Why Use Software Reliability Testing In The Sdlc?

By Author: Oliver Moore
Total Articles: 52
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When the entire global digital landscape is underpinned on the reliability or performance of software, the role of software reliability testing becomes critical. In the metrics of gauging performance, reliability is often pegged above efficiency owing to the following reasons:

• The lack of product reliability can be telling on the brand value of a company. This may lead the end-users to shy away from buying the software, thus impacting sales.
• For critical systems like navigation control in an aircraft or an embedded software in a medical device, any system failure can have serious consequences.
• An inefficient system can be improved by working on small sections of the program suite. However, an unreliable system can be difficult to improve as the glitches leading to such unreliability are not localized but distributed throughout the suite.
• Inefficient systems can lead to delays and have their own sets of issues. However, the consequences of unreliable systems can be more telling on their immediate surroundings or the people handling them.
• Inefficient programs can take a long time ...
... to execute. This may help programmers or users to find out the issues and remedy them. However, unreliable systems may not sound any alarm until it is too late. For example, a design flaw in an aircraft may not be visible during testing but can manifest itself in the form of a crash.
• Executing each function fully at least once.
• Reducing the interaction between functions.
• Checking the new functionality for its quality and accuracy.
• Identifying bugs that could get into the system after the new addition or modification.

Since reliability is a critical factor when it comes to the execution of software, software reliability testing needs to be pursued in right earnest. However, let us first understand what software quality testing in terms of validating reliability is all about.

What is software reliability testing?

Reliability testing as a part of software quality assurance services ensures consistent performance and functioning of the software. This means the software should render fault-free performance in a given environment and time period. Importantly, the end-users tend to believe in the outcome of any software. They mostly have blind faith in the performance of software, which may lead to unforeseen consequences. For example, a glitch-prone banking software can be hacked into by cybercriminals with disastrous results. However, users do not brook such a possibility while using the software. Thus, software quality testing becomes the key to ensuring their trust.

How to make your software failure-free courtesy software testing services?

The reliability of software can be assured by executing a number of tests as detailed below:

• Feature testing: This type of software testing services checks the features and functionality of the software. It tests if the application runs according to the expected outcomes. Also, it checks the interoperability of the software with other components and environments. The test comprises the following activities -
• Regression testing: This type of testing is done when a new version of the software is added to the build. This validates the new version to be free of any glitches. The activities associated with this type of testing are as follows.
• Load testing: This type of testing checks whether a particular functionality works to its optimum when subjected to the highest workload. The test ensures the software responds within a minimum time, say 5 seconds, to the user commands. If this test is not conducted, then the system can crash abruptly or suffer from latency. This can lead to frustrating user experiences and creating a negative impression of the brand.
• Security testing: Given that a large number of software is dealing with sensitive personal and business information, security testing has become integral to reliability testing. It relates to identifying the vulnerabilities and preventing any unauthorized access. Also, the testing checks if the software complies with the industry accepted rules, standards, etc. This is more apparent with software that deals with banking and financial transactions.

Conclusion

The reliability of software is arguably the most important facet of any software application. Also, it is relatively costly than other forms of testing thus necessitating proper test management. As the complexity of software increases with each passing day, software quality engineering can play a key role in driving reliability. Reliability testing can go a long way in ensuring better user experiences and maintain the competitive edge of businesses.