Conference Presentations

An Introduction to Web Load Testing

This session walks participants through the process of Web load testing. Jim Hyatt takes this opportunity to cover everything from what testing tools are available to how to plan for load testing. Get a basic understanding of what Web load testing is and how to do it correctly.

Jim Hyatt, Spherion
Three Seasons of Test Automation: A Case Study

This presentation makes the following recommendations related to automating testing: don't automate all of an application (seventy to eight percent); don't automate all applications (stable, long term); don't take a 3G approach for short term gain; if shelf life and maintenance costs are important, a 3G approach is best; insure proper roles are filled and people trained; have requirements before you start; have good access to data and test oracles; spend time in design to set the right level of granularity for the test cases and action words.

Russell Roundtree, Landmark Graphics and Mike Sowers, Software Development Technologies
STARWEST 2001: Exploratory Testing in Pairs

Exploratory testing involves simultaneous activities-learning about the program and the risks associated with it, planning and conducting tests, troubleshooting, and reporting results. This highly skilled work depends on the ability of the tester to stay focused and alert. Based on a successful pilot study, Cem Kaner and James Bach discuss why two testers can be more effective working together than apart. Explore the advantages of testing in pairs, including ongoing dialogue to keep both testers alert and focused, faster and more effective troubleshooting, and an excellent opportunity for a seasoned tester to train a novice.

James Bach, Satisfice, Inc. and Cem Kaner, Florida Institute of Technology
Establishing Best Testing Practices in Your Organization

The path to best testing practices begins with communication. By building relationships with a product's key players-developers, analysts, and end users-your test team can achieve a higher level of both quality and customer satisfaction. Discover the link between effective communication and implementing critical step-by-step test processes such as test conditions, test case design, test data construction, and reporting.

Michelle Lynn Baldwin, Booz, Allen & Hamilton
Testing for Software Security

Software can be correct without being secure. Therefore we must be vigilant in assessing the security implications of software behavior instead of being focused on the search for specification violations. If we want to include security problems in our testing periscope, we must consider the malicious use of functionality that might be possible outside normal use of the product. The goal of this presentation is to challenge current techniques by making the testing process more attuned to, and aggressive toward, security holes.

Herbert Thompson and James Whittaker, Florida Institute of Technology
Accessibility Testing for Users with Disabilities

Testers have taken a lead role in providing disabled persons access to computer resources. On behalf of the nearly twenty percent of Americans with disabilities, companies are now improving the accessibility of their Web sites, hardware, and software products. This presentation describes the regulatory framework for accessibility issues and suggests approaches for testing a range of accessibility aids including screen readers, voice recognition software, refreshable Braille terminals, and alternative point-and-click devices.

James Speer, VeriTest
Ready to Automate?

Is your organization ready to benefit from automation? The decision to automate your test process can sometimes raise more questions than you expect. What tools do I need? Who should I hire? Do I need to outsource? This presentation will help you determine how your organization can make the best use of test automation. Learn Key steps to ensure your automation efforts get off on the right foot.

Bret Pettichord, Pettichord Consulting LLC
Test Progress Reporting Using Functional Readiness

Are you looking for a way to effectively set the expectations of senior management? The Functional Readiness Matrix (FRM) is a decision-making tool that offers a simple way to represent test progress based on the functional areas or features of an application. By enabling the test team to track actual test progress against the implementation goals established early on, the FRM allows for the presentation of valid test metrics to management in a way they can understand.

Robyn Brilliant, Fannie Mae
Space Shuttle GPCF: A Retrospective Look

This paper is based on a recent experience implementing and testing a large new software capability in a maintenance organization which had not dealt with a large change in some time. The capability was called GPC Payload Command Filter (GPCF). While the task was completed successfully, it was not without cost in terms of schedule slips and personal angst. The purpose of this paper will be to help the verifier learn from what was done right and what was done wrong, hopefully to avoid the pitfalls and emulate the successes. Specifically, the objective is as follows:
To provide guidance on how to successfully test a large new software capability using verification processes which have specialized over time to provide extremely effective results
for relatively small changes.

Alan Ogletree, United Space Alliance
Delusions of Grandeur: Is Your Web Site Really Scalable?

This presentation relates a software test lab's real-world experiences performing load testing for scalability on three Web sites. Besides methodology, it also covers the tools employed, client expectations before launch, and how the findings from the testing were applied to help clients correctly scale their sites. Learn why this type of testing is the most effective way to validate design and hardware architecture, plus identify potholes before they end up on the information superhighway.

Jim Hazen, SysTest Labs, LLC

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