Integration testing is a software testing level that verifies the proper functioning and interaction between interconnected modules or components to identify and address issues arising from their integration.
Integration testing verifies that the interfaces and interactions between units or components are correctly implemented and that data flows seamlessly between them. It ensures that the integrated system meets the functional and non-functional requirements, such as proper data exchange, error handling, security, and performance.
Different approaches can be used for integration testing, such as top-down, bottom-up, or sandwich testing. These approaches determine the sequence in which the units or components are integrated and tested. Integration testing may involve using stubs and drivers to simulate the behavior of missing or dependent components, ensuring that the testing process remains isolated and independent.
By conducting integration testing, teams can catch integration issues, such as incompatible interfaces, data inconsistencies, or communication problems, before deploying the software to production. Integration testing helps to validate the overall system's behavior and reliability, ensuring that all the integrated components work together harmoniously.
Who:
- Quality Engineer
When:
- Integration testing is typically performed after completing unit and component testing. It focuses on verifying the interactions and interfaces between different units or components of the software.
Tools/Technology
- qTest: A test management tool that facilitates the organization and tracking of acceptance test cases and results.
- JIRA: A project management and issue-tracking tool that can be utilized for managing acceptance testing tasks, test cases, and defects.
- UTAF/Selenium: It can perform integration testing of web applications by simulating user interactions across multiple components or modules.
- Apache JMeter: A tool commonly used for performance and load testing, it can also be utilized for integration testing by simulating concurrent requests to multiple components.
- SOAPUI: A tool specifically designed for testing SOAP and REST web services, it facilitates testing integration points between different services or APIs.
- Postman: Similar to component testing, Postman can be used for integration testing by verifying the interactions and data flow between different APIs or services.
