SYSTEMS
TESTING 
Today's complex systems require a different approach
to testing and conversions. The traditional file-to-file
conversions and manual testing activities of the past
are no longer able to efficiently and effectively
support complicated system migrations or on-going
testing. We have developed tools to automatically
build and document a test deck of business conditions
that significantly reduces the effort involved in
conversions and testing, and dramatically increases
the quality of the resulting system, and have worked
with many other testing tool vendors.
The Summit Group has assisted many of our clients
with thorough testing of new applications, and with
testing how new applications integrate with other
existing applications. Our professional testers have
experience with a variety of automated testing tools
and with all facets of the testing life cycle.
SERVICES:
|
REPRESENTATIVE
ASSIGNMENTS:
|
SERVICES:
Unit
Testing
Unit Testing is the first step in the testing process,
and is usually conducted by the programmer to ensure
that a program operates as defined by the User. The
programmer generally creates their own test cases,
inputs the data to the program and verifies the results.
System
Testing
System Testing is either conducted by the programmer,
the programmer's manager or by a Quality Control Unit
within the IT organization. The goal is to ensure
that all of the code works as defined by the requirements
and design documents before it is delivered to the
Users.
Functional
Testing
Functional Testing may be conducted by the IT staff,
a group of business analysts or by a third party firm
that specializes in testing. The goal of Functional
Testing is to ensure that the applications can perform
correctly under all of the conditions that the application
could encounter when in live processing.
Firms define a suite of test scenarios, develop test
cases that will validate the scenarios, and create
test data to support the test cases. The same people
may enter the test data and check the results, or
a separate group of people may perform this function.
Technical
Testing
Technical Testing is sometimes combined with Functional
Testing and may be conducted separately. The goal
of Technical Testing is to ensure that files are correctly
established, that reports work properly with page
breaks as well as other formatting issues.
The conditions defined by Technical Testing are generally
consistent across all applications and are not unique
to the specific application.
End-to-End
Testing
End-to-End
Testing involves a coordinated effort between IT and
the Users to ensure that data entered into one application
will move correctly to other applications. Similar
to Functional Testing, firms define a suite of test
scenarios, develop test cases that will validate the
scenarios, and create test data to validate that the
application works properly.
User
Acceptance Testing
User Acceptance Testing is a very critical stage of
the testing process since it is managed by the Users
to determine if the application meets the terms of
the requirements document.
This
test consists of a series of predetermined test cases,
with defined expected results, that will validate
the functionality of the system and ensure that the
Users can work with the system as it has been designed.
User Acceptance Testing, which is sometimes combined
with a Simulated Work Environment, should also ensure
that the Users can complete a day's work in a work
day.
Stress
Testing
Stress Testing involves inputting a large number of
transactions into a computer application in a short
period of time to see if all of the components (application,
hardware, telecommunications, people, etc.) can accommodate
the peak volume within acceptable time frames. A Stress
Test is usually performed after User Acceptance Testing,
and usually before Parallel Testing.
Parallel
Testing
Parallel Testing is managed by the Users and is usually
the last test before a system goes live. If the new
system is replacing an existing one, both systems
are operated side by side for a pre-determined period
of time to ensure that the output from both systems
is the same, or that any differences are expected.
If the application is a new one, then Parallel Testing
is usually combined with a Simulated Work Environment.
Regression
Testing
Applications are rarely ever static. Sometimes new
bugs are discovered when a new set of conditions occurs
and, more frequently, new requirements are identified
that involve enhancements. In either case, firms need
to test the change to ensure that the new application
will work correctly.
Regression Testing is flexible in that the Users and
IT staff must identify the scope of the testing that
will be required before the change can be moved into
production. Some changes only need minor Functional
Testing and others may require a new User Acceptance
Test and possibly even a new Stress or Parallel Test.
Conversion
Testing
Most conversions of data from old applications to
new ones require an automated conversion. With an
automated conversion, the software that has been written
to convert the data must also be tested. This process
is usually similar to the Functional Test of the new
application since the goal is to ensure that the new
files can be correctly used by the new application.
Conversion
Processing
Once the new application and the Conversion process
have been certified as correct, the actual conversion
must be conducted. This process requires a close coordination
between the Users, IT, Marketing and the firm's Customers.
The
data in each account must be examined and reconciled
to the old application to ensure that everything was
correctly moved. Most of this can be automated, but
inevitably there are some manual tasks that must be
closely managed.
REPRESENTATIVE ASSIGNMENTS:
Unit
and System Testing
We have an excellent track record of testing the applications
that we develop and providing code that matches the
functional requirements.
Functional
Testing
Provided a large testing team for a major Global Custodian
to assist them in testing all facets of a new application:
custody transactions, trust accounting, corporate
actions, accounting and interfaces. Developed scripts,
automated input, validated results and managed the
overall testing process.
While
maintaining and enhancing all of the applications
used by a major New York Private Bank under a three
year agreement, TSG performed functional testing on
all of the applications and supported User Testing.
Conversion
Testing
For a major Global Custodian, TSG developed project
plan and successfully managed the conversion testing
for an application that would support thousands of
accounts.
Conversion
Support
Converted twelve months of global custody history
data efficiently and error free for a leading Global
Custodian by using TSG's conversion methodology and
software. Supported the systems migration effort for
a major US Custodian by developing software that automatically
moves data between systems on a daily basis. This
allowed the custodian to separate the process conversion
from the customer implementation.
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