Integration Testing

Fronde Integration testing requires a unique skill set above and beyond what is required for conventional system testing.

From one point of view, integration testing requires in depth technical knowledge of the issues that can arise when individual components communicate with one another to implement functionality. This includes testing the following:

  • How resilient are the interfaces between the various components?
  • What issues arise when a component fails, and are messages lost as a result?
  • Can the various components deal with concurrent transactions?
  • What is the maximum throughput that the solution can perform, and where are the bottlenecks?
  • Are data transformations performed correctly without the loss of relevant information?
  • Do high-availability aspects of the solution function as expected?
  • Where are the single points of failure in the solution, and what can be done to mitigate them?
  • Do the interfaces exposed by components adhere to the specifications?
  • And, most importantly, do the various components work together to form the functional whole expected?

Integration testing also involves managing multiple, often geographically diverse, teams of people. Integration testing by definition is about bridging the divides between components in an architecture, and these components are often designed and delivered independently. Our integration testing approach takes into account these communication challenges when designing, delivering and implementing integration test strategies. This includes:

  • Ensuring the design and build schedules of the various component teams align
  • Ensuring each team understands the requirements their components are responsible for implementing
  • Managing the deployment of components into test and production environments
  • Ensuring defects are assigned to the appropriate teams, and that where disputes of ownership arrive, that these are dealt with promptly
  • Managing the release of defect fixes into the various environments
  • Reporting the status of the various components to the project management team
  • Flagging risks and issues to the project management team and providing mitigation strategies

For more information on our integration testing approach, or to meet one of our test managers, please Contact Us here.