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Wednesday Concurrent
Sessions
Topical Tracks–Real World Experiences.
The STARWEST conference
program is
designed to serve the needs of software
testing and quality engineering managers and
professionals. At STAR, you’ll learn about the
latest strategies, ideas, and techniques being
used by leading software organizations. STAR’s
unique, real-world approach provides you with
the knowledge and practical skills you need to
ultimately build and deliver
better software.
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Indicates
an advanced presentation appropriate for experienced testers |
W1 Test Techniques
Testing Database Integrity
Ross Collard, Collard &
Company
The saying, "Data is a
corporate asset," has become a cliché, but most organizations are still
vitally dependent on data quality. This presentation addresses how to validate
data integrity and check the robustness and controls of databases.
Using case studies in database testing, learn how to develop test plans and
build test cases for a typical database application.
• How to verify database
integrity and confirm accurate, up-to-date information
• How to test databases,
data warehouses, and data-rich applications
• How to measure database
performance and validate data conversions
W2 Automated Testing
Automation—The Good, Bad,
and Ugly
Clive Bates, OCS Consulting
This presentation gives you
a logical process for selecting and implementing a software
test automation tool. Gain a better understanding of the benefits and
limitations of test tools while learning about the misconceptions and how to
avoid the pitfalls. Using real-life experiences with a London bank, a cable
TV company, and a bookmaking operation, Clive Bates clarifies the
myths about tool usage and implementation. Learn how to select the best test
automation tool for your organization.
• Types of test tools
available and their uses
• A logical process for
test tool selection and implementation
• Key factors for success
W3
Test Management
Quality Cycles for Rapid
Development
John Lisle,
VenturCom, Inc.
Organizations are
attempting to develop new applications at "Internet speed"
which can often result in
major business and capitalization losses. This presentation describes a
technique being used for incorporating structured and exploratory testing
approaches into a software development process that can be effectively used for
rapid software development. The technique is then described as a general
methodology called Quality Cycles. Learn how to integrate this methodology
with a systematic testing methodology to improve your testing effectiveness
while operating at "Internet speed."
• The concept of
"Quality Cycles"
• How to apply risk-based
priorities to stay on schedule
• Critical success
factors required to apply this technique
W4
Web/eBusiness Testing
Analyzing Web Application
Errors
Hung Nguyen, LogiGear
Corporation
This presentation focuses
on the characteristics of Web application errors to derive key issues to
consider in analyzing and reproducing errors. Learn how to isolate application
errors from configuration and technical support issues. Explore effective
techniques to make errors reproducible. Examples of common and uncommon Web
application error types are provided.
• Key issues to consider
in analyzing errors
•
Techniques in reproducing errors
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Real-life examples of common and uncommon Web application error types
W5
Large Systems
Enterprise
Testing Under a Microscope
Diane
Wilkerson, AT&T
Executing
end-to-end (ETE) type testing where the systems are all developed
within a single organization is a difficult task. Executing this type
of test with over 40 systems
and several internal and external vendors would
seem impossible. Learn how AT&T successfully implemented such a
test process under extreme
conditions. Discover the benefits—and pitfalls—of testing large-scale
programs.
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How to test using virtual teams and lab environments
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Importance of project management skills and vendor management
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Benefits and pitfalls of testing large-scale programs
W6
Test Techniques
Model-Based
Testing for Data Centric Products
Margaret
Worel, A Renaissance Woman
How
do you test data centric products such as search engines or content-rich
sites? The typical approach is
to throw people at it—but what if you throw
machines at it instead? The trick to getting machines to test this correctly
is to cheat by using model-based testing. Once the problem is explained
to the machine, the machine can then generate the tests, documents,
and results—and test around-the-clock! Learn why machines should
test and people should think.
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How to apply model-based testing to data centric products
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How to create interesting documents and model their attributes
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How to teach the test machine to ask interesting questions—and how
to tell if the right answers
are returned
W7
Automated Testing
Automated
Testing of a Financial Application
Bill
Pearce, Corbel
Based
on a case study, Bill Pearce presents a data-driven approach to developing
automated tests for a transaction-based application. Explore the
significant advantages to this approach, including reduced start-up
costs of automating tests.
Learn how this model will shield business-oriented testers
from tool technicalities while allowing testers to create and
run their own automated test scenarios and view their own test results.
