esting
is a crucial part of every software development process as it helps
to ensure that not only customer satisfaction is guaranteed, but the
software itself matches all standards and requirements. While testing
was traditionally limited to the functional requirements, the concept
of non-functional testing has gradually come under the spotlight. Its
growing importance could be attributed to the fact that modern
applications and their ecosystems have both undergone drastic
transformations.
The
older applications usually used to run in closed, largely
undistributed environments where everything was generally within
control. However, the arrival and widespread utilization of cloud
computing and microservices have changed the face of the applications
and their ecosystems. Non-functional requirements (NFRs) have become
as important as their functional counterparts, and the need and
importance of testing these NFRs have consequently become equally
important.
What is Non-Functional Testing?
Non-functional
testing refers to the testing of those aspects of a software
application which are not connected in any way with a defined user
action or a function.
As
the name suggests, it concentrates on an application’s
non-functional aspects such as performance, usability, security,
compatibility, and all other aspects that are not tested under
functional testing. Non-functional testing is performed to verify
these NFRs and if the system’s behavior is in accordance with them.
The
following are some of the significant non-functional aspects of an
application that are considered and tested under non-functional
testing:
-
How does the application behave and perform under normal circumstances?
-
How does it behave when a large number of users log in simultaneously?
-
How much stress could the application handle?
-
How secure is the application?
-
Does the application show similar behavioral patterns in a different environment or OS?
-
Are the documents accompanying the application easy to understand?
The
singular purpose of NFR testing is to ensure that the application
works well with regards to the non-functional aspects.
Ultimately,
the motive of non-functional testing is to test all characteristics
of an application that would help to provide an application which
meets the business expectations.
The Importance of Non-functional Testing
Consider
an application that is developed and wholly tested for functional
requirements, but non-functional testing is not performed. Now
imagine what would happen when the application goes live and is
immediately subjected to a massive load.
In
the absence of non-functional testing, you would be very unsure of
the application’s ability to handle massive traffic. The
application may become slow or even crash in the worst case scenario.
What an embarrassment that would be! In another scenario, imagine if
the application is not tested for security, if that is the case then
an unauthorized party could easily crack the data entered by the app
users.
