Updated October 23, 2023

What is Non-Functional Testing?

Non functional testing is a type of software testing for testing of non-functional parameters like performance, reliability, load testing, and software accountability. The main objective of non-functional research is to check the software system read speed according to non-functional parameters. Non-functional testing parameters are not tested before in the functional testing. Non-functional testing plays a crucial role in customer satisfaction, and it is also important testing, just like functional testing.

Characteristics of Non Functional Testing

Here are some Characteristics of Non Functional Testing.

Non-functional tests should be measurable, so no subjective characterization such as good, better, nicer, etc., are available.
At the beginning of the demand phase, exact figures will unlikely be known.
Ensure that in software engineering, quality characteristics are properly recognized.
The specifications must be prioritized.

Types of Non Functional Testing

Know we are going to see the types of non-functional testing are as follow below

1. Availability Testing

Availability testing is, contrary to the available for operational demands, an approach for testing the embedded system testing.
The 24 * 7 software implementation is available to fulfill its expected functionalities whenever necessary without failure.
Software no longer constitutes easy programs. They are complicated in construction and complicated in implementation. This very complexity of its nature makes extensive testing significant to guarantee it operates according to the customer requirements.

2. Compatibility Testing

This testing is essential in order for a software product to assess its compatibility with its anticipated operating setting, including various platforms, operating systems, software, and hardware, in order to correctly implement its planned functionality.
Compatibility testing is a non-functional test method usually conducted to validate and check the compatibility of the product or website with different other artifacts, such as other web browsers, hardware platforms, customers, operating systems, etc. A major component of the software testing life cycle (STLC) testing.
Compatibility testing performed at the early phases of quality assurance allows the team to ensure that customer-requested compatibility criteria are met and integrated with the final product.

3. Configuration Testing

Configuration testing is the unique variation of software testing in a computer with various hardware or software settings, namely, operating system, browser, supported drivers, etc., for the performance testing of a software product. This type of setup testing is performed in laboratories.
All computers with various hardware settings are available in the laboratories. Each machine in the laboratory has a testable version of the software to be published, and a test suit is carried out. Since establishing a test laboratory with expensive heavy-duty machines can be difficult, numerous businesses outsource to organizations specializing in carrying out such tests the job of carrying out hardware configuration testing.

4. Load Testing

The team focuses on testing software through different software testing technology after the software development process has been completed.
Load testing is a method that is performed during the software life cycle testing (STLC) to guarantee software product stability and reliability.
Load testing is the simplest form of performance testing and is carried out under a particular predicted load condition for understanding the behavior of the software or application. These cargoes are based on the real requirements of end customers who are expected to use the software.
The load test principle is to continually raise the software’s load until it reaches its threshold and then assesses its efficiency and behavior in connection with these load increases.

5. Localization and Internationalization Testing

Localization tests are intended to verify the quality of the local attributes that are targeted for a particular region/culture/Population so that a localized version functions correctly and is expected to fulfill the needs and expectations of a particular region.
Localization testing focuses on monitoring the adjustment and modification of the production environments in order to meet the specific users’ requirements of those who use the goods in that particular nation.

6. Performance Testing

A key testing methodology incorporating distinct testing methods to test the responsiveness to the actual world setting and requirements for stability, scalability, reliability, and other measurements of quality in a software product.
In the field of software testing, an assessment under the banner of performance testing is one of the main elements which ensures the effective operation of a product after its launch. Performance testing is a subset of efficiency engineering, commonly known as “Perf Testing.” It is a sort of test that ensures that software applications are performed properly and perfectly under the anticipated working load.
It determines velocity, efficiency, reliability, scalability, and other significant system characteristics and components. Furthermore, two or more apps are compared, and their system velocity, information transfer rate, bandwidth, and more are evaluated.

7. Maintainability Testing

It is a sort of non-functional test which is carried out to assess the capacity of the software or system to be modified without problems in order to satisfy the evolving requirements of the customer.
Maintenance tests are used to assess the software application’s ability to readily be upgraded or altered to satisfy increasing user needs and requirements.
The structure, complexity, and other features of the source code are discussed together with the software development process documentation portion.
It essentially includes the following operations. Dynamic testing includes test methods that focus on the identity of defects in order to avoid unexpected software or system failure.