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Overview of a practical automation model
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Automation goals
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Advantages of a data-driven model
| Double-Track
Session! Runs from 2:15 PM to 4:00 PM |
W8
Test Management
Successful
Test Management: 8 Lessons Learned
Johanna
Rothman, Rothman Consulting Group, Inc.
Many
engineering managers came to management through the technical ranks.
Although they may have had plenty of engineering training and
mentoring, they
frequently have to learn management skills the hard way: through
trial and error. In this double-track presentation, Johanna Rothman
describes some
engineering management tips and tricks learned through trial and
error. Gain insight into how people respond to different management
styles and
missions. Learn what to observe in your staff’s work—and your
own.
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Engineering management tips and tricks
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Ideas for creating an effective work environment
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Ideas for rewarding and retaining staff |
W9
Web/eBusiness Testing
eTesting
the Airline
Colin
Cherry, Planpower
Colin
Cherry provides insight into the challenges and struggles faced by the
Ansett Airlines’ testing team during the recent relaunch of its Web
site. Learn how this test team
was built and ready to support a completely revamped
and live Web site within only six weeks. Explore the mistakes that
were made along the way and how the team improved its capability during
each subsequent upgrade of the Web site.
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Initial considerations in developing a competence in Web-based testing
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Challenges of managing testing in "Web Time"
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What differs—and what remains the same—in managing, planning, preparing,
and executing Web testing
W10
Large Systems
Managing
User Acceptance Testing in Large Projects
Julie
S. Tar water, T. Rowe Price Associates
Managing
user acceptance testing poses many challenges, especially in large-scale
projects. Julie Tar water explores the issues of planning, coordinating,
and executing effective user testing with a large number of end
users. Learn strategies for ensuring user acceptance while exploring
the pros and cons of each.
Discover ways to prioritize issues that arise from
user testing.
•
How to devise an overall user acceptance testing strategy
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Infrastructure needed for effective coordination and tracking
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Methods for effective communication
W11
Test Techniques
Does
Test Length Matter?
Shmuel
Ur, IBM Research
According
to popular testing folklore, long tests are more likely to find bugs
than short ones. Based on a series of experiments using formal traversal
tools, Shmuel Ur demonstrates that long tests do indeed achieve better
coverage and are lower in costs than test suites built of short tests.
Explore the trade-offs between
short and long tests while learning the effective
strategies of converting test requirements to test plans.
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How to measure, or compare, test suites
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How to guide test generation engines
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How to use code coverage to compare test suites
W12
Automated Testing
Test
Automation of Large System Testing
Al
Lowenstein, SIAC
The
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) traded over $10 trillion last year. Three
years ago, NYSE established an initiative to improve the productivity
and quality of software
validation efforts. Learn the key architecture and infrastructure
elements of that initiative, including the:
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Suite of tools needed to test and control 20 major software systems
written in various computer
languages, operating on heterogeneous hardware
platforms and operating systems, and constantly being upgraded
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Development, operation, and maintenance of robust, reusable,
business-oriented Regression
Scripts
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Process of institutionalizing the initiative
W13
Web/eBusiness Testing
Modeling
the Real World for Load Testing
Steve
Splaine, Steve Splaine & Associates
Requesting
your Web site’s home page 100 times per minute is not going to
give you a very accurate idea of how your Web site is actually going to
perform in the real world.
Explore the variables that you need to consider when
designing a Web load or stress test, including user activities, graphics,
security, user access speeds, and geographic locations.
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Concurrent users—why do they make a difference?
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Can you/should you play with "Think Times?"
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The effect of cookies, SSL, and client-side connections on load generators
W14
Large Systems
Overcoming
Communication Hurdles for Large Testing
Marcia
Miller, Levi Strauss & Co.
Learn
of the challenges one company faced in testing a new distribution center
involving six new systems with multiple integration points. Consisting
of over 100 systems and business personnel, the various test teams
were located in eight different physical locations throughout the United
States. Discover the communication issues and problems encountered
by the test teams during this project, and examine the tools and
techniques involved to keep everyone informed.
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A format for clearly documenting interfaces between two systems
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A format for sharing a schedule of daily testing activities
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How to incorporate numerous changes and fixes back into the testing
environment
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