Capability Pattern: Solution Test

The Solution Test process exists to validate prior to deployment that the solution and its features conform to design specifications and requirements. It also verifies that interim work products exist and conform to standards.

Testing is performed throughout the entire life cycle of the solution, including post-deployment.

Outcomes

As a result of the successful implementation of this process:

Solution functionality is verified and documented
The actual characteristics and behavior of the solution are well known. Any differences with the solution requirements and agreed design specifications are reported.
Solution defects are identified before the decision is made to migrate to the production environment
Developers and stakeholders receive thorough quantitative and qualitative assessments of solution quality. (It is intended that the developers and stakeholders take some action as a result of having received this information.)
Stakeholder expectations match solution characteristics.

Scope

The ITIL® Service Transition book provides useful discussion and examples. See the discussions around the service V-model.¹

Includes

All types of testing, such as:
- Unit testing
- Integration testing
- Acceptance testing
- Usability testing
- Operability testing
- Security testing
- Regression testing
Test case development
Generating test results
Managing the documentation of the test results
Satisfying the requirements of the test management checklist

Excludes

Fixing errors (depending on the nature of the error, this could involve any combination of Solution Requirements, Solution Analysis and Design, Solution Development and Integration)
Design for testability (Solution Analysis and Design)
Knowledge management
Gaining acceptance (Solution Acceptance)
Piloting (Deployment Management)
Auditing (Solution Acceptance)

¹ITIL Service Design, figures 4.21 and 4.30