The Seapine View

Here’s a roundup of recent TestTrack knowledgebase activity. It’s worth giving this list a quick look in case one of these articles applies to your particular situation.

New Articles

• Upgrading to the 64-bit TestTrack Server provides steps to complete before and after upgrading the 32-bit TestTrack Server to the 64-bit version. Also check out this related article: 64-bit TestTrack Server Requirements.

• Updating Customized TestTrack Web Pages to Support Access to Multiple TestTrack Servers explains required modifications for customized TestTrack Web pages when multiple TestTrack Servers are used (also known as cross server login).

• Using Server Parameters in SoloSubmit and Using Server Parameters in TestTrack RSS Feeds explain how to specify SERVERADDR, SERVERPORT, and SERVERNAME parameters in URLs to support TestTrack Web cross server login.

Updated Articles

• TestTrack Client System Requirements

• TestTrack Server Application System Recommendations

• Supported Linux Distributions

Thanks to Amy Kearns for providing the information about the knowledgebase updates!

This sample uses a TestTrack trigger to create a change request in StarTeam upon a failed test run.
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Yours truly was recently interviewed about test case management for the Sticky ToolLook eNewsletter, published by the folks at StickyMinds.com and Better Software magazine.

In this month’s Sticky ToolLook, Paula Rome answers some questions about the advantages of test case management software, the importance of committing to test case documentation, and how a good test management tool can help you to “Go where the testing leads you.”

I was asked the following three questions:

• What are some of the advantages that software made specifically for test case management brings to the table?
• What are some situations in which an organization might want to integrate a test management tool?
• What can a test case management tool do for a tester in terms of managing the test results?

You can read my answers here.

Let me know how you would have answered the questions!

This sample uses a TestTrack trigger to create an issue in SilkCentral upon a failed test run.
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Google the phrase “99.9% is good enough” and see what comes back. For the most part you will uncover the following list:

• $761,900 will be spent in the next 12 months on tapes and compact disks that won’t play.
• 1,314 phone calls will be misplaced by telecommunications services every minute.
• 103,260 income tax returns will be processed incorrectly this year.
• 107 incorrect medical procedures will be performed today.
• 114,500 mismatched pairs of shoes will be shipped this year.
• 12 babies will be given to the wrong parents every day.
• 14,208 defective personal computers will be shipped this year.
• 18,322 pieces of mail will be mishandled in the next hour.
• 2 million documents will be lost by the IRS this year.
• 2 plane landings at Chicago O’Hare will be unsafe.
• 2.5 million books will be shipped in the next 12 months with the wrong cover.
• 20,000 incorrect drug prescriptions will be written in the next 12 months.
• 22,000 checks will be deducted from the wrong bank accounts in the next 60 minutes.
• 268,500 defective tires will be shipped this year.
• 291 pacemaker operations will be performed incorrectly this year.
• 3,056 copies of tomorrow’s Wall Street Journal will be missing one of three sections.
• 5,517,200 cases of soft drinks will be shipped flat this year.
• 880,000 credit cards will be produced with incorrect magnetic strips.

Although these statistics are now dated, the message is still clear. Quality (in fact, zero defects) matters because you may not get a chance to correct the mistake. In some situations and environments you just can’t depend on a mulligan, a do-over, or a re-load.

The concept of quality as it relates to the software industry generally blends three perspectives. First, in many industries software is mission critical; meaning the features must be reliable and always work. For example, a financial services organization is not going to tolerate bugs/defects that result in posting errors. A bank needs to keep their debits and credits in the correct column; it’s just one of those regulatory things! The second perspective that directly impacts the customer experience is technical support. In the case of an issue or problem users can be very unforgiving if prompt attention and follow-up is lacking. The third area involves innovation. Software users expect applications to continuously evolve to meet their ever changing needs and desires. Each perspective is important, and consistent quality practices will help business managers make customer-focused decisions.