V - Model : Validation Phases

1. Validation Phases

   1. Unit Testing

In the V-model of software development, unit testing implies the first stage of dynamic testing process. It involves analysis of the written code with the intention of eliminating errors. It also verifies that the codes are efficient and adheres to the adopted coding standards. Testing is usually white box. It is done using the Unit test design prepared during the module design phase. This may be carried out by software testers, software developers or both.

2. Integration Testing

In integration testing the separate modules will be tested together to expose faults in the interfaces and in the interaction between integrated components. Testing is usually black box as the code is not directly checked for errors. It is done using the integration test design prepared during the architecture design phase. Integration testing is generally conducted by software testers.

3. System Testing

System testing will compare the system specifications against the actual system. The system test design is derived from the system design documents and is used in this phase. Sometimes system testing is automated using testing tools. Once all the modules are integrated several errors may arise. Testing done at this stage is called system testing.

4. User Acceptance Testing

Acceptance testing:

• To determine whether a system satisfies its acceptance criteria or not.
• To enable the customer to determine whether to accept the system or not.
• To test the software in the "real world" by the intended audience.

Purpose of acceptance testing:

- To verify the system or changes according to the original needs.

Procedures for conducting the acceptance testing:

Define the acceptance criteria:

• Functionality requirements.
• Performance requirements.
• Interface quality requirements.
• Overall software quality requirements.

Develop an acceptance plan:

• Project description.
• User responsibilities.
• Acceptance description.
• Execute the acceptance test plan.

V - Model : Verfication Phases

V-Model is more helpful and profitable to companies as it reduces the time for whole development of a new product and can also be used to some complex maintenance projects.

1. Verification Phases

   1. Requirement Analysis

In this phase, the requirements of the proposed system are collected by analyzing the needs of the user(s). This phase is concerned about establishing what the ideal system has to perform. However, it does not determine how the software will be designed or built. Usually, the users are interviewed and a document called the user requirements document is generated. The user requirements document will typically describe the system’s functional, physical, interface, performance, data, security requirements etc as expected by the user. It is one which the business analysts use to communicate their understanding of the system back to the users. The users carefully review this document as this document would serve as the guideline for the system designers in the system design phase. The user acceptance tests are designed in this phase.

2. System Design

System engineers analyze and understand the business of the proposed system by studying the user requirements document. They figure out possibilities and techniques by which the user requirements can be implemented. If any of the requirements are not feasible, the user is informed of the issue. A resolution is found and the user requirement document is edited accordingly. The software specification document which serves as a blueprint for the development phase is generated. This document contains the general system organization, menu structures, data structures etc. It may also hold example business scenarios, sample windows, reports for the better understanding. Other technical documentation like entity diagrams, data dictionary will also be produced in this phase. The documents for system testing is prepared in this phase.

3. Architecture Design

This phase can also be called as high-level design. The baseline in selecting the architecture is that it should realize all which typically consists of the list of modules, brief functionality of each module, their interface relationships, dependencies, database tables, architecture diagrams, technology details etc. The integration testing design is carried out in this phase.

4. Module Design

This phase can also be called as low-level design. The designed system is broken up in to smaller units or modules and each of them is explained so that the programmer can start coding directly. The low level design document or program specifications will contain a detailed functional logic of the module, in pseudocode - database tables, with all elements, including their type and size - all interface details with complete API references- all dependency issues- error message listings- complete input and outputs for a module. The unit test design is developed in this stage.

5. Coding

V Model

V-Model

The V-model is a Software Development Model which can be presumed to be the extension of the Waterfall Model Instead of moving down in a linear way, the process steps are bent upwards after the coding phase, to form the typical V shape. The V-Model demonstrates the relationships between each phase of the development life cycle and its associated phase of testing, or V-Model can represent Level of Testing in Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). I will explain in the next post.

The V-model can be said to have developed as a result of the evolution of software testing. Various testing techniques were defined and various kinds of testing were clearly separated from each other which led to the waterfall model evolving into the V-model. The tests in the ascending (Validation) hand are derived directly from their design or requirements counterparts in the descending (Verification) hand. The 'V' can also stand for the terms Verification and Validation.
V-Model is more helpful and profitable to companies as it reduces the time for whole development of a new product and can also be used to some complex maintenance projects.