though you can also use shared spreadsheets and documents provided they are accessible to the development team members to help them stay updated about the test environment status and organize testing as per the correct schedule.
Standardization of language and terminology: Ensuring the same terminology is used at the enterprise level (and not different words created by different individuals or test teams that create confusion and cause delays) will improve the overall quality of test environment. Language standardization will support quick and better understanding and make collection and sharing of information fast and efficient.
Knowledge management: A centralized test environment management team will ensure availability of all required information to the stakeholders and end users. It will be the responsibility of the TEM team to maintain information related to all TEM activities including test environment schedules, plans, recovery procedures, solution documents, incidents, status reports and others as necessary by audit and governance requirements.
Virtualization: Custom instances can be created and run simultaneously to avoid scheduling conflicts, speed up test cycles and make reporting simpler. Developers and testers can even recreate bugs by taking snapshots of test environment. Several common issues faced by testers and developers can be dealt with virtualization.
Automation: Test environment’s efficiency can be improved by using regressive test automation and developing automation frameworks. Use of a single or multiple tools can be used to automate most activities across test environment lifecycle such as management of test data, auto deployments and auto provisioning. Many companies use automation strategies like service virtualization and cloud technology to improve their turnaround time for test environment provisioning.
Regular evaluation of test environment: This helps to keep the test environment as realistic and precise as possible. After each major test cycle, evaluate what’s working, what’s not, the resources that are under- or over-utilized etc and make required changes accordingly to imitate end-user environments better. It’s equally important to consider the requirements of the testing teams and alter environment resource allocation accordingly.

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Conclusion

With a dedicated TEM team, businesses can enjoy faster test execution of multiple and large scale releases together with seamless management and support. TechArcis offers dedicated test environment management services covering the entire spectrum of operations and activities to ensure optimum asset utilization and significant cost benefits.

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What is Exploratory Testing? Why When do we require Examples – (Updated 2024)

Exploratory testing definition: Exploratory testing is the approach, to an application’s evaluation, which integrates three things – exploration of the application with design of test scenarios and beginning of the actual testing process…

What is Exploratory Testing?

Exploratory testing is a vital aspect of the software quality assurance process. Unlike scripted testing, it focuses on spontaneity, intuition, and domain knowledge. Testers create and execute test cases simultaneously, exploring the application’s functionalities, identifying issues, and making quick decisions on the fly.

When Should You Use Exploratory Testing?

Exploratory testing is typically employed during the following scenarios:

Early Stages of Development: At the beginning of a project when scripted test cases may not be readily available.
Complex Systems: For intricate applications where writing exhaustive test cases is impractical.
Regression Testing: To validate that recent changes haven’t adversely affected existing functionalities.
Usability Testing: To ensure the user interface is intuitive and user-friendly.
Ad Hoc Testing: When addressing unpredicted scenarios or unexpected issues.

Where is Exploratory Testing Applied?

Exploratory testing can be applied to various testing levels:

Functional Testing: To evaluate if the software performs its functions correctly.
User Interface Testing: Focusing on the visual aspect of the software.
Integration Testing: To ensure different components work cohesively.
System Testing: Evaluating the complete software system.

Who Performs Exploratory Testing?

Exploratory testing is best suited for skilled and experienced testers who possess a deep understanding of the domain and can think on their feet. It requires testers to rely on their intuition and knowledge to discover issues quickly.

Why is Exploratory Testing Important?

Exploratory testing offers several advantages, such as:

Realistic Testing: Testers can simulate real-world scenarios, mimicking user behavior to discover issues often missed in scripted testing.
Early Issue Detection: It can uncover problems in the early stages of development when they are more cost-effective to fix.
Enhanced Test Coverage: This method ensures broader test coverage, as it isn’t limited to predefined test cases.
Usability Assessment: Exploratory testing allows for assessing the software’s user-friendliness, uncovering design and usability issues.

Which Tools Facilitate Exploratory Testing?

Various tools and software can aid in the exploratory testing process:

Session-Based Testing Management: Tools like “Rainforest” and “Testpad” help manage exploratory testing sessions.
Test Management Tools: Platforms like “TestRail” allow you to record and track exploratory test cases.
Screen Recording Tools: Software like “Camtasia” or “OBS Studio” can be used to capture the testing process for documentation.
Collaboration Tools: Platforms like “Slack” and “Microsoft Teams” facilitate communication among testers during exploratory testing.
Defect Tracking Tools: Systems like “Jira” help manage issues found during exploratory testing.

Whose Responsibility is Exploratory Testing?

