Installation testing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Implementation Testing or sometimes called Installation testing is typically completed by the software testing engineer in conjunction with the configuration manager. Implementation Testing is usually defined as testing which takes place using the compile version of code into the Testing environment or pre-production environment which may or may not make it into Production. This generally takes place outside of the development environment to limit code corruption from other future releases which may reside on the development environment.
While the ideal installation might simply appear to be to run an install program sometimes called package software. This package software typically uses a setup program which acts as a multi configuration wrapper, which may allow the software to be installed on a variety of machine and/or operating environments. Every possible configuration should require extensive testing before it can be used with confidence.
In distributed systems, particularly where software is to be released into an already live target environment (such as an operational web site) installation (or Software deployment as it is sometimes called) can involve database schema changes as well as the installation of new software. Deployment plans in such circumstances may include back-out procedures whose use is intended to roll the target environment back in the event that the deployment is unsuccessful. Ideally, the deployment plan itself should be tested in an environment that is a replica of the live environment. A factor that can increase the organizational requirements of such an exercise is the need to synchronize the data in the test deployment environment with that in the live environment with minimum disruption to live operation. This type of implementation may include testing of the processes which take place during the installation or upgrade of a multi tear application. This type of testing is commonly compared to a dress rehearsal or may even be called a “dry run”.
Implementation Testing is testing of a full, partial or upgrades install/uninstall processes.
