Integration and System Testing

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Integration and System Testing

• Lecture 6
• Reading Ch. 17.3-17.4, 21-22

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What is integration testing?
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Scaffolding

• Code produced to support development activities
  (especially testing)
• Not part of the product as seen by the end user
• May be temporary (like scaffolding in
  construction of buildings
• Includes
• Test harnesses, drivers, and stubs

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Scaffolding

• Test driver A main program for running tests
• May be produced before a real main program
• Provides more control than the real main
  program
• To drive program under test through test cases
• Test stubs Substitutes for called functions /
  methods / objects
• related terms dummy, fake, mock objects, test
  double
• Test harness Substitutes for other parts of the
  deployed environment
• Ex Software simulation of a hardware device

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Integration Faults

• Integration faults from Perry and Evangelist in
  1985 study
• Construction These are interface faults endemic
  to languages that physically separate the
  interface specification from the implementation
  code.
• Inadequate functionality These are faults caused
  by the fact that some part of the system assumed,
  perhaps implicitly, a certain level of
  functionality not provided by another part of the
  system.
• Disagreements on functionality These are faults
  caused, most likely, by a dispute over the proper
  location of some functional capability in the
  software.
• Changes in functionality A change in the
  functional capability of some unit was made in
  response to a changing need.
• Added functionality A completely new functional
  capability was recognized and requested as a
  system modification.
• Misuse of interface These are faults arising
  from a misunderstanding of the required interface
  among separate units.
• Data structure alteration Either the size of a
  data structure was inadequate or it failed to
  contain a sufficient number of information fields.

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Integration Faults

• Inadequate error processing Errors were either
  not detected or not handled properly.
• Additions to error processing Changes in other
  units dictated changes in the handling of errors.
• Inadequate postprocessing These faults reflected
  a general failure to free the computational
  workspace of information no longer required.
• Inadequate interface support The actual
  functionality supplied was inadequate to support
  the specified capabilities of the interface.
• Initialization/value errors A failure to
  initialize or assign an appropriate value to a
  data structure caused these faults.
• Violation of data constraints A specified
  relationship among data items was not supported
  by the implementation.
• Timing/performance problems These faults were
  caused by inadequate synchronization among
  communicating processes.
• Coordination of changes Someone failed to
  communicate modifications to one software unit to
  those responsible for other units that depend on
  the first.

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Integration Testing

• How would you test for some of these faults?

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Maybe youve heard ...

• Yes, I implemented ?module A?, but I didnt test
  it thoroughly yet.
• It will be tested along with ?module B? when
  thats ready.

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Translation...

• I didnt think at all about the strategy for
  testing. I didnt design ?module A? for
  testability.
• I didnt think about the best order to build and
  test modules ?A? and ?B?.

• Yes, I implemented ?module A?, but I didnt test
  it thoroughly yet.
• It will be tested along with ?module B? when
  thats ready.

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Integration Plan Test Plan

• Integration test plan drives and is driven by the
  project build plan
• A key feature of the system architecture and
  project plan

System Architecture
...
...
Build Plan
Test Plan
...
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Big Bang Testing

• Test only after integrating all modules
• Advantages
• Disadvantages

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Integration Testing Strategy

• Structural orientation modules constructed
  integrated and tested based on a hierarchical
  project structure
• Top-down
• Bottom-up
• Sandwich
• Functional orientation modules integrated
  according to application characteristics or
  features
• Threads
• Critical modules

