Software Quality Assurance

Overview Software Quality Assurance (SQA) is NOT the same as Software Testing. True SQA deals with the processes producing software, whereas Testing and other forms of Software Quality Control (SQC) deal with the products of those processes. Both are important for reliably producing quality software. If you are looking for a class only on testing, see ` Effective Methods of Software Testing Workshop .
_ Proactive SQA™ is a key basis of significant value-enhancing revisions to IEEE SQA Std. 730’s often-resisted traditional view of SQA, which is largely limited to after-the-fact “traffic cop” enforcement of procedural compliance. Effective SQA can and should do far more, contributing proactively to assure the software process in fact does the right things well so it truly produces high quality cheaper by catching and preventing errors early. _ This interactive workshop explains common SQA misconceptions and the six functions SQA should perform to provide far greater value, analyzes why SQA groups so frequently have failed in IS, and presents practical approaches for successfully using SQA effectively throughout any life cycle to produce high quality systems. Because some distinguish SQA as reviewing documents vs. testing’s executing code, key concepts and techniques are presented for reviewing requirements and designs. And, because some still expect an SQA course to be about testing, half of this class does describe testing content more briefly than in our Effective Methods of Software Testing Workshop. _ Participants will learn: * What SQA is and why SQA is NOT SQC (testing). * Reasons for SQA failures and factors critical to success of SQA in IS development. * The six Proactive Software Quality Assurance™ functions that SQA should perform. * Proactive methods for more effectively reviewing requirements and designs. * A structured Proactive Testing™ model of which testing activities should be performed when and by whom within the life cycle to maximize testing efficiency and effectiveness. * Truly agile test planning techniques that prevent showstoppers. * Designing tests that spot numerous ordinarily-overlooked defects in less time. * Applying risk analysis, reusable testware, and metrics to perform more thorough testing in less time.. * Measuring system quality and SQA/Testing effectiveness. WHO SHOULD ATTEND This course has been designed for quality and testing specialists, systems and business managers, project leaders, analysts, auditors, and others responsible for information system quality. Course Outline SYSTEM/SOFTWARE QUALITY AND QUALITY ASSURANCE Exercise: What is quality, quality assurance Quality in the project manager’s triangle Quality is free, cost of poor quality What we, others mean by quality Need for positive common quality definition Quality factors and quality dimensions Engineered Deliverable Quality Quality assurance vs. quality control SQA in IEEE Stds. 12207 and 730 Proactive SQA changes in IEEE Std. 730 Not just ‘traffic cop’ compliance SYSTEM/SOFTWARE PROCESSES REAL vs. Presumed processes, silos Exercise: Your software process Defect injection, detection, ejection metrics Economics of quality problems in life cycle Making the business case for SQA Life cycle concepts, waterfall vs. iterative Process capability, variation, improvement Project, process, product measures Direct and indirect process evaluation SEI Process Capability Maturity Models QUALITY ASSURANCE CONCEPTS Exercise: Why SQA groups so often fail SQA groups’ changes over time Common SQA interpretations, issues Quality control (QC) testing ‘QA Test’ Document and procedure compliance ‘QA Reviews’ and toll gates Standards and procedures manuals Staffing and organizational influence Reasons for resistance to SQA SQA needs broader view of quality Proactive SQA™ for effectiveness Assuring processes vs. doing it all 6 functions of effective software QA QA Plans, quality reviews of deliverables Exercise: Managing SQA tasks, resources Engineering standards, conventions Quality controls at all key points Project control Configuration management, checkpoints Recordkeeping and auditing Metrics and analysis for improvement Exercise: Key product and process metrics Promoting awareness and recognition ACTIVE STATIC TESTING Role of requirements in producing quality Exercise: ‘Established Requirements’ issues Exercise: Reviewing Requirements Unrecognized weaknesses of “Regular Way” Why review of requirements fails Formal technical reviews, procedures Review approaches, formality Often overlooked walkthrough limitations Why reviews so economically find defects Foundation technique, topic guidelines Evaluating requirements form, testability REAL, business vs. system requirements Finding overlooked, incorrect requirements Reviewing design suitability and content Four powerful design review CAT-Scans Exercise: Reviews and Software Process QA HOW TESTING CAN CUT EFFORT & TIME Testing for correctness vs. testing for errors Developer views of testing Reactive testing—out of time, but not tests Proactive Testing Life Cycle model CAT-Scan Approach to find more errors Dynamic, passive and active static testing V-model and objectives of each test level Developer vs. independent test group testing Strategy—create fewer errors, catch more Four keys to effective testing Need for testing sampling Written vs. not written benefits and issues Test activities that save the developer’s time The “we don’t have time” fallacy TEST PLANNING VALUE NOT BUSYWORK Risk elements, relation to testing Proactive vs. reactive risk analysis IEEE Standard for Test Documentation Benefits of the structure Enabling manageability, reuse, selectivity Test plans vs. test designs, cases, procedures Exercise: Anticipating showstoppers Risk-based way to define test units Letting testing drive development Preventing major cause of overruns Master Test Plan counterpart to project plan Approach, use of automated tools Entry/exit criteria, anticipating change DETAILED TEST PLANNING IEEE Standard on Unit Testing Functional (Black Box) testing strategy 3-level top-down test planning and design Exercise: Functionality matrix Detailed Test Plan technical document White box structural testing coverage Use cases, revealing overlooked conditions Exercise: Defining use case test coverage INTEGRATION/SYSTEM TEST PLANNING Graphical technique to simplify integrations Integration test plans prevent schedule slips Smoke tests; system and special testing Daily, top- and bottom-down builds strategy DESIGNING AND WRITING TEST CASES Exercise: Your challenges and issues Exercise: Disciplined brainstorming Checklists find more overlooked conditions Data formats, data and process models Business rules, decision tables and trees Equivalence classes and boundary values Formal, informal Test Design Specifications Leveraging reusable test designs Test Case Specifications vs. test data values Writing test cases, script/matrix Embedding keystroke-level procedural detail Exploratory testing applied most effectively MEASURING AND MANAGING TESTING Estimating Defect isolation Defect reporting, categories and analysis Defect reports that prompt suitable action Exercise: Measures for managing testing Common measures of test status, issues Exercise: Test status report audiences Projecting when software is good enough Exercise: Measuring testing effectiveness Exercise: Post-Implementation Review