COLORING THE GLOBAL FUTURE

System Testing &

Implementation

Modern Systems Analysis and Design @Prentice Hall

Jeffrey A. Hoffer
Joey F. George
Joseph S. Valacich

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 Learning Objectives
ü Describe the process of coding, testing, and system
conversion.
ü Prepare a test plan for an information system.
ü Apply four installation strategies.
ü List deliverables for documentation, training, and user
support.
ü Distinguish between system and user documentation.
ü Compare different user training modes.
ü Discuss issues of end-user support.
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COLORING THE GLOBAL FUTURE | [Link]
 Purpose of System Implementation
•  To convert final physical system specifications into
working and reliable software
•  To document work that has been done
•  To provide help for current and future users
•  Six major activities:
•  Coding
•  Testing
•  Installation
•  Documentation
•  Training
•  Support
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 The Process of Coding, Testing and
Installation
•  Coding
Physical design specifications are turned into
working computer code.
•  Testing
Tests are performed using various strategies.
Testing can be performed in parallel with coding.
•  Installation
The current system is replaced by the new system.
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 Deliverables

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 The Process of Documenting the System,
Training Users, and Supporting Users
•  Two audiences for final documentation
•  Information systems personnel who will maintain
the system throughout its productive life
•  People who will use the system as part of their
daily lives
•  User Training
•  Application-specific
•  General: for operating system and off-the-shelf
software

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 Deliverables

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 Software Application Testing
• A master test plan is developed during the
analysis phase.
• During the design phase, unit, system and
integration test plans are developed.
• The actual testing is done during
implementation.
• Test plans provide improved communication
among all parties involved in testing.
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 Test Classification
• Manual vs. Automated
• Static (syntax only) vs. Dynamic (execution)

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 Manual Testing Techniques
•  Inspection
•  A testing technique in which participants examine
program code for predictable language-specific errors
•  Walkthrough
•  A peer group review of any product created during the
systems development process; also called a structured
walkthrough
•  Desk Checking
•  A testing technique in which the program code is
sequentially executed manually by the reviewer

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 Automated Testing Techniques
• Syntax Checking
• The compiler is run against the source code to identify
syntax errors.
• Unit Testing
• Each module is tested alone in an attempt to discover
any errors in its code, also called module testing.
• Integration Testing
• The process of bringing together all of the modules that
a program comprises for testing purposes. Modules are
typically integrated in a top-down, incremental fashion.
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 Automated Testing Techniques (cont.)
• System Testing
• The bringing together of all the programs that a
system comprises for testing purposes. Programs
are typically integrated in a top-down, incremental
fashion.
• Stub Testing
• A technique used in testing, especially where
modules are written and tested in a top-down
fashion, where a few lines of code are used to
substitute for subordinate modules.
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 User Acceptance Testing
• Actual users test a completed information system.
• End result is the users’ final acceptance of the
system.
• Alpha testing: use simulated data
• Beta testing: use real data in real user environment

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 Types of Alpha Tests
• Recovery testing
• Forces software (or environment) to fail in order to
verify that recovery is properly performed
• Security testing
• Verifies that protection mechanisms built into the
system will protect it from improper penetration
• Stress testing
• Tries to break the system
• Performance testing
• Determines how the system performs on the range
of possible environments in which it may be used
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 Installation
•  The organizational process of changing
over from the current information system to
a new one
•  Four installation strategies:
•  Direct Installation
•  Parallel Installation
•  Single-location installation
•  Phased Installation
17.17
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 Turning off
the old
system
when the
new one is
turned on

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 Running the old
and new
information
systems at the
same time until
management
decides the old
system can be
turned off
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 Trying out an information system at one site,
then deciding if and how the new system should
be deployed throughout the organization
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 Changing from the old information system to the new
one incrementally, starting with one or a few functional
components and then gradually extending the
installation to cover the whole new system
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 Documenting the System
• System documentation
• Detailed information about a system’s design
specifications, its internal workings and its
functionality
• Intended audience: maintenance programmers
• Internal documentation: embedded in the program
source code or generated at compile time
• External documentation: includes data flow and
entity-relationship diagrams
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 Documenting the System (cont.)
• User Documentation
• Written or other visual information about an
application system, how it works, and how to
use it

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 User documentation is typically in the
form of online help
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 Training Information Systems Users
•  Potential training topics
•  Use of the system
•  General computer concepts
•  Information system concepts
•  Organizational concepts
•  System management
•  System installation

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 By far the most common training
method is informal, via
interaction with an in-house
expert on the software
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 Electronic
Performance Support
Systems (EPSS), like
Microsoft Office
Assistant, are
components of
software applications
that embed training
and information for
the user, in the form
of tutorials, expert
systems, and
hyperlink jumps to
reference topics.

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 Supporting Information Systems Users
• Support is extremely important to users
• Providing support can be expensive and time-
consuming
• One approach is through automation
• Internet-based online support forums
• On-demand fax
• Voice response systems
• Knowledge bases
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 Providing Support via Help Desk
• A single point of contact for all user inquiries
and problems about a particular information
system or for all users in a particular
department
• Requires
• Technical skills: extensive knowledge about how to
use the system and typical problems that can be
encountered
• People skills: good listening and communication,
dealing with complaints and frustrations
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 Summary
• In this chapter you learned how to:
ü Describe the process of coding, testing, and system
conversion.
ü Prepare a test plan for an information system.
ü Apply four installation strategies.
ü List deliverables for documentation, training, and user
support.
ü Distinguish between system and user documentation.
ü Compare different user training modes.
ü Discuss issues of end-user support.
COLORING THE GLOBAL FUTURE | [Link]
COLORING THE GLOBAL FUTURE | [Link]