Integration testing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
'Integration testing' (sometimes called Integration and Testing, abbreviated I&T) is the activity[1] of software testing in which individual software modules are combined and tested as a group. It sits between unit testing and system testing.
Integration testing takes as its input modules that have been unit tested, groups them in larger aggregates, applies tests defined in an integration test plan to those aggregates, and delivers as its output the integrated system ready for system testing.
Contents |
[edit] Purpose
The purpose of integration testing is to verify functional, performance and reliability requirements placed on major design items. These "design items", i.e. assemblages (or groups of units), are exercised through their interfaces using Black box testing, success and error cases being simulated via appropriate parameter and data inputs. Simulated usage of shared data areas and inter-process communication is tested and individual subsystems are exercised through their input interface. Test cases are constructed to test that all components within assemblages interact correctly, for example across procedure calls or process activations, and this is done after testing individual modules, i.e. unit testing.
The overall idea is a "building block" approach, in which verified assemblages are added to a verified base which is then used to support the integration testing of further assemblages.
Some different types of integration testing are big bang, top-down, and bottom-up.
[edit] Big Bang
In this approach, all or most of the developed modules are coupled together to form a complete software system or major part of the system and then used for integration testing. The Big Bang method is very effective for saving time in the integration testing process[citation needed]. However, if the test cases and their results are not recorded properly, the entire integration process will be more complicated and may prevent the testing team from achieving the goal of integration testing.
A type of “Big Bang” Integration testing is called Usage Model testing.[citation needed] Usage Model testing can be used in both software and hardware integration testing. The basis behind this type of integration testing is to run user-like workloads in integrated user-like environments. In doing the testing in this manner, the environment is proofed, while the individual components are proofed indirectly through their use. Usage Model testing takes an optimistic approach to testing, because it expects to have few problems with the individual components. The strategy relies heavily on the component developers to do the isolated unit testing for their product. The goal of the strategy is to avoid redoing the testing done by the developers, and instead flesh out problems caused by the interaction of the components in the environment. For integration testing, Usage Model testing can be more efficient and provides better test coverage than traditional focused functional integration testing. To be more efficient and accurate, care must be used in defining the user-like workloads for creating realistic scenarios in exercising the environment. This gives that the integrated environment will work as expected for the target customers.
[edit] Bottom Up and Top Down
There are two types in Integration Testing.
1. Bottom Up
2. Top Down.
Bottom-UP testing: An approach to integration testing where the lowest level components are tested first, then used to facilitate the testing of higher level components. The process is repeated until the component at the top of the hierarchy is tested.
All the bottom or low-level modules, procedures or functions are integrated and then tested. After the integration testing of lower level integrated modules, the next level of modules will be formed and can be used for integration testing. This approach is helpful only when all or most of the modules of the same development level are ready. This method also helps to determine the levels of software developed and makes it easier to report testing progress in the form of a percentage. The Top Down is the procedure where the top integrated modules are tested and the branch of the module is testing step by step till end of the related module. The main advantage of the Bottom up is easy to find bugs. In Top down it is easy to find the missing branch link.
[edit] Limitations
Any conditions not stated in specified integration tests, outside of the confirmation of the execution of design items, will generally not be tested.
[edit] References
- ^ SoftwareTestingClub.com, 2009, "Is Integration A Phase?", http://www.softwaretestingclub.com/forum/topics/is-integration-a-phaseIs Integration a phase
