Test Data management encompasses synthetic data, data sub-setting, and data masking. It is generated to address needs, which cannot be fulfilled by the original data. If the application is tested against generic data, it will create post-deployment performance and security issues.
In test data management, a test environment is created, which replicates the end user environment. The next step is setting up the test data. The test data refers to any input sent to the software code. It is fabricated such that it can offer end-to-end test coverage and evaluate robustness and efficiency of the software code.
Test Data Management Benefits
Superior Quality
- Optimal data coverage is achieved by TDM teams through intelligent tools and techniques based on data analysis strategies.
- Test data requirements from the TDM team enable the testing team to capture these effectively during the test planning phase. Version-controlled data requirement and test data ensure complete traceability ad easier replication of results.
Minimum Time
- The TDM Service employs a dedicated data provisioning team with agreed service-level agreements (SLAs) ensuring prompt data delivery.
- Compact test design and execution cycles can be achieved for reduced time to market.
Reduced cost
- Condensed test design and data preparation effort helps achieve cost savings.
- Minimized test data storage space leads to reduction of overall infrastructure cost.
Less Resources
- Database or file access provided to the TDM team facilitates data privacy and reuse.
- Professionals with specialized skills, sharp focus on Test Data and access to industry standard tools contribute of the success TDM.
Test Data Governance
Managing Test Data Lifecycle
Test Triangle follows several strategies to ensure comprehensive testing coverage:
- Data Analysis: In software testing, synthetic test data is constructed so that it can cover all the test scenarios. In this stage, a thorough analysis has to be conducted to ensure effective test data management.
- Resemblance to Production Environment: In this stage, synthetic data is generated so that it becomes a mirror image of the end or production environment is evaluated.
- Cleaning-up Test data: In this stage, a proper strategy is formed to clean up the test data. After the test release cycle, the test data might be needed to alter or delete for which a clear strategy should be formulated.
- Protection of sensitive data: Several times, testing application requires large amount of sensitive data. However, while dealing with sensitive data, privacy and data security should be taken into consideration.
At Test Triangle, the test environment is of prime importance. If there is an unreliable and unplanned test environment, the test engineers will face lots of challenges. Therefore, we have formed a dedicated test environment management system for smooth product release cycle.