EuroSTAR Software Testing Conference 2009 presentation on A Visual Approach to Risk Based Integration Testing by Neil Pandit. See more at conferences.eurostarsoftwaretesting.com/past-presentations/

1. Unissons nos Talents
T O G E T H E RT A L E N T E D
1
A Visual Approach to Risk
Based Integration Testing
Neil Pandit
npandit@uk.sopragroup.com
+44 (0) 121 506 9180 , +44(0) 7917 655939

2. A Visual Approach to Risk Based
Integration Testing 01/12/09 2
Agenda
 What is Risk Based Testing?
 Misconceptions and problems with RBT
 Heatmaps – A potential solution
 Considerations and Challenges
 Other uses of Heatmaps
 Summary

3. A Visual Approach to Risk Based
Integration Testing 01/12/09 3
What is Risk Based Testing?
Component
Integration
Component
Integration
System
Integration
System
Integration
System
Testing
System
Testing
Component
Testing
Component
Testing
Acceptance
Testing
Acceptance
Testing
Component
Specification
Component
Specification
Technical
Design
Technical
Design
Functional
Specification
Functional
Specification
Technical
Architecture
Technical
Architecture
Business
Requirements
Business
Requirements
RiskBasedReporting
RiskBasedReporting
PrioritisedExecution
PrioritisedExecution
Risk Based Tracking & ControlRisk Based Tracking & Control
Risk Identification &Risk Identification &
AnalysisAnalysis
Risk BasedRisk Based
TestingTesting
StrategyStrategy
Specification,Specification,
prioritisationprioritisation
and reviewand review
of test casesof test cases
Risk Based DecisionRisk Based Decision
on Releaseon Release

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Integration Testing 01/12/09 4
Misconceptions and Problems with
RBT
Misconceptions
 Variety of interpretations on objective of RBT
 RBT can be independent of order of software delivery
 No high severity defects will be found in later phases
Problems
 Obtaining “objective” risk assessment of multiple integrated
systems
 Focus tends to be on systems and not interfaces
 Reporting does not focus on risks mitigated but on “numbers”
of scripts executed

5. A Visual Approach to Risk Based
Integration Testing 01/12/09 5
Heatmaps – what are they?
 Heatmaps represent information visually using colours
 Weather forecasts, stocks and shares, swine flu
infections

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Integration Testing 01/12/09 6
Heatmaps – How to use them in
System Integration testing

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Integration Testing 01/12/09 7
Heatmaps – Prioritisation of Technical
Risk
Technical risk

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Integration Testing 01/12/09 8
Heatmaps – Prioritisation of Business
Processes
Critical Business Processes

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Integration Testing 01/12/09 9
Heatmaps – Prioritisation of Business
Impact
Business Impact

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Integration Testing 01/12/09 10
Heatmaps – Mapping of Technical
Risk & Business Impact
4
2 1
3
Technical Risk
Business
Impact
Low Medium High Critical
Critical
High
Medium
Low

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Integration Testing 01/12/09 11
Heatmaps – Combined Mapping of
Technical Risk & Business Impact

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Integration Testing 01/12/09 12
Heatmap Benefits?
 Highlights the RBT approach visually
 Provides ease of understanding for all Stakeholders
 Incorporates technical risk into test design
 Provides Risk Based reporting against specific interfaces
& systems
 Ability to agree coverage levels for each risk priority

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Integration Testing 01/12/09 13
Considerations and Challenges
 Obtaining full buy in and getting Subject Matter Experts
away from their day jobs
 Understanding impact of “IT” driven processes
 Agreeing organisational business impact
 Ensuring use of up to date system architecture diagrams
 Lack of availability of fully integrated test environments

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Integration Testing 01/12/09 14
Other uses of Heatmaps
 Can be applied to prioritise System Testing
 Prioritisation of defect fixing
 Regression Testing prioritisation
 Reassessing RBT for Incremental developments

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Integration Testing 01/12/09 15
Summary
 RBT - different things to different people
 More effective focus of System Integration testing effort
 Heatmaps - a visual approach
 Combines technical risk with business impact
 Ensures common understanding
 Needs full buy in!

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Integration Testing 01/12/09 16
Questions?

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Integration Testing 01/12/09 17
Thankyou