I consider studying the ecosystem as part of our testing strategy.
How much do you agree with this statement?
Bonus points for community commentary, tell us your thoughts!
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In a previous role we had the whole integrated production, and test environments architectures on the wall. They were massive complex diagrams showing every logical component, including external end points.
I spent a lot if time in front of those diagrams, following data through the various components to understand how it flowed, changed and was consumed.
I have since attempted to get architects in other organisations to produce similar diagrams.
It’s amazing how few can actually articulate their whole platform and all its connections. Yet these same technical design authorities are making decisions on new and relacement systems.
If you don’t know what your system looks like, what it does and how data moves around, how can you possibly create a robust strategy? At the very least you are missing a whole area of potential risks and at worse leaving the company vulnarable to potential disaster.
There’s really no way to know what the system is doing unless you study the whole system…which feels like a tautology.
What I can see happening is folks not really thinking about the ecosystem that their system fits into…if you’re building a phone app, you have different physical space considerations than if you are building software for an ATM.
I can spend 10 minutes on my phone, tinkering with preferences…I’d rather not do that at a drive up ATM when I have a line behind me and I just want to get some cash out, or deposit a check.
Indeed, that’s the first step!
Otherwise, You may end up creating something that will not be used as a strategy in a real project.
It will just sit in a file or document.
Ecosystem drives the testing strategy … testing strategy is not just about testing the product …it’s about testing the ecosystem that supports it as well…
From nature to testing, an ecosystem is essential for survival. Just as human beings thrive within a balanced ecosystem, testing also requires an environment to be effective. Understanding and adapting to this ecosystem is crucial for building reliable and sustainable testing practices.