What is Quality Assurance life cycle?

I am bit confusion about this. Anyone can answer please.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by S Sarita on October 17, 2008 at 12:26pm

hi Lisa,

The QA life cycle starts from project initiation to project windup if its a development project otherwise QA life cycle
for maintenance will have to take care of every change requests.
For the new change same procedure like estimation,resource,efforts etc are to be taken care of.
the phases of life cycle of Software as per QA activities are:

1. project Initiation -It includes following:
-Statement of work(SOW)or contract
-Kick-off Minutes of meeting
-Project initiation note
-Resource tracking sheet
-Estimation

2. Project Planning
-Project Management Plan
-MPP (project plan )
-Risk logs and Issue logs

3. Project Monitoring and control
-Check for Requirement Traceability matrix preparation and updations
-Reviews of the following-
Requirement documents (SRS)
Design documents
Testplan,test cases
Code
-Baselining of the documnents
-Collection of all Documents in a repository
-Time lines constraint and schedule tracking
-Deliveries and Releases time constraints

4. Configuration Management
-Tracking tool for CM
-Tracking and managing the change requests
-Impact analysis
-logs of change requests

5 Risk Management
-Tracking of Risk logs and issue logs
-Root cause analysis
-alternative solutions
-Mitigation and Contingency plans

6.Project windup
-Prepare windup plan
-Lesson learnt in central repository
-windup report

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Permalink Reply by Gowtham on October 17, 2008 at 12:32pm

Hi Lisa

Here is detail of each step what testing exactly carried out in each software quality and testing life cycle specified by IEEE and ISO standards:

Review of the software requirement specifications

Objectives is set for the Major releases

Target Date planned for the Releases

Detailed Project Plan is build. This includes the decision on Design Specifications

Develop Test Plan based on Design Specifications

Test Plan : This includes Objectives, Methodology adopted while testing, Features to be tested and not to be tested, risk criteria, testing schedule, multi-platform support and the resource allocation for testing.

Test Specifications
This document includes technical details ( Software requirements ) required prior to the testing.

Writing of Test Cases
Smoke(BVT) test cases
Sanity Test cases
Regression Test Cases
Negative Test Cases
Extended Test Cases

Development - Modules developed one by one

Installers Binding: Installers are build around the individual product.

Build procedure :
A build includes Installers of the available products - multiple platforms.

Testing
Smoke Test (BVT) Basic application test to take decision on further testing

Testing of new features
Cross-platform testing
Stress testing and memory leakage testing.

Bug Reporting
Bug report is created

Development - Code freezing
No more new features are added at this point.

Testing
Builds and regression testing.

Decision to release the product
Post-release Scenario for further objectives.

Regards
Gowtham

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Permalink Reply by Siddiq on July 12, 2010 at 12:02pm

Good one!

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Permalink Reply by Kiran Kumar on October 17, 2008 at 1:24pm

It is a integrated system of methodology activity involving like planning, implementation, assessment, reporting and quality improvement to ensure that the process is of the type and quality needed and expected by the client/customer.

1. Test requirements,
2. Test planning,
3. Test design,
4. Test execution and Defect logging,
6. Test reports and acceptance,
7. Sign off.

Test Requirements:
1. Requirement Specification documents
2. Functional Specification documents
3. Design Specification documents (use cases, etc)
4. Use case Documents
5. Test Trace-ability Matrix for identifying Test Coverage

Test Planning:
1. Test Scope, Test Environment
2. Different Test phase and Test Methodologies
3. Manual and Automation Testing
4. Defect Mgmt, Configuration Mgmt, Risk Mgmt. Etc
5. Evaluation & identification? Test, Defect tracking tools

Test Design:
1. Test Traceability Matrix and Test coverage
2. Test Scenarios Identification & Test Case preparation
3. Test data and Test scripts preparation
4. Test case reviews and Approval
5. Base lining under Configuration Management

Test Execution and Defect Tracking:
1. Executing Test cases
2. Testing Test Scripts
3. Capture, review and analyze Test Results
4. Raised the defects and tracking for its closure

Test Reports and Acceptance:
1. Test summary reports
2. Test Metrics and process Improvements made
3. Build release
4. Receiving acceptance

Signoff:
Signoff template provides a checklist format for customer that can be used for reviewing a new system's functionality and other attributes before closing a purchase order or accepting a delivery. It includes checklist areas for functional tests, documentation reviews, issue recording, enhancement requests.

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Permalink Reply by Anushri on July 10, 2010 at 9:30pm

good 1...

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Permalink Reply by Siddiq on July 12, 2010 at 11:49am

This is QC(Quality Control) Life cycle not QA Life cycle.

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Permalink Reply by S Sarita on October 17, 2008 at 2:15pm

Hi kiran,
want to ask you one thing,
Test Execution and Defect Tracking: how it will come into QA cycle.
Can you please explain?
same question for gowtham too..

-S Sarita.

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Permalink Reply by vamshi on July 11, 2010 at 3:28pm

Test Execution and Defect Tracking/reporting are done by QA only as part of the Job...so it includes QA life cycle.

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Permalink Reply by Siddiq on July 12, 2010 at 11:51am

I agree with Sarita.
Test Exectution and Defect Tracking is part of QC or simply STLC.

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Permalink Reply by Hakan Simsek on July 14, 2010 at 4:38pm

Hi Sarita and Siddiq,

If you are talking about Test Execution and Defect Tracking during the project, I agree with you.
However Kiran has a good point involving QA to test execution (may be a bit more explanation is needed).

I think involving QA to last phase of testing is a good idea. QA also need to check what test engineers do, so they need to attend. When the test is about the start test documents are reviewed, however most of the time when tests are executing minor changes are needed. Test engineers do these changes on the fly and forget to correct/change on the document. Even if everything is fine, you need a witness because of the project contract (most of the time acceptance test is done with test engineers, QA, QA of the customer, technical person from customer).

QA also need to approve the product so QA should be tracking the defects (even if they are doing it at the end of the project) (also not in a way that QC track)

In short QA has a job during last phase of testing and tracking defects in its own way, so should be mentioned. (QA has a job in its own way during design document or planing phase but not in a way as designers or developers do)

Regards,
Hakan

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Permalink Reply by Siddiq on July 14, 2010 at 5:32pm

Hakan,

QA is about process in the project not just testing alone. QA deal with all the actors in the project and testers are no exception.

I agree with you for their involvement in tracking and monitoring the defects so as to improve the process to avoid risk or reduce GAP.

QA have their own objectivity to achieve which is part of their life cycle.

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Permalink Reply by Babu on July 14, 2010 at 6:36pm

Hi Siddiq,

As you mentioned, Test Execution and Defect Tracking during the project is not a part of QA process is correct. I totally agree with you.

@Hakan,
Even i agree with you. Becuase in my current project after the testing is completed, QA person will take the test cases from us and will execute the same in the test environment. Not exactly each and every test case .. but randomly he will execute and will ensure the written test cases are working properly.
I feel this is also one of way of QA process.

Regards,
Babu.