Test early. Test often. A principle all companies should live by. And most of them do. But it seems a certain type of testing has been left out of this golden rule for remarkable projects.
Integration testing is such a common part of any SDLC that it has been demoted to a routine check. And it really shouldn’t have been. Allow us to tell you why.
The best way to explain integration testing in software engineering is to compare it to its cousins, so to speak.
First come unit tests.
They’re conducted to check how the fundamental aspects of software work. You take the smallest elements of a program (units) and execute them to ensure that the basics are functional.
Next are integration tests.
Integration testing verifies the interactions between components to ensure they work together. Basically, you gather up related units that comprise a module and determine whether they cooperate with each other.
Last but not least, system testing.
It evaluates the entire integrated software system to secure designed performance and fulfilled requirements.
So, imagine you’re making a bead bracelet. First, you examine each bead individually, say their shape or color. Then, you take a look at a couple of them combined to figure out whether you like the direction your creation is going. And once you’re almost finished, you inspect the entire bracelet to figure out if everything is in harmony.
And that’s what software integration testing is. It’s the middle step that makes sure your product’s parts are well connected before allowing them to work in unison as a whole. By running software system integration testing, you’re:
Let’s review a simple example to secure what we’ve covered so far.
Say you’re working on an e-commerce store.
Overall, you’re examining different levels of your product to guarantee a bug-free state and teamwork at any layer.
Now, it’s common for developers to run integration tests as part of their development process. Especially when it comes to DevOps, Agile, and continuous integration, devs are encouraged to run integration tests to:
But that doesn’t mean that QA specialists’ work is discarded.
There may be divergent opinions on the approach to the software integration testing cycle.
Well, as practice shows, teamwork and objectivity are the way to go.
When developers run basic integration tests, they advance their code, improve their skills, and eliminate basic issues. Then, QA engineers join in to check high-level operations, look for missed bugs, and use their perspective to polish the product.
Overall, it’s always better to let QA take care of integration testing. It’s their direct responsibility. They possess the expertise to do it right. And they introduce a fresh, less subjective view of the software to bring it to new heights.
It seems that integration testing in software testing is often taken for granted. It may be due to the Testing Pyramid (and its iterations), which established such tests as basics and not “something advanced”.
Or it may be because integration tests fall under functional testing services. You can’t do without them. They’re a staple. So, we don’t discuss them much.
But within QA services, there’s nothing insignificant. From unit to accessibility testing – everything directly (and heavily) impacts your product’s quality.
And so, by not making integration testing a “side dish”, you can:
On the other hand, if you decide against performing integration tests or don’t pay them due attention, you just might get yourself into a lot of trouble:
With these scary possibilities, you might want to go all in on integration testing. Yet, you don’t have to. You simply ought to allocate enough time and QA resources to cover critical, high-risk, and error-prone elements.
Don’t forget that unit and system testing will help you figure out tiny and more systemic issues. So, it’s better to portion your efforts between these three rather than go berserk on integrations alone.
Organize your work smartly. And you’ll have to do less of it.
Depending on your project, integration tests can be a lovely stroll or a downward spiral into chaos. Well, perhaps, it’s all not so gloomy. But integration testing can be quite complicated. Especially for certain niches.
Healthcare systems, for example, commonly require perfect integration. Such software handles unimaginable amounts of data, links with medical devices, and collaborates with intricate hardware. And since it deals with human lives, it indeed has to be utterly flawless.
So, you have to secure remarkable communication between:
Yet, it’s not just the quantity of integrations. Their quality is what matters most. And providing spotless performance for complex products is something only visionary integration testing services can achieve.
Alas, before deciding on how to do integration testing, examine what challenges may lie ahead (informed = armed).
We won’t lie. Software integration testing is far from being easy. But, based on our decade of experience as a QA company, any struggle here is worth it.
You wouldn’t want something like what HealthCare.gov went through to happen to you. At the site’s first launch, “Users experienced multi-hour wait times, menus filled with blanks, and [a glitch] which stopped a user from proceeding until they specified how long they had been incarcerated, even if they had never been to prison”.
So, don’t focus on the challenges of integration tests. Figure out how you can overcome them. And employing result-driven software testing services is a good starting point.
Alright, so if software integration testing is quite intricate, it must take a while? It can. In extreme cases, like legacy system integrations or highly customized solutions, completing the software integration testing cycle may take a few months.
Yet, something we’ve noticed while working with our clients is that product complexity doesn’t determine testing duration. Well, it does to a degree. But not as much as you’d expect.
There are many integration testing strategies in software testing. And the best approach is productive prioritization.
Here are a few examples of integration scenarios you should consider earlier.
