What is System Testing? Types & Definition with Example

What is System Testing?

SYSTEM TESTING is a levelof testing that validates the complete and fully integrated software product.The purpose of a system test is to evaluate the end-to-end systemspecifications. Usually, the software is only one element of a largercomputer-based system. Ultimately, the software is interfaced with othersoftware/hardware systems. System Testing is actually a series of differenttests whose sole purpose is to exercise the full computer-based system.

In this tutorial, we will learn

• System Testing is Blackbox

• What do you verify in System Testing?

• Software Testing Hierarchy

• Different Types of System Testing

• What Types of System Testing Should Testers Use?

System Testing is Blackbox

Two Category of Software Testing

• Black     Box Testing

• White     Box Testing

System test falls under the black box testing category ofsoftware testing.

White box testing isthe testing of the internal workings or code of a software application. Incontrast, black box or System Testing is the opposite. System test involves theexternal workings of the software from the user's perspective.

What do you verify in System Testing?

System Testing involves testing the software code for following

• Testing the fully     integrated applications including external peripherals in order to check     how components interact with one another and with the system as a whole.     This is also called End to End testing scenario.

• Verify     thorough testing of every input in the application to check for     desired outputs.

• Testing of     the user's experience with the application. 

·       That is a very basicdescription of what is involved in system testing. You need to build detailedtest cases and test suites that test each aspect of the application as seenfrom the outside without looking at the actual source code. 

·       Software TestingHierarchy

As with almost anysoftware engineering process, software testing has a prescribed order in whichthings should be done. The following is a list of software testing categoriesarranged in chronological order. These are the steps taken to fully test newsoftware in preparation for marketing it:

• Unit     testing performed on each module or block of code during development. Unit Testing is normally done by     the programmer who writes the code.

• Integration testing done     before, during and after integration of a new module into the main     software package. This involves testing of each individual code module.     One piece of software can contain several modules which are often created     by several different programmers. It is crucial to test each module's effect     on the entire program model.

• System testing done by a     professional testing agent on the completed software product before it is     introduced to the market.

• Acceptance testing - beta     testing of the product done by the actual end users.

Different Types of System Testing

There are more than 50 types of System Testing. For anexhaustive list of software testing types click here. Below we have listed types of systemtesting a large software development company would typically use

1.     Usability Testing- mainly focuses on the user'sease to use the application, flexibility in handling controls and ability ofthe system to meet its objectives

2.      Load Testing- is necessary to know that asoftware solution will perform under real-life loads.

3.     Regression Testing- involves testing done tomake sure none of the changes made over the course of the development processhave caused new bugs. It also makes sure no old bugs appear from the additionof new software modules over time.

4.     Recovery testing - isdone to demonstrate a software solution is reliable, trustworthy and cansuccessfully recoup from possible crashes.

5.     Migration testing- isdone to ensure that the software can be moved from older system infrastructuresto current system infrastructures without any issues.

6.     Functional Testing -Also known as functional completeness testing, Functional Testing involves tryingto think of any possible missing functions. Testers might make a list ofadditional functionalities that a product could have to improve it duringfunctional testing.

7.     Hardware/SoftwareTesting - IBM refers to Hardware/Software testing as "HW/SW Testing".This is when the tester focuses his/her attention on the interactions betweenthe hardware and software during system testing.

What Types of System Testing Should Testers Use?

There are over 50 different types of system testing. Thespecific types used by a tester depend on several variables. Those variablesinclude:

• Who     the tester works for - This is a major factor in determining the     types of system testing a tester will use. Methods used by large companies     are different than that used by medium and small companies.

• Time     available for testing - Ultimately, all 50 testing types could be     used. Time is often what limits us to using only the types that are most     relevant for the software project.

• Resources     available to the tester - Of course some testers will not have     the necessary resources to conduct a testing type. For example, if you are     a tester working for a large software development firm, you are likely to     have expensive automated testing software not available to others.

• Software     Tester's Education- There is a certain learning curve for each type of     software testing available. To use some of the software involved, a tester     has to learn how to use it.

• Testing     Budget - Money becomes a factor not just for smaller companies and     individual software developers but large companies as well.