Data Integrity Testing
Software is developed and tested by following the different phases of the software development lifecycle (SDLC). There are numerous testing types which are performed with the help of various parameters and test cases. While conducting any form of testing, the test data plays an important role. Thus through this process, the data is made useful. The data integrity testing is performed to validate the integrity of the data being used in the software. The data integrity points to the reliability, and dependability of data throughout its entire journey inside the database.
What is Software Data Integrity Testing?
The software data integration testing is a procedure in which the data is tested in the database to ensure that it is correct and is working as per the requirements. It also verifies if the data is not updated, or corrupted while working with the database.
This type of testing is conducted on a regular basis to keep the reserved data unmodified and to find new defects that may change the files available in the database.
Characteristics of Software Data Integrity Testing
The characteristics of the software data integrity testing are listed below −
- The software data integrity testing is done to verify if the data is compatible with the previous versions of the operating system.
- The software data integrity testing is conducted to validate whether the data in the database has been modified.
- The software data integrity testing evaluates every data and checks if it is stored properly in the database.
- The software data integrity testing includes executing test cases on every data file namely clip art, templates, images etc.
- The software data integrity testing verifies the blank and default values and checks if they can be obtained from the database or not.
Why is Database Testing Done?
The database testing is done for the reasons listed below −
- The database testing is done to ensure that all the changes which are done from the front end are synced with the back end, and vice versa. For example, a new user who has registered in an application, should be reflected in the back end database, and if he is deleted from the back end, then the same user should not be able to access the same application without going through the registration process again.
- The database testing is conducted to validate the ACID property of the database.
- As more large chunks of data are stored in the database, its complexity increases which bring relational constraints.
- The database testing is performed to ensure that the updates that happen after the CRUD operations should continue to work properly whenever the data is saved in any form.
Test Software Data Integrity
The software data integrity can be tested by following the steps listed below −
Step 1 − Verify if we are able to append, modify, and delete data from the tables in the database.
Step 2 − Verify if blank or default data can be obtained from the database.
Step 3 − Verify if data is stored correctly in the database and there is no truncation of value.
Step 4 − Verify the compatibility of the various versions of the operating system, hardware and software with the database.
Step 5 − Verify if the default values are correctly set whenever input is not provided for a particular field in the database.
Different Types of Software Data Integrity
The different types of the software data integrity are listed below −
Entity Integrity − It evaluates if every row in the table has a non-null primary key. This test can be performed by using duplicate or null values in the test data sets.
Domain Integrity − It evaluates every data set. Columns in the table should have a particular permissible range. This test can be performed by using null, invalid or default values in the test data sets.
Referential Integrity − It evaluates the relationship between foreign key and primary key involving different tables. This test can be performed by removing the parent or child rows from a table.
Verification of Source and Target Data Requirements & Schema
The schema and requirement level test cases verify which range of data modules are aligned with the business requirements. This process is used to validate the data models of the already implemented schemas and to verify the technical requirements for all the source data including its mapping. The database schemas contain the data sourcing. Data marts and staging are used to evaluate the quality of the schemas.
ETC Source & Data Integrity Tests
It is primarily responsible for checking the integrity of the foreign and primary keys. It verifies if the data has been transformed properly. It also validates every valid and invalid criteria before proceeding to the source and target data. Thus correct ETC architecture obtains data from the source, evaluates, ensures, and directs the data in a format that helps the developers to build a software.
BI Reporting Verification
It gives an interface which allows the communication between the end users and the back end. Information namely what context utilizes which information map, and where the interactions take place are needed to develop the test cases. In case, any step has been described in a report, then it should be verified.
Conclusion
This concludes our comprehensive take on the tutorial on Software Data Integrity Testing. Weve started with describing what is software data integrity testing, what are the characteristics of the software data integrity testing, why is the database testing done, how to test the software data integrity, what are the different types of the software data integrity, verification of source and target data requirements & schema, ETC source & data integrity tests, and BI reporting verification. This equips you with in-depth knowledge of Software Data Integrity 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.