System Testing in Detail with its types

System testing is a level of software testing where the entire software application is tested as a
whole to evaluate its compliance with specified requirements and assess its overall quality,
functionality, and performance. System testing is performed after integration testing and before
acceptance testing, and it verifies that the integrated system meets the desired objectives and
performs as expected in its intended environment. Here's a detailed explanation of system testing
along with its types:

### System Testing:

1. **Definition**:

- System testing is a comprehensive testing phase that evaluates the behavior of the entire
software system against functional and non-functional requirements. It involves executing the
system in an environment similar to the production environment and assessing its performance,
reliability, usability, and security.

2. **Objectives**:

- Verify that the system meets specified requirements and user expectations.

- Ensure that all system components work together as intended and produce the desired results.

- Validate the system's functionality, reliability, usability, performance, and security.

- Identify defects, errors, and vulnerabilities that may impact system quality or functionality.

- Assess the system's readiness for deployment and release to end-users or customers.

3. **Types of System Testing**:

a. **Functional Testing**:

- **Description**: Functional testing verifies that the software system performs its intended
functions correctly and meets specified requirements. It involves testing various features,
functionalities, and business processes to ensure they operate as expected.

- **Types**:

- **Smoke Testing**: A subset of functional tests executed to verify that critical functions of the
system work without errors, typically performed after each build or deployment.

- **Regression Testing**: Re-execution of previously executed test cases to ensure that recent
changes or enhancements have not adversely affected existing functionality.

- **User Acceptance Testing (UAT)**: Testing performed by end-users or stakeholders to

validate that the system meets their requirements and expectations.
 b. **Non-Functional Testing**:

- **Description**: Non-functional testing evaluates the system's performance, reliability,

usability, scalability, and security aspects. It focuses on quality attributes that are not related to
specific functionalities but are critical for overall system success.

- **Types**:

- **Performance Testing**: Evaluates the system's responsiveness, throughput, scalability, and

resource utilization under various load conditions, such as stress testing, load testing, and
performance profiling.

- **Usability Testing**: Assesses the system's ease of use, user interface design, navigation,
accessibility, and user experience to ensure that it meets user needs and expectations.

- **Security Testing**: Identifies vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and threats in the system's

security mechanisms, including authentication, authorization, data protection, and encryption.

- **Reliability Testing**: Validates the system's stability, fault tolerance, error handling, and
recovery mechanisms to ensure uninterrupted operation and minimal downtime.

c. **Compatibility Testing**:

- **Description**: Compatibility testing evaluates the system's compatibility with different

hardware, operating systems, browsers, devices, and software configurations. It ensures that the
system functions correctly across various environments and platforms.

- **Types**:

- **Hardware Compatibility Testing**: Verifies that the system works seamlessly with different
hardware configurations, devices, and peripherals.

- **Operating System Compatibility Testing**: Ensures that the system is compatible with
various operating systems and versions, including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.

- **Browser Compatibility Testing**: Validates that the system is compatible with different web
browsers, such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Internet Explorer.

4. **Execution Environment**:

- System testing is typically conducted in a test environment that simulates the production
environment as closely as possible. The test environment includes hardware, software, databases,
networks, and configurations similar to those used in the production environment.

- Test data, test cases, and test scripts are prepared based on requirements, use cases, and test
scenarios to cover all aspects of system functionality and behavior.

5. **Execution and Reporting**:

 - Test cases are executed systematically, and test results are recorded, analyzed, and reported.
Defects, errors, and deviations from expected behavior are documented in a defect tracking system,
along with severity, priority, and status.

- Test reports, including test summary reports, defect reports, and progress reports, are generated
to communicate the results of system testing to project stakeholders, management, and
development teams.

6. **Iterative and Incremental Approach**:

- System testing is often performed iteratively and incrementally as the software evolves through
multiple development cycles. Each iteration builds upon the previous one, incorporating new
features, enhancements, and fixes, and refining the system based on feedback and testing results.

In summary, system testing is a critical phase of software testing that evaluates the entire software
system to ensure its functionality, performance, reliability, usability, and security. By conducting
various types of system tests in a controlled environment, organizations can identify and address
defects, validate system requirements, and deliver high-quality software products to end-users or
customers.