8. Security Testing

Safety testing shall be used to check and validate the software’s safety characteristics, including identification and detection of safety failures or other associated vulnerabilities so that the information and data stored in or shared with the scheme are protected, authentic and confidential.
These apps have become compulsory because others may be victims of different vulnerabilities. Securitization is not compulsory. Real testing is necessary during the software development stage. The reason for the same centers around running a program or application in order to capture software bugs. The reason for this is that a program or application is running to catch software bugs. It is essential, as such attacks are highly critical and enable a hacker to capture server database data.

9. Volume Testing

The volume tests subject the software product to or burdened with enormous quantities of data in order to measure and evaluate the application response, behavior, and effectiveness. ‘ Volume Testing ‘ relates to the testing of software applications, which are subject to elevated information volumes.
The word was first discovered in the 1979 Arts of Software Testing by ‘ Glenford Meyers, ‘ which describes volume testing as ‘ Subjecting the program to a deep amount of information.
The objective of the volume testing is to demonstrate that the volume of data in its objectives can not be handled accurately.
Volume testing is part of a group of non-functional trials (volume, load, stress) to analyze system efficiency by raising the information volume. This volume may generally be the size of the database or the size of a volume-tested file interface.

10. Scalability Testing

Scalability testing is a form of performance testing which guarantees the software product or application’s flexibility to increase in proportion to growing requirements for end-users.
The primary aim of carrying out scalability tests is to assess the software’s adaptability ability to grow along with these demands and adapt to them to operate efficiently without any problem. Scalability is one of the software application’s non-functional characteristics.
Scalability testing can, therefore, be considered one form of non-functional testing method to guarantee the system’s scalable quality.

Important point: During the development of scalability trials, the increase of load in increments for subsequent phases in the test scheme should be preferred and suggested at an advanced level at a very fundamental level.

Requirements of Non-Functional Testing

Non-functional requirements are extremely crucial in determining how the system complies with restrictions and preconditions. Non functional requirements affect the whole process and the price and resource planning of software development and training.

Competition & Capacity chooses whether the product can manage various computations at once and the average and maximum amount of competitor customers.
Quality is the main factor contributing to non-functional demands. All are demanding this requirement and decide on the popularity of the final product.
Features for the utilization and management of the software application to offer users the greatest experience.
Safety from external and internal security threats to protect information & data- confidential or nonconfidential.
Scalability to satisfy the growing demands and demands of customers and the environment continuously.

Non Functional Testing Process

The non-functional testing method includes six significant phases in which the testing team plans and collaborates to evaluate the functional demands and readiness of a system. Now we are going to see the phases of Non-functional Testing:

Planning
Preparation
Setup
Record
Analysis & Improvement
Test Execution

1. Planning: The entire team is here to plan and prioritize the information and the testing specifications. The team also determines the test methods and methodologies and chooses the instruments required.

2. Preparation: The team works together to prepare the test case and test information according to functional requirements once their particular duties will be assigned. In order to control system failure & restoration, velocity, and more, the experiments are performed under different circumstances as well.

3. Setup: Following planning and preparing, a correct environment is established for the testing method. The team ensures that the test environment set-up is simple to configure and repeat, which allows the entire team to readily access the entire configurable files in a central repository.

4. Record: The team monitors and documents test outputs and response times, which are then compared to expectations. These documents are highly essential since they can be used as a summary of the entire process for future references.

5. Analysis & Improvement: Testers monitor the compatibility of the system with the non-functional demands, discover the system’s concealed enclosures and validate its configurable settings while making the required improvements on a regular basis.

6. Test Execution: Testing performance plays a significant role in creating software that delivers expected outcomes during these testing procedures. There is, therefore, a debate about the significance of testing here.

Conclusion

Test implementation is an incredibly critical factor in the software development process, from being a component of all tests to recognizing multiple defects, bugs, and problems within the scheme. The team of testers can produce a product that meets the demands of the customer and provides a certain service with the help of this method. So, in this article, we have seen What is Non functional Testing, Characteristics of Non functional Testing along with its types and requirements. Here we have also seen phases of the Non functional Testing. I hope you will find this article hopeful.

Quiz Result
Total Questions	Correct Answers	Wrong Answers	Percentage