Software Testing - Volume Testing
The primary aim of the software testing is to detect bugs in the software and to confirm that it is working correctly as per the user requirements. The volume testing is conducted to verify the software functionality with a particular quantity of data. The proportion of data used for volume testing refers to the size of the database or the size of an interface file.
What is Software Volume Testing?
The software volume testing is verified with a particular size of the database. The software behavior is examined after the database size is extended beyond a limit. It is required in scenarios where the software is required to communicate with an interface file. It is also called the flood testing and is concept under the performance testing of the software.
To carry out the volume testing, a sample file with specific size is generated, and then the functionality of the software is verified using that file in order to evaluate its performance. A large chunk of data is used for volume testing. The main objective of the volume testing is to examine the robustness of the software after expanding its volume of data within the database. It helps to determine the response time, and characteristics of the software when the capacity of data shoots up in the database.
Characteristics of Software Volume Testing
The characteristics of the software volume testing are listed below −
- The software performance lowers down with time as the volume of data is surged up.
- The data in the software volume testing is produced from the test data generator.
- Very small portions of the data is verified at the time of development of the software.
- The test data used for the software volume testing should be logically proper.
- The test data used for the software volume testing is to be solely used for evaluating the software execution.
Objectives of Software Volume Testing
The objectives of the software volume testing are listed below −
- The software volume testing is done to identify the issues that may come up while it deals with a huge chunk of data.
- The software volume testing is conducted to verify the performance of the software by escalating the volume of data in the database.
- The software volume testing identifies the point at which the software stability is compromised.
- The software volume testing helps to detect the software capacity.
Attributes of the Software Volume Testing
The attributes of the software volume testing are listed below −
System Response Time
The software response time is verified at the time of the volume testing. It also determines if the software responds within a finite amount of time. In case the response time is found to be on a higher side, the software should be redesigned.
Data Loss
The software volume testing includes the verification of data loss. In case there is loss of data, then some of the critical items may not have been taken up properly at the time of the software development.
Data Storage
The software volume testing includes the verification on the storage of data. In case the data is not stored properly, it should be restored in the correct location.
Data Overwriting
The software volume testing includes the verification on the overwriting of data without correct messages to the developer.
Advantages of Software Volume Testing
The advantages of the software volume testing are listed below −
- The software volume testing helps to reduce the maintenance cost that is incurred after the software is moved to production.
- The software volume testing helps to come up with a plan to scale up the usage of the software.
- The software volume testing identifies defects at the early phases of the software development life cycle(SDLC).
- The software volume testing evaluates the characteristics of the software under the real life use cases.
Disadvantages of Software Volume Testing
The disadvantages of the software volume testing are listed below −
- The software volume testing can be conducted only with the help of skilled and experienced resources.
- The designing of the test cases with respect to the volume of data is difficult to achieve in the software volume testing.
- It requires time to determine the capacity of data sets and its relevant scenarios at the time of the software volume testing.
- The software volume testing is a costly technique to adopt.
- It is not easy to identify the memory breakdown while running the real life use cases.
Future Trends in Software Volume Testing
The future trends in the software volume testing are listed below −
- The software volume testing can be used to verify the microservices and the communications between them.
- The software volume testing has the potential to be used to determine the performance of the edge computing configurations.
- The software volume testing can be adopted at the early stages of the SDLC as a component of the Shift+Left approach.
- The software volume testing helps to determine the scalability of the Kubernetes.
- The software volume testing also helps to determine the scalability of the IOT systems.
Conclusion
This concludes our comprehensive take on the tutorial on Software Volume Testing. Weve started with describing what is software volume testing, what are the characteristics of the software volume testing, what are the objectives of the software volume testing, what are the attributes of the software volume testing, what are the advantages of software volume testing, what are the disadvantages of software volume testing, and what are the future trends in the software volume testing. This equips you with in-depth knowledge of Software Volume 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.