Updated April 5, 2023
Introduction to System Testing
The term “system testing” refers to the process of putting a fully integrated software system to the test. In most cases, a computer system is built by combining software (any software is only a single element of a computer system). The software is created in modules, which are then combined with other software and hardware to form a complete computer system. To put it another way, a computer system consists of a collection of software that performs various functions; but, software alone cannot accomplish the work; it must be interfaced with appropriate hardware. System testing is a collection of several types of tests designed to exercise and assess the overall functionality of an integrated software computer system in comparison to its requirements. System testing is the process of checking the end-to-end flow of an application or software as a user. We travel (go through) all of an application’s necessary modules and check if the end features or end business function properly, as well as test the product as a whole system.
It’s called end-to-end testing since the testing environment is identical to the production environment.
There are Two Categories of Software Testing
- Black Box Testing
- White Box Testing
The category of software testing known as black-box testing includes system testing. Hence System Testing is Blackbox Testing.
system testing, acceptance testing, integration testing, and Unit testing are the four layers of software testing that are used for testing purposes. Unit testing is used to test a single piece of software; Integration testing is used to test a set of units of software; System testing is used to test an entire system, and Acceptance Testing is used to ensure that business requirements are acceptable.
Various Types of System Testing
There are over 50 different kinds of system testing. The types of system testing that a large software development company would normally use are described below.
1. Regression Testing
A regression test is carried as part of system testing to check and detect if there is a problem in the system as a result of a change made to another component of the system. It ensures that any modifications made throughout the development process did not introduce a new flaw, and that previous defects will not reappear as new software is added over time.
2. Load Testing
Load testing is done as part of system testing to see if the system can sustain real-time loads.
3. Functional Testing
A system’s functional testing is done to see if there are any missing functions in the system. The tester creates a list of critical functions that should be included in the system and that can be added during functional testing to improve the system’s quality.
4. Recovery Testing
Recovery testing of a system is done as part of system testing to confirm the system’s reliability, trustworthiness, and accountability, all of which are based on the system’s recouping abilities. It should be able to successfully recover from all possible system crashes.
During this testing, we will see how well the application rebounds from failures or disasters.
The steps in recovery testing are as follows:
- When software crashes, it should not simply disappear; instead, it should write a crash log message or an error log message indicating the cause of the crash. Consider the following scenario: QTP/Cresh.log is located in C:/Program Files/QTP/Cresh.log.
- Before it vanishes, it should terminate its own procedure. In Windows, for example, the Task Manager displays which processes are currently active.
- We’ll present the bug and have it crash the app, which means someone will show us how and when the app will crash. Or After a few months of hands-on experience with the product, we can predict how and when the app will crash.
- Reopen the application; it must be restarted with the same settings as before.
5. Migration Testing
Migration testing ensures that if the system needs to be modified on new infrastructure, it can be done without difficulty.
6. Usability Testing
The goal of this testing is to ensure that the system is well acquainted with the user and that it accomplishes its goal.
7. Hardware and Software Testing
The purpose of this system testing is to ensure that the hardware and software are compatible. To operate the software without problems, the hardware setup must be compatible with it. By allowing interactions between hardware and software, compatibility gives flexibility.
What Is the Importance of System Testing?
System testing ensures that a system’s performance is flawless because it covers the entire system’s functionality. It involves system software architecture and business requirements testing. Even after production, it assists in the mitigation of live issues and faults.
System testing involves feeding the same data into both an existing and a new system, then comparing the variations in the functionality of new and old functions so that the user can grasp the benefits of the system’s new features.
What Are the Different Types of System Testing That Should Be Used by Testers?
- Who the tester works for is a big determinant of the types of system testing he or she will perform. Large organisations employ methods that are distinct from those employed by medium and small businesses.
- Time available for testing: All 50 forms of testing could be employed in the end. We are frequently constrained by time to use only the kinds that are most important to the software project.
- Resources available to the tester: Some testers may, of course, lack the requisite resources to execute certain types of testing. If you work as a tester for a large software development firm, for example, you are likely to have access to costly automated testing tools that is not readily accessible.
- Education for Software Testers: Each sort of software testing has a distinct learning curve. A tester must learn how to utilise some of the software involved in order to use it.
- Budget for testing: Money is a consideration not only for small businesses and individual software engineers but also for major corporations.
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This is a guide to Types of System Testing. Here we also discuss the introduction and various types of system testing along with an explanation. You may also have a look at the following articles to learn more –
