Top 5 Considerations For A Strong Test Data Management
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
<strong>Top</strong> 5 <strong>Considerations</strong> <strong>For</strong> A <strong>Strong</strong> <strong>Test</strong><br />
<strong>Data</strong> <strong>Management</strong><br />
“I think I lost my homework pages,” “I think the dog ate my homework.”<br />
Remember the above lines which we used to use for humorously teasing our teachers for not<br />
having done the homework?<br />
Sometimes, a tester has the same feeling and want to convey the exact words, when a<br />
particular set of data is not found. But…. Helpless!!<br />
Situations have changed, and unfortunately, no such lines can be used by a responsible<br />
professional at work.<br />
<strong>Test</strong> <strong>Data</strong> <strong>Management</strong>(TDM) is a vital and crucial component of an IT organization. The<br />
business is at risk if any failure is observed in the production environment and shows that you<br />
don’t take the test procedure seriously until it reaches the production stage.<br />
<strong>For</strong> having an optimal functionality of the software/application, you need to address all the<br />
subsequent breaches and carry out the testing effectively. Envo8 crafted down a list of<br />
considerations for effective test data management.
<strong>Test</strong> only relevant data:<br />
Sometimes unplanned trips work out the best, but risks are involved. The same way, testing all<br />
the data, has pros and cons both. This is because, while testing all the data, you do not have the<br />
exact idea of the scenario in which that particular test data should be tested. This procedure<br />
consumes a lot of time and money.<br />
On the other hand, when you create a testing process where you jot down the test cases and<br />
the need for the environment, it becomes much easy. <strong>For</strong> example, if you are validating the<br />
login page, you know the scenario of which information would be specifically needed to<br />
confirm the same. When you keep iterating, you will be able to find more bugs, and you will<br />
need more real data. Hence, start with a small set of test data, and then gradually proceed<br />
towards complex ones.
Avoid having sensitive data for testing:<br />
Ever since the GDP lawsuits concerning the data protection came into implementation, more<br />
companies have started taking the security issue seriously for the IT test environment<br />
<strong>Management</strong>. Auditors prefer that only limited people should have access to production<br />
environments. Only these people will be responsible for customer data handling. Any data<br />
leaked, the privileged people will be held for legal representation. Mask the data that can<br />
reveal the person’s identity; you can also follow the irreversible methods for the same.
Refresh the environment:<br />
This may sound challenging, but it is crucial to refresh the testing environment correctly and<br />
continuously. It may have unanticipated side effects, but once your foundation is in place,<br />
everything will work right.
Automate the process:<br />
Imagine if you can centrally manage the data creation process, masking, cloning, and organizing<br />
automatically! You have so many automated tools that allow you to do the same and gives an<br />
automated solution. You can set up sequential testing and keep track of the test data.
<strong>Test</strong>ing should be done up to date:<br />
Your software/application will continuously evolve once it is launched. <strong>For</strong> this, the test<br />
scenarios and test data need to be changed from time to time, depending on the test data<br />
generated. It is also necessary to make some test scenarios obsolete, and hence, some data will<br />
also become out-of-date.<br />
<strong>For</strong> practising this, you need to have discipline and proper communication within the team<br />
members. It is developers responsibility to inform everyone which data are relevant and which<br />
data needs to be removed. This process ensures a higher quality of output from the TDM.<br />
Deploying an effective <strong>Test</strong> data management solution is an imperative way to identify, secure,<br />
and manage the right test data. By doing this, you will have sync between the company’s<br />
requirements, test cases, test data, and all the virtual assets.
CONTACT US<br />
Company Name : Enov8<br />
Contact Person : Ashley Hosking<br />
Address : Level 5, 14 Martin Place, Sydney, 2000, New South Wales, Australia.<br />
Phone(s) : +61 2 8916 6391<br />
Fax : +61 2 9437 4214<br />
Website :- https://www.enov8.com