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Risk Based Testing - Targeting the Risk
One of the obvious truths about software testing is that
there will never be enough time to do all the tests.
While everything should be tested, limited resources and
schedule require that testing is structured whereby the
most critical areas of the software are tested first and
most thoroughly.
Performing risk-based analysis on the software will allow
intelligent choices to be made regarding what tests need
to be run in a time crunch situation. It ensures that the
choice between what is tested and what is not is a conscious
decision based on an understanding of the technology and
the users.
Taking the understanding of 'what is risk?' from a previous
Testing Treats article (#1),
answer the following questions with as many relevant points
as possible:
- In what areas is the user most likely to experience
a problem?
- What would be the impact of a certain type of problem?
- What is the relative testing priority of each type
of potential problem?
Get the ideas of the end-user, the application architects,
the developers, customer support - ask lots of questions
and dig up internal historical data or industry metrics.
Once the risk areas, impact and priorities have been defined,
a strategy can be conceived for how to approach the overall
test effort that will maximize the value of your testing
budget.
Having this test strategy in advance of actual test execution
means that what to test and how long it is estimated to
take is known: resources can be obtained, test environments
can be set-up, test cases detailed, and test harnesses constructed.
Plan to concentrate most of your testing and attention
on areas with known complexity, usage patterns, and technical
risk. The accuracy, reliability and readiness of the application
for release can be measured much more accurately than just
through overall bug counts.
Look at the schedule and determine how much time there
really is to spend on testing. Identify and prioritize the
risk areas of the application. Create a test strategy
that maximizes the resources and time available. Remember
that risks can change throughout a project and so the test
strategy must change to deal with them. Don't get locked
into the original test strategy as the _only_ strategy that
will work for the project.
In the case of shifting milestones, the strategy can be
easily modified to suit the time left and the level of risk
that is acceptable when _planning_ not to execute certain
tests.
The testing efforts are now focused on portions of the
software where the risk of potential failure is greatest,
or where potential failure would have the greatest impact.
The result of this testing approach provides everyone with
confidence in how well the software will hold up in the
hands of the end-user.
Summary
With the increasing complexity of modern software and the
shrinking time line for development and testing, it is important
to get the most out of your testing efforts. With the understanding
that it's impossible to test an application and find every
bug, the technique of risk-based testing provides the coverage
necessary to find the most important (and most costly if
not found and fixed) bugs with the least effort.
QA Labs is a powerful player on your team supplying the critical competitive advantage you need today. Our mission is to help you make your software products succeed in the marketplace, whatever the climate. We work with you to make wise choices that reflect project constraints, industry trends, and business considerations. We are the largest independent software quality assurance and testing service provider in Canada. For more information, please visit www.qalabs.com.
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