Course

This course concentrates on the most common non-functional testing areas. In traditional testing these areas are often ignored, yet the non-functional attributes of a product are often those that critically affect its success. We will provide an understanding of the breadth of non-functional attributes that should be considered, and an outline of the risks for different stakeholders.

Audience

The course is suitable for testers, test team leaders, developers, requirements and design analysts, project managers, IT infrastructure staff and IT customers/users who need an opportunity to discuss the implications of the material in the web-based course in more detail, and to develop a greater understanding of testing the non-functional attributes of software.

Syllabus – Key points

Introduction to Non-functional testing:

• the five main areas;
• setting acceptance criteria;
• operational profiles;
• risks; and
• exercises.

Performance testing:

• what it is and why it is different;
• benefits and risks;
• introduction to main performance areas (e.g. load, stress, volume, soak, scalability capacity, spike, response times, bandwidth, concurrency);
• awareness of performance testing techniques; and.
• exercise.

Supportability testing:

• installability;
• configuration;
• interoperability;
• compatibility;
• portability;
• conversion;
• introduction to the attributes and some techniques; and
• exercise. Security testing:
• what it is and why it is different;
• CIA and the A Team;
• introduction to ISO17799 and Information Security Management;
• common vulnerabilities;
• techniques; and
• exercise.

Usability testing:

• what it is and why it is different;
• static and dynamic usability techniques; and
• exercise;

Dependability testing:

• reliability;
• recoverability;
• availability;
• maintainability;
• introduction to the attributes and some techniques; and
• exercise.

Course Overview

This tutor-led course provides coverage of the five main non-functional attributes of software, and by the use of discussion and exercises begins to introduce some typical techniques used in these areas for understanding and setting acceptance criteria and designing tests.

Course Objectives

• To concentrate on the most common non-functional testing areas which critically affect the success of software;
• to provide an understanding of the breadth of non-functional attributes that should be considered and an outline of the risks for different stakeholders;
• to provide a greater understanding of the formal testing of the 5 critical non-functional areas;
• to introduce some non-functional test techniques;
• to raise awareness of the differing skill sets required; and
• to provide a basis of knowledge to enable effective communication on this topic.

Information:  

About Non Functional Testing

This course aims to teach students about the practical elements of non-functional testing, rather than how to pass an exam. Students sitting this course who also want a recognised qualification may care to consider taking the ISTQB Advanced Technical Test Analyst course and exam from TSG.

The Non-Functional Testing course is also available as a private inhouse course.

Pre Requisites

This course is aimed at anyone involved in non-functional software testing (That is, ‘how the system does it’, not what it does). This includes people such as testers, test analysts, test engineers, test consultants, test managers, user acceptance testers and software developers.

This course is also appropriate for anyone who wants a basic understanding of non functional software testing, such as project managers, quality managers, software development managers, business analysts, IT directors and management consultants.