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Top down .
Working from the top level (in terms of use or
include relation) toward the bottom. No drivers
required if program tested from top-level
interface (e.g. GUI, CLI, web app, etc.)
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Top down ..
Write stubs of called or used modules at each
step in construction
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Top down ...
As modules replace stubs, more functionality is
testable
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Top down ... complete
... until the program is complete, and all
functionality can be tested
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Bottom Up .
Starting at the leaves of the uses hierarchy,
we never need stubs
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Bottom Up ..
... but we must construct drivers for each module
(as in unit testing) ...
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Bottom Up ...
... an intermediate module replaces a driver, and
needs its own driver ...
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Bottom Up ....
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Bottom Up .....
... so we may have several working subsystems ...
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Bottom Up (complete)
... that are eventually integrated into a single
system.
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Sandwich .
Working from the extremes (top and bottom) toward
center, we may use fewer drivers and stubs
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Sandwich ..
Sandwich integration is flexible and adaptable,
but complex to plan
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Thread ...
A thread is a portion of several modules that
together provide a user-visible program feature.
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Thread ...
Integrating one thread, then another, etc., we
maximize visibility for the user
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Thread ...
As in sandwich integration testing, we can
minimize stubs and drivers, but the integration
plan may be complex
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Critical Modules

• Strategy Start with riskiest modules
• Risk assessment is necessary first step
• May include technical risks (is X feasible?),
  process risks (is schedule for X realistic?),
  other risks
• May resemble thread or sandwich process in
  tactics for flexible build order
• Constructing parts of one module to test
  functionality in another
• Key point is risk-oriented process
• Integration testing as a risk-reduction activity,
  designed to deliver any bad news as early as
  possible

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Choosing a Testing Strategy

• Functional strategies require more planning
• Structural strategies (bottom up, top down,
  sandwich) are simpler
• But thread and critical modules testing provide
  better process visibility, especially in complex
  systems
• Possible to combine
• Top-down, bottom-up, or sandwich are reasonable
  for relatively small components and subsystems
• Combinations of thread and critical modules
  integration testing are often preferred for
  larger subsystems

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Components

• Component Reusable unit of deployment
• Deployed and integrated multiple times
• Integrated by different teams (usually)
• Component producer is distinct from component
  user
• Behavior characterized by an interface or
  contract
• Components are different than an object
• Use persistent storage instead of local state
• May be accessed by assorted communication
  mechanism, not just methods
• Often larger grain than objects
• Example A complete database system may be a
  component

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Component Interface Contracts

• Application programming interface (API) is
  distinct from implementation
• Interface includes everything that must be known
  to use the component
• More than just method signatures, exceptions, etc
• May include non-functional characteristics like
  performance, capacity, security
• May include dependence on other components

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Challenges in Testing Components

• The component builders challenge
• The component users challenge

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Testing a Component Producer View

• First Thorough unit and subsystem testing
• Functional testing based on API
• Second Thorough acceptance testing
• Based on scenarios of expected use
• Includes stress and capacity testing
• Find and document the limits of applicability
• Rule of thumb Reusable component requires at
  least twice the effort (often more) in design,
  implementation, and testing as a subsystem
  constructed for a single use.

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Testing a Component User View

• Not primarily to find faults in the component
• Major question Is the component suitable for
  this application?
• Primary risk is not fitting the application
  context
• Unanticipated dependence or interactions with
  environment
• Performance or capacity limits
• Missing functionality, misunderstood API
• Risk high when using component for first time
• Reducing risk Trial integration early
• Often worthwhile to build driver to test model
  scenarios, long before actual integration

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
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Whole System Testing Overview
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System Testing

• Key characteristics of system testing
• Comprehensive (whole system, whole spec)
• Based on specification of observable behavior
• Verification against a requirements specification
• Not validation
• Not opinion
• Independent of design and implementation
• Avoid repeating errors in system test design

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Incremental System Testing

• System tests are often used to measure progress
• System test suite covers all features and
  scenarios of use
• As project progresses, the system passes more and
  more system tests
• Assumes a threaded incremental build plan
• Features exposed at top level as they are
  developed

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Global Properties

• Some system properties are inherently global
• Performance
• Latency
• Reliability
• Early and incremental testing is still necessary
• only provides estimates
• A major focus of system testing
• The only opportunity to verify global properties
  against actual system specifications
• Especially to find unanticipated effects
• an unexpected performance bottleneck

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Context-Dependent Properties

