Thread: Database Testing

Database testing is very important part of testing.

Database is always on target for hackers and others.
You should always well test the database for security also.

Other tests on database are for data,

There should no loss of data when we save it.
Data limit allowed to save through UI should same; limit allowed by database.
more depends on application.

Good to see you back JanBrijesh I was missing your posts...

Well, the questions asked were very clear. Why do we need database testing and what kind of testing we usually do in database testing. I think Brijesh's explaination has not covered all that was needed. So, decided to post an external article on this.

What to test in DB testing?

In DB testing we need to check for
1. The field size validation
2. Check constraints.
3. Indexes are done or not (for performance related issues)
4. Stored procedures
5. The field size defined in the application is matching with that in the db.

Why DB testing ?

Here's the link for a very good article regarding this.

http://www.agiledata.org/essays/databaseTesting.html

I hope this makes one understand the concepts in DB testing.

Cheers!
Kalayama

DB testing is to test the impact of actions in the application on its database.

the list for "What to test in DB testing?" give by kalayama is correct.

Relational database management systems (RDBMSs) often persist mission-critical data which is updated by many applications and potentially thousands if not millions of end users. Furthermore, they implement important functionality in the form of database methods (stored procedures, stored functions, and/or triggers) and database objects (e.g. Java or C# instances).

The best way to ensure the continuing quality of these assets, at least from a technical point of view, you should have a full regression test performed on each build for the Database.

Noe lets see DBTesting in terms of Testing methods :

Black-Box Testing (--at the Interface)
-O/R mappings (including the meta data)
-Incoming data values
-Outgoing data values (from queries, stored functions, views ...)

White/Clear-Box Testing (--Internally Within the Database)

-Scaffolding code (e.g. triggers or updateable views) which support refactorings
-Typical unit tests for your stored procedures, functions, and triggers
-Existence tests for database schema elements (tables, procedures, ...)
-View definitions
-Referential integrity (RI) rules
-Default values for a column
-Data invariants for a single column
-Data invariants involving several columns


this was a little abt DB testing if you wanna more then can contact me with your Qs

Originally Posted by rose

Thanks Kalayama for that article..It was worth reading

But letme tell u frankly that Iam new to DB testing....So before Testing a DB
I should know
1.Why shall I test a DB??If we can look in to the UI and see if the data we enter through UI is getting reflecting in the UI and
When we delete something from UI...it again can be seen in the UI...So Shall we need to test it to see that the data flow is proper??
2.What all other purposes Database Testing serve for??
(Its clearly mentioned in the article...but superficial for a beginner to understand)

Will be helpful if anyone explain it clearly

What so ever you are talking about in what we can test externally see the behavior of database.
But what's happening in real , how you will know that.
I give you an example.

I was testing an application where during registration, an hash key is generated for verification purpose,This key generated is of size 16 characters always, but space allocated for it in database is of 50 characters, which is again a bug (loss of memory).That's why we need it to test internally.

Supporting test code, called scaffolding.It is sometimes necessary to support an individual test.