Testing Infrastructure & Packages

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Permalink Reply by Michael Bolton on May 3, 2009 at 11:12pm

This is a question that can't be answered without some context. The definition "infrastructure testing" is, presumably, testing of some kind of infrastructure. That's probably not a very helpful answer, but without context (what kind?), more detailed answers or definitions are unlikely to be helpful or relevant. The same applies to the process answer: if the infrastructure to be tested is a network for an online banking system, the process (except in general terms) is going to be different for testing the infrastructure of an application framework or a city's water and sewage systems, which will be still different from testing an operating system (which is, in itself, a kind of infrastructure) for deployment across an organization. The same is true for packaged applications; all applications get packaged at some point. Where does the question come from? Who's asking, and why?

If you're on a specific testing mission, ask the person who's asking you for more detail. If they're unable or unwilling to supply you with that, the answer is, "Since you're asking, I expect that this is an important problem for you to solve, and I really do want to help you, but I don't know how to help you without some help--in the form of more information--from you." In fact, that's exactly the reply I'm giving to you now. This is a variation of the unicorn question: What size unicorn do you wear? (Click on the link.)

At the same time, you can offer to answer the question in terms that it was asked--very generally. The general test procedure for pretty much anything, as we suggest in Rapid Software Testing, heuristically, goes like this:

- model the test space
- determine coverage
- determine oracles
- determine procedures
- configure the product
- operate the product
- observe outcomes
- evaluate the outcomes
- report on what you've found.

You context guides your choices on how and what you're going to test. And everything in that last sentence changes over time.

---Michael B.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Olivier on June 15, 2009 at 2:58am

Hello Pradeep,

Your post got me thinking and blogging. I have not got the answer for you yet, but I will try to help you with all your questions about Infrastructure Testing.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Olivier on June 15, 2009 at 2:59am

http://www.infratester.eu/2009/06/my-definition-of-boombastic-test-...

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Permalink Reply by Pradeep C on June 15, 2009 at 10:51am

Brian,

Thank you for thinking on this. I did go through the blog posted by you. It was an interesting start. The real idea is to define what is meant by testing infrastructure. The problem that I am confronting with is to define what is infrastructure (part of which is answered by your picture). The second is to identify the possible reasons why we should test it, and the techniques that people should use to test the same. Also, given the context of multiple programming languages, and integrated systems, what is the optimal way to do it.. what is the practice followed?

Thanks for helping out on this.

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