For a more streamlined process, you could explore iterative approaches. Continuous integration and testing are aimed at speeding up SDLCs and reducing expenses. Plus, they’ll encourage closer dev-QA collaboration, enhancing product quality.
Another option for efficient integrations is automation. Well, it’s probably the first thing you thought about. And you’re right to do so.
Automated testing services can be a much-needed boost (or a necessity).
But, at the same time, keep in mind there’s something we like to call “automation dupe”. Since automation testing (AT) offers so many perks, you might want to apply it to as many aspects as possible. Yet, don’t forget that AT always comes with a few catches:
The point is – AT is always a good idea. But you need to figure out why you need it (precise strategy) and what for exactly (coverage). Also, strive to always supplement automation with manual testing services. Relying solely on automated integration testing may create a false sense of security.
So, automate smartly and use manual and exploratory tests to uncover hidden issues and ensure thorough validation. You can start small to see whether AT is the right choice for you. For example, begins with automating:
After that, it’ll be easier to determine if automation works for you. And you can create a backed-up roadmap for how you’d want to proceed.
No amount of fancy integration testing strategies in software testing can beat this one. We’ve found it to be the most capable for achieving our clients’ goals. Sure, you can tailor the details to your teams’ knowledge and product specifics. But take our word for it – this is the basis you can’t miss out on.
Before beginning integration testing, thoroughly understand your software’s:
You’ll be able to identify critical integration points and plan effective testing strategies.
Develop a detailed plan outlining the scope of integration testing, including:
Clearly define the objectives and expected outcomes of the testing process. It’ll help you stay organized and better manage your resources.
Identify relevant use cases that represent typical user interactions with the software. Make sure they cover various scenarios:
This approach lets you focus on the customer. And that’s something we encourage everyone to do. It’s the only way to superior UX.
Document any bugs or issues encountered during testing. And do it carefully. Always provide:
Comprehensive explanations make sure that QA specialists and developers understand what’s going on. So they’ll be able to deal with bugs faster.
After amendments, never skip on retesting the affected areas. This way, you verify that the fixes have been successfully implemented and that no new issues have been introduced.
Perform regression testing to guarantee that existing functionality hasn’t been affected by modifications or updates. Re-executing relevant integration tests helps keep the system up and running. You can also see how your QA strategy is working so far.
Integrate automated testing to improve efficiency and reliability. Here, it’s important to select AT tools and frameworks that cover your needs and suit present workflows. Plus, don’t forget to continuously update and expand the AT suite to handle new scenarios.
Now, it’s time for some expert insights. This list is based on our QA specialists’ feedback on how companies can refine their software integration testing. So, save it for later and revamp your integration tests.
And, of course, we can’t forget about integration testing tools. We’ve touched on the subject before. But here, let’s discuss how you can select proper “helpers” for your project.
Pick tools and software based on your product needs exclusively. You might feel tempted to go for options that are critically acclaimed, so to speak. But only you know what your project requires. You don’t want to spend money on resources that are “really good” but don’t cover your demands.
Don’t feel weird about combining a few tools. It’s hard to select an option that fits your testing purposes like a glove. You can mix and match various alternatives (even free ones).
Be sure not to overwhelm your team with legions of tools. Blending a few options is fine. But don’t approach this as “this one is for this”, “that one is for that”, “and the other one is for something else”.
Focus on software that developers and QA engineers don’t have to learn from scratch. You’ll spend more time on them figuring out how to use the tools rather than actually testing. Always go for tools familiar to your crews. Yet, if you can’t do without an unknown option, make sure to allocate adequate time and resources for training.
Now, here’re a few tools to get you started.
Tessy is a tool primarily used for automated unit and integration testing of embedded software written in C or C++. It supports:
And it’s overall ideal for teams working on embedded systems.
The Citrus Framework is an open-source Java-based integration testing framework. It’s designed for testing messaging and integration layers in enterprise applications. This tool supports various communication protocols and message formats, such as:
With Citrus, you can simulate messaging scenarios, send and receive messages, and validate message content and structure.
FitNesse is a collaboration and acceptance testing framework. And it’s open-source, too. You can create and execute acceptance tests using its wiki-based interface.
The software lets you write and run tests in a plain-text format, easily understandable by non-technical users. This way, it promotes collaboration between:
Also, FitNesse supports automated integration by facilitating acceptance test creation.
The IT space has seen many revolutions recently. New methodologies, principles, technology… It’s rather inspiring, actually. But it made companies focus on the new, shiny stuff, leaving out the fundamentals.
You should never forget about the backbone of productive testing – the seemingly basic tests you haven’t thought of in a while. After all, they are the core of your product. So, show integration testing some love. And work with capable QA providers who give them what they deserve.
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