Software Testing - Failover Testing
Software undergoes multiple layers of testing to ensure it is able to provide all the necessary services. Even though it is subjected to exhaustive testing, there is no guarantee to the fact that there will not be any defect leakage in the production. Testing only ensures that there is a low probability of finding defects in the future. It is seen that the software normally fails under the circumstances of network or server issues. The failover testing is done so that the software can handle these types of errors.
Let us take an example of a scenario where the laptop disconnects suddenly due to insufficient battery, then once the laptop battery is charged again, all the applications which were previously running, will be restored automatically. This is called the failover testing.
What is Software Failover Testing?
The failover testing is conducted to verify if the software is able to handle additional resources, take care of the backup information and processes when software stops working suddenly. It is done to check the capacity of the software to operate under additional servers, and complicated errors. It is independent of the physical hardware of the server.
Let us take another example of three servers running simultaneously, one of them failed due to additional load. In this situation, either the failed server should be restarted off on its own or if it is unable to do so, the other two servers should be able to take care of the complete load. These types of scenarios are verified under the software failover testing.
Factors to be Considered Before the Software Failover Testing
The factors to be considered before the software failover testing are listed below −
- The budget needs to be taken into consideration before the software failover testing can be started.
- The budget should also consider the framework which would crash or damage at the time of the software failover testing.
- The time required to fix all the errors undergone by the failure should also be taken into consideration at the time of the software failover testing.
- Record the failures which are most likely to happen, and manage the results as per the amount of damage that will take place.
Factors to be Considered at the Time of the Software Failover Testing
The factors to be considered at the time of the software failover testing are listed below −
- There should be a ready plan available once the software failover testing should be performed.
- There should be proper focus on how to stick to the software failover testing plan.
Explain the Working of Software Failover Testing
Step 1 − Take into account the factors namely budget, time, technology, resource etc before performing the software failover testing.
Step 2 − Determine the potential error conditions that the software might have to undergo. Analyze the root cause of the failover, including the defects, hardware, and network issues etc.
Step 3 − Exhaustive test cases need to be created to reproduce the failover use cases containing both scheduled and unplanned failover conditions.
Step 4 − Execute the failover test plan over a controlled environment. Check how the software responds at the time of failure to satisfy the recovery point, and recovery time objectives.
Step 5 − Record all the findings, errors, and issues encountered during the software failover testing, duration of the failover, and how it impacts the end users.
Step 6 − Share the software failover testing report with the project stakeholders. Take actions on what needs to be done, and prioritize them based on the report.
Advantages of Software Failover Testing
The advantages of the software failover testing are listed below −
- The software failover testing helps to determine the loopholes, and vulnerabilities by simulating various failure situations.
- The software failover testing ensures the reliability of the software.
- The software failover testing helps to improve the customer experience.
- The failover testing ensures that the software adheres to the standards, and compliances so that it is able to recover within the specified interval.
- The failover testing confirms continuous improvements in the software.
Examples of Software Failover Testing
The examples of the software failover testing are listed below −
- Visa Applications
- Telecom Applications
- Trading Applications
- Government Applications
- Banking and Financial Applications
- Emergency business Applications
- Defense related Applications
Conclusion
This concludes our comprehensive take on the tutorial on Software Failover Testing. Weve started with describing what is software failover testing, what are factors to be considered before the software failover testing, what are factors to be considered at the time of the software failover testing, explain the working of the software failover testing, what are the advantages of software failover testing, and what are the examples of software failover testing. This equips you with in-depth knowledge of Software Failover Testing. It is wise to keep practicing what youve learned and exploring others relevant to Software Testing to deepen your understanding and expand your horizons.