Exploratory testing is a collaborative effort. Testers, developers, and other stakeholders should actively engage in this process. The testers are responsible for conducting the tests, while developers should be ready to address the identified issues promptly.

In a broader sense, the responsibility for exploratory testing falls on the entire project team. It’s not limited to the testing phase; it extends to the development process, design, and user experience stages. This approach ensures that software quality is maintained throughout the project lifecycle.

Exploratory testing definition: Exploratory testing is the approach, to an application’s evaluation, which integrates three things – exploration of the application with design of test scenarios and beginning of the actual testing process. Unlike pre-scripted instructions, exploratory testing needs a tester to listen, read, think and report, effectively and rigorously, thus making this approach as productive (in terms of revealing critical information) as its scripted counterpart.

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Here are some major reasons why exploratory testing should be incorporated in the process:

It helps the tester quickly identify major discrepancies, thus helping to develop the application to meet actual-world requirements of end users.
It’s cognitively structured compared to the procedural framework of scripted testing.
It’s an approach and not a technique. The next course of actions is governed by the current course of actions.
It’s significantly teachable and manageable.
Exploratory testing itself is highly useful but when dovetailed with other testing processes, it becomes a powerful way to understand the application in a better manner, build better functional tests and finally enhance the quality of the application.

When do we require exploratory testing?

It’s required in the scenarios given below:

To understand how the application works, what functionality it executes and how its interface looks like.
To identify historically and untested buggy functionality of the application.
To compel the application to provide evidence of its capabilities in terms of functionality for which it was developed.
To minimize test script writing.
To find new questions and new information.
When advance iteration is required.
When new testers enter the project.
The testing team consists of adept testers.
The application is critical enough.

Managing exploratory testing

Exploratory test management goes through the following 5 stages:

1. Creation of Bug Taxonomy (classification):

Categorize prevalent types of faults detected in earlier projects.
Scrutinize the main cause/analysis of the faults or problems.
Detect the risks and create ideas to evaluate the application.

2. Test Charter:

Test charter should propose What to test, The process of testing, Areas that need to be looked upon
Test ideas are the initiating points of exploration testing.
Test charter aids how an end user could utilize the application.

3. Time Box:

It includes two testers working together up to a minimum time frame of 90 minutes.
Any interrupted time shouldn’t be there in that 90 minutes’ session.
Time box can have extension or reduction of 45 minutes.
This session motivates testers to react to the response of the application and to prepare for the accurate outcome.

4. Results Reviewing:

Assessment of the faults
Getting educated from testing
Study of coverage areas

5. Debriefing:

Compilation of output results
Comparison between the results and the charter
Check for need of any additional testing

During an exploratory test, following points need to be covered:

Mission of the testing should be absolutely clear
Keeping notes on what requires to be tested, requirement of the testing and the evaluation of the application quality
Tracking of issues and questions raised during the testing
Pairing of the testers for successful testing

What to leverage from exploratory testing?

Exploratory testing is a part of Agile testing continuum that ranges from casual exploratory testing to proper testing scripts. Most testing engagements require a merger of various testing approaches, making the most out of each to harvest optimum value from testing efforts.

During the casual exploratory testing, the application’s basic functionality is captured, by formulating a practical decomposition of application space, within a spreadsheet or test management tool. Then this practical decomposition is verified with development, production and business support teams, and proper adjustments are made.

Now skilled testers are assigned against certain application areas while the practical decomposition acts like a check-list. At the beginning, focus of the testers should stay on four prime goals: learning about application space, finding and publishing defects, capturing test case names and confirming the practical decomposition.

Based on the information gained, the requirement of additional testing process is decided to meet software quality goals and testing velocity. Leverage the information obtained from continuing formal exploratory testing can help develop an itemized inventory of test cases. This inventory should be formally scripted and automated using automation techniques and keyword-based test case design.

Here, the key lies in the perfect blend of techniques, tools and skills that pave way for the highest possible opportunity to lower production issues and enhance product quality.

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Final words

When you are solving puzzles, perhaps you have noted how the puzzle changes the puzzling. As you dive into the process of solving a puzzle, its particulars emerge, which often influences your tactics for solving it. This is the truth that lies at the heart of exploratory testing.

Though testing is, in itself, quite complicated, effective and strategic use of exploratory testing can tame that complexity to a significant extent and help in the development of high-quality applications at a rapid pace.

In conclusion, exploratory testing is a crucial aspect of software quality assurance. Its flexibility and focus on real-world scenarios make it indispensable in ensuring software reliability. By engaging experienced testers, leveraging the right tools, and fostering collaboration, your project can benefit significantly from exploratory testing, uncovering hidden issues and delivering a more robust software product.