System integration testing, a 6 step survival guide

So you’ve gotten through your planning, design, development and application testing. Everything looks good, the team feels confident, and the project is on track. There’s only one problem. Up until this point you’ve been looking at your code changes with tunnel vision. Application testing is like fixing a bike tire while it’s not connected to the bike. The real testing begins when the wheel gets reconnected to the bike. Once reconnected, then you’ll see the how the fixed tire works with all other parts of the bike.

I’ve been through many large software projects, both as a project manager and as a tester. Often the most difficult part of completing a software project is end to end system integration testing. This is particularly true if you’re not using an Agile model.

System integration testing is where the rubber meets the road. If you work for companies like Facebook, Spotify, or Twitter you are lucky. These companies use modern Agile software delivery methods that make integration testing less painful. Automation, DevOps, and continuous delivery is the way of the future.

Unfortunately most companies still build software the old fashion way. They create one huge pile of software then throw it over the fence to QA nearing project end. This leaves integration testing only a matter of weeks to complete and meet a tight deadline.

If you don’t do a great job planning for integration testing, you’ll be in for real trouble. If you do a great job planning, you’ll still most likely be in for some pain.

Here are 6 steps to help you survive system integration testing so you can be successful.

1. Plan enough contingency time – This might be the most important point. Give the team enough time to do the test effort. If you know it takes 1-2 weeks just to get your environment and data working right, plan for that time. In system integration testing, many roadblocks occur. Data, configuration and environment issues can  block testing. Plan for the unexpected.
2. Create test scenarios with the help of system experts – Once you know all the affected systems, find out who the technical experts are for each system. Then schedule white board meetings to draw out end to end flow test scenarios. The system experts will be invaluable helping you to write end to end scenarios.
3. Get all your data setup in advance – There’s nothing more frustrating than finding out none of your data works on day 1 of testing. Setup your data in advance and check to see its setup right before you do your testing.
4. Run connectivity tests – For large projects, take at least 1 week to test environment connections before the start of your SIT. Often companies use shared testing environments and configurations are always being changed. Make sure all your configurations and connections are setup. If you don’t do this, you’ll think you’re running into defects only to discover an application is pointing to the wrong environment.
5. Use a war room – All throughout system integration testing you should have a room where all key resources sit together, all day. The key players usually consist of developers, testers, a PM, and system and environment experts. As soon as a test runs into an issue, a developer should be there to look into it immediately.
6. Have a test lead manage the effort – Last but not least is having a good test lead. In my opinion, test leads have one of the most difficult jobs when it comes to managing integration testing. The job requires both testing expertise, project management skills, and tremendous grit. Often test leads have a lot of pressure put on them to meet deadlines. A good test lead will rise to the challenge.

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