Software Testing is a significant step during software development and engineering time. Ignoring this will lead to system failure, performance glitches, sustainability, and other consequences. We don’t have any clue if the system will fit in the environment or if it is workable to deliver the outcomes with the users’ requirements or not.
Primary Level of Software testing
The software testing model is a combination of 4 different levels to measure the bugs, complications, and system behavior. The system undergoes different phases to ensure high-level efficiency and functionality. We must ensure its reliability, durability, and performance during the consequences.
- Unit Testing
- Integration Testing
- System testing
- Acceptance Testing
Software Testing starts from the Unit testing phase, but it is the beginning. Unit Testing is limited to figuring out some initial difficulty level for each small block. This level is quite distressing as it allows to fix the bugs of module units in a shorter period. Furthermore, inspecting the bugs does not must specific tools or resources.
Integration testing is known as the second step of the software testing model. This phase is all about testing the dynamic behavior and how it well performs and functions in a group. Integration Testing aimed to determine the interface integration of grouped modules.
Every developer has unique abilities, logic, and approach to software design & development.
We can’t predict or say much about the client's expectation as it's over time; thus, the developer has to change to meet the system's feasibility. We can’t go back to that unit testing phase and have to adjust and check the compilation in the testing module. Integration testing will inspect and fix error trapping, data formatting, hardware interfaces, third-party interfaces, etc.
How is Integration Testing Advantageous to Software Engineering & Development?
Integration testing is the second most crucial level to ensure modules' performance and functioning. Most IT and software development companies hire Software tester professionals to assign the responsibilities.
They prepare a proper integration testing plan and approach to achieve the best outcomes. Define test scenarios, test scripts, and test cases for deploying selected modules. They practice on bugs and fix and keep track of the records for the later testing phases.
Here we are going to give a brief about its advantages.
- Upgrading the test coverage & reliability for the system modules after the integration.
- You can inspect the interface issues and fix them in an instant.
- You can check the functionality and interaction of modules with the API and third-party resources & tools.
- This level is about improving the complex system's efficiency level containing large volumes.
- Testers have the opportunity to test all modules together once received.
Concept of Stub & Drivers
While we are performing the Integration testing, some dummy programs are known as stubs & drivers under development. Dummy programs are essential if we want to test a module reliant on its functioning on a different module. If the other module is not ready, we can manage it with a dummy one.
Suppose you have created a project including a donation and login interface.
If the login page is ready, but the donation page is not prepared, we can take the help of a dummy program to test the functionality. Here donation page is ‘Stub or called program.’
Suppose the Donation page is ready but the linked page to get access is not available. In that case, developers take the help of a dummy program page to test functionalities at the moment with the expectation of a desirable outcome. In this scenario, the dummy program considers a ‘driver/calling program.
Different Types of Integration Testing
- Big Bang Integration Testing
- Incremental Integration Testing
- Top-Down Integration Testing
- Bottom-Up Integration Testing
- Sandwich Integration Testing
Big Bang Integration Testing
All the available modules were tested at the unit testing level. After that, they will be integrated as a group and process to the next level of Integration testing. Big Bang Integration testing comes in handy for small systems. Because it takes less time to develop all the required modules. It's not so comfortable and convenient for large systems as a few modules may still be under deployment.
As we are testing each module, that makes the process time-consuming and a little bit hectic. Moreover, this process can’t fix the critical issues and cannot find the root cause of any problematic event. Also, we can’t figure out the fault localization.
Incremental Integration Testing
We can proceed with compiling two or more modules in this process. By the time more modules are associated and tested to maintain the functionality and efficiency. The process continued till then all the modules completed the testing process.
Top Down Integration Testing
After completing the above incremental testing process, this process follows up. Software testers can save time by testing the available modules working on the extensive system and thinking that the bottom level of modules is still in the deployment phase. Top-down Integration Testing will be helpful for you. You can start testing with the existing modules and stubs to achieve the desirable results.
The drawbacks are that we have to deploy many stubs to fulfill the demands of lower-level modules that are not deployed yet. Also, we have to compromise on the adequate for lower-level modules.
Bottom Up Integration Testing
It's a sort of incremental or ascending order approach to test, find bugs, and make the fixes. If you think a higher-level critical module will need more time to deploy, then this bottom-up integration testing approach considers easing the circumstances. We can rely on drivers or dummy programs and follow up the testing cycle.
As we are not testing the modules with the original high-level modules, thus there are chances of bug occurrences and complexities.
Sandwich Integration Testing
This process contains the functionalities of top-down testing and bottom-up integration testing. It is also famous for Hybrid Integration testing. It is a faster testing method that manages the testing upwards and downwards. In other words, it can provide priority and test the higher-level and lower-level modules together. It is interesting to know that this process starts from the middle section.
Most large enterprises adopt this sandwich process and manage the testing parallel or in sequence.
Apart from this, it does not convenient for more minor projects because it's expensive.
Challenges involved in Integration Testing
Like another testing process, integration testing face challenging factors in the software development cycle.
Platform, database, and environmental condition makes the process quite challenging. Another thing that makes it complex is the legacy system or integration of a module needs a lot of expertise, effort, and patience. It is even more crucial if the two systems and modules are incompatible.
Testers practice with different paths and permutations to test the integrated modules and system components, making things complex for their developers and testers.
We hope this blog has enough information to make you understand the integration testing, and now you have more clarity about the topic.
