Mar 1, 2008 | Business of Testing, Management, Process, QA, RBCS, Requirements, Testing, Testing Career, Tools
When You Must Buy Versus Build, There Are Ways To Help You Avoid Any Slip-ups More and more projects involve integration of custom-developed or commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components, rather than in-house development or enhancement of software. In effect, these...
Nov 1, 2007 | Automation, Process, Testing
Even Troglodytes Can Understand Automation with This Framework Approach Test automation typically relies on a select group of technical people within the QA organization for development and maintenance. This dependence can be magnified when an automation...
Aug 1, 2007 | Security Testing, Testing
As I write this, I’m thinking of last night’s midsummer classic—the 2007 All-Star Game—in which the National League was an extra base-hit away from a dramatic ninth-inning, come-from-behind win. But alas, the American League will again have home-field...
Aug 1, 2007 | Security Testing, Testing
By integrating security assurance into the software lifecycle, you can improve product quality—and avert disaster! At the peak of the dot-com boom, my firm consulted extensively for large organizations concerned about the risks of Internet-based applications. My...
Aug 1, 2007 | Process, Testing, Unit
Four Steps For Taking Unit Testing To the Next Level For Java EE What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about unit testing? If you’re a Java developer, it’s probably JUnit, since the tool is generally recognized as the de facto standard for Java unit...
Apr 1, 2007 | Automation, Testing
Toiling as a tech drone in one of the countless North American cubicle farms, it can be tempting to think that life must be better somewhere else. Over¬Toiling as a tech drone in one of the countless North American cubicle farms, it can be tempting to think that life...
Feb 1, 2007 | Security Testing, Testing
When we met, we both worked at the same Fortune 500 security company. Unknown faces to each other in a large corporation, we reported to the same senior VP. That day, we both attended an all-day company technical exchange meeting. Chris was one of the project...
Feb 4, 2006 | Security Testing, Testing
Over the past few years, we have seen data security moving away from the database layer into the application/business logic layer. In a two-tiered environment, the presentation layer used the authentication and authorization mechanism of the database management system...
Jan 1, 2006 | Testing, Unit
Nominally, unit testing is a QA function. After all, it’s part of the process of ensuring that an application works correctly. Developers are responsible for creating the application in the first place—and surely that’s enough to keep track of. As a result, it seemed...
Dec 1, 2005 | Leadership, Management, Testing, Testing Career
Twenty years ago, I was a contractor at Lotus Development when they ramped up a huge new database product code-named No Comment (it didn’t ship, but that’s another story). The QA manager found herself with 27 people who didn’t know one another, who had no idea of each...
Nov 1, 2005 | Data Warehouse, Performance, Testing
11/1/2005 How to Get Your Relational Database Up to Speed Right Out of the Gate The overall speed of an application will often depend on how fast the database runs. Most mission-critical business applications have at their core a relational database that maintains key...
Oct 1, 2005 | Automation, Management, Testing
Most of the functions of today’s vehicles are controlled by a computer. When your car needs an annual inspection or has a problem, your mechanic plugs in a diagnostic unit and obtains all manner of useful information on its inner workings. Now, why is it that a car...