• Some properties depend on the system context and
  use
• Examples
• Performance properties depend on environment and
  configuration
• Privacy depends both on system and how it is used
• Medical records system must protect against
  unauthorized use, and authorization must be
  provided only as needed
• Security depends on threat profiles
• Threats change!
• Testing is just one part of the approach

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Operational Properties

• Some properties (especially properties related to
  performance) are parameterized by use ...
• requests per second, size of database, ...
• Extensive stress testing is required
• varying parameters within an operational envelope
• need to "push" the envelope and beyond
• Goal A well-understood model of how the property
  varies with the parameter
• How sensitive is the property to the parameter?
• Where is the edge of the envelope?
• What can we expect when the envelope is exceeded?

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Stress Testing

• Requires extensive simulation of the execution
  environment
• Systematic variation
• What happens when we push the parameters?
• What if the number of users or requests is 10
  times more, or 1000 times more?
• Often requires more resources (human and machine)
  than typical test cases
• Separate from regular feature tests
• Run less often, with more manual control
• Diagnose deviations from expectation
• Which may include difficult debugging of latent
  faults!

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Acceptance TestingStatistical Measures

• Acceptance Testing Answering the question
  "Should the product in the current state be
  released?"
• Uses quantitative dependability goals
• Reliability
• Availability
• Mean time to failure
• ...
• Requires valid statistical samples from an
  operational profile
• Fundamentally different from systematic testing
• Systematic testing biased towards where faults
  may lie
• Dependability unbiased samples of operational
  behavior

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Acceptance TestingProcess-based Measures

• Less rigorous than statistical testing
• Based on similarity with prior projects
• Alpha testing Real users, controlled
  environment
• Beta testing Real users, real (uncontrolled)
  environment
• May statistically sample users rather than uses
• Expected history of bug reports

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Usability

• A usable product
• is quickly learned
• allows users to work efficiently
• is pleasant to use
• Objective criteria
• Time and number of operations to perform a task
• Frequency of user error
• blame user errors on the product!
• Usability rests ultimately on testing with real
  users validation, not verification
• Overall, subjective satisfaction
• Preferably in the usability lab by usability
  experts

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Varieties of Usability Test

• Exploratory testing
• Investigate mental model of users
• Performed early to guide interface design
• Comparison testing
• Evaluate options (specific interface design
  choices)
• Observe (and measure) interactions with
  alternative interaction patterns
• Usability validation testing
• Assess overall usability (quantitative and
  qualitative)
• Includes measurement error rate, time to complete

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Typical Usability Test Protocol

• Select representative sample of user groups
• Typically 3-5 users from each of 1-4 groups
• Questionnaires verify group membership
• Ask users to perform a representative sequence of
  tasks
• Observe without interference (no helping!)
• The hardest thing for developers is to not help.
  Professional usability testers use one-way
  mirrors.
• Measure (clicks, eye movement, time, ...) and
  follow up with questionnaire

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Regression Testing

• Yesterday it worked, today it doesnt
• I was fixing X, and accidentally broke Y
• That bug was fixed, but now its back
• Tests must be re-run after any change
• Adding new features
• Changing, adapting software to new conditions
• Fixing other bugs
• Regression testing can be a major cost of
  software maintenance
• Sometimes much more than making the change

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Regression Testing Issues

• Maintaining test suite
• If I change feature X, how many test cases must
  be revised because they use feature X?
• Which test cases should be removed or replaced?
  Which test cases should be added?
• Cost of re-testing
• Often proportional to product size, not change
  size
• Big problem if testing requires manual effort
• Possible problem even for automated testing, when
  the test suite and test execution time grows
  beyond a few hours

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Test Case Maintenance

• Some maintenance is inevitable
• If feature X has changed, test cases for feature
  X will require updating
• Some maintenance should be avoided
• Example Trivial changes to user interface or
  file format should not invalidate large numbers
  of test cases
• Test suites should be modular!
• Avoid unnecessary dependence
• Generating concrete test cases from test case
  specifications can help
• Eliminate obsolete and redundant test cases
• Not a trivial effort