TSM Strategy for Developing Software Applications
Test Data Management is the generation of non-productionally available, replica real-time data sets which reliably mirror an organization’s actual data so as to perform meaningful and valid software test cases. In reality, however, data is a highly processed and costly resource. It takes a significant amount of resources to collect and process real-time data. This has driven companies to use test automation and tools which facilitate the collection and processing of data in a cost-effective manner. However, these tools should be well-designed to avoid unnecessary inconveniences during system testing. A test data management tool is one such tool which aims to make the collection and processing of real-time data as easy and effective as possible.
The use of test data management tools entails proper implementation of the relevant policies and procedures by the testers. In the past, manual testing was considered more efficient and successful than automated or semi-automated testing. However, the demands for end-to-end functionalities have increased tremendously, requiring better automation and integration. Hence, the requirements of sensitive data have also become more demanding, with the integration of sensitive data being one of the most important requirements. It has become all the more important for companies dealing with sensitive data to ensure complete functionality and reliability of the application in order to meet their business goals.
Most of the organizations today have adopted test data management solutions which have eased their entire testing life. These solutions have made the process of software testing considerably faster and reduced a significant amount of stress on the teams. These solutions have also increased the productivity and operational efficiency of the teams. Most of the times, the test data management solutions have been applied along with the software release process. However, there are certain instances when they can be implemented at the time of software installation.
There are several types of test data management tools available in the market. The test data management tool is usually offered as a hosted solution by the software testing firms. The tools are supported by several software packages such as Oracle, C/C++, Java, MySQL, and PHP. All the tools are designed to handle different types of databases and are highly flexible.
Another type of test data management solution is application service provider or ASO. This application service has been quite popular in the software market, especially in India. Application service provider lets list down all the database queries and the associated results in a consolidated format. The application service lets the developers list down the queries and their corresponding results. The tool is also useful for integration testing of the web application development.
Another best practice for developing software applications is to adopt a formal test data management strategy. Companies should develop an overall test strategy that involves both manual and automated testing. A good software development strategy involves a proper integration of manual and automated testing methods. A TTM helps companies in developing software applications in a less time than it is usually possible. Many top quality software development services provider use an overall TTM strategy to develop software applications.
