Testing Applications That Work with Databases
Vikash Jain
. 2 min read
Database testing is a crucial aspect of software testing that involves verifying the schema, tables, triggers, and other components of the database being tested. It also ensures data integrity and consistency. This type of testing may involve creating complex queries to load/stress test the database and assess its responsiveness. With the added convenience of online chat support, testers can easily collaborate and address any queries or concerns related to the database testing process, ensuring a smooth and efficient testing experience.
The Importance of Database Testing
Database testing plays a vital role in software testing as it ensures the validity of data values and information received and stored in the database. It helps prevent data loss, safeguards aborted transaction data, and prevents unauthorized access to sensitive information. Given the significance of the database in any software application, testers must possess good knowledge of SQL for effective database testing.
Database Testing Checklist
- Transactions:
- Ensure that transactions satisfy the ACID properties.
- Commonly used statements: BEGIN TRANSACTION TRANSACTION# and END TRANSACTION TRANSACTION#.
- Database Schemas:
- Define how the data will be organized within the database.
- Triggers:
- Execute a piece of code (trigger) when a specific event occurs on a table.
- Stored Procedures:
- Similar to user-defined functions, these can be invoked using the Call Procedure and statement.
- Field Constraints:
- Perform front-end operations that exercise the conditions of the database object.
- Validate the results using SQL queries.
Applications that Utilize Databases
- Installation Testing:
- Pay special attention to the installation process, as it marks the user's first interaction with the product.
- Test the installation of both the application and the database on a single machine.
- Functional Testing:
- Verify the correct performance of data operations such as adding, editing, deleting, and selecting.
- Test through the user interface, considering black box testing principles.
- Stress Testing:
- Test the recovery functionality of your software after a failure.
- Examples: initiating insertion to the database, interrupting the connection.
Components of Database Testing
- Database Schema:
- Describes the organization and functioning of data within a database.
- Transactions:
- Crucial components that must satisfy the ACID properties during database testing.
- Stored Procedures:
- Similar to user-defined functions, ensuring consistent and accurate results.
- Field Constraints:
- Components that rely on default values, exclusive values, and foreign keys.
- Triggers:
- Used to record the output of an entire table independently.
Top 8 Database Testing Tools to Consider
- ORION: Stress testing tool for I/O subsystems, especially for Oracle databases.
- DTM Data Test Generator: Commercial tool for generating data rows and schema objects.
- SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer: Enables SQL query monitoring and analysis.
- MockUp Data: Generates large quantities of data for testing purposes and realistic sample data.
- DTM Data Generator: Commercial tool for generating data rows and schema objects.
- SQL Server: Tools used for unit testing, often in VB or C# projects.
- SQL Test: Utilizes the tSQLt framework for open-source database unit testing.
- SQLt: Commercial database unit testing framework dedicated to Microsoft SQL Server.
Benefits of Database Testing
- Speeds up the overall testing cycle, especially when dealing with large data sets.
- Ensures accurate processing of complex transaction behaviors.
Conclusion
Database testing is vital for ensuring the security and reliability of applications. Preserving the privacy of user data is of utmost importance, making it essential to perform thorough testing to maintain data integrity and consistency. Testers must always consider the "why" and "how" criteria when conducting database testing.
