Understanding Non-functional Testing | What Is Non-functional Testing ?

Non-Functional Testing:

Non-functional testing, commonly known as behavioral testing, focuses on the verification of non-functional requirements of an application with respect to functionality. It ensures that the system's behavior is verifiable against specifications other than what is typically the case in functional testing.

Non-functional system testing is a testing technique that exercises the non-functional features of both the computer system and the software application. Whereas functional testing ensures that the systems functionalities like data creation, updating, deletion or event handling are testing, non-functional testing tests qualities like speed, ease of use, stability, and capacity among others. There are several targets: to make sure that the software satisfies some conditions and runs fine in different circumstances. Here are some key areas covered by non-functional testing:

1. Performance Testing: Instruments that evaluate the behavior of the system to a specific parameter or load so as to test its response to extreme conditions such as load testing.
2. Usability Testing: Checks how convenient the application is to use in order to determine if it can be characterized as user-friendly one.
3. Reliability Testing: Validates that the system supports an operation with designated reliability in designated conditions sustained for a given period.
4. Scalability Testing: Tests the perfect scalability of the system or whether it can expand to the need for more employees or contract, depending on the workload.
5. Security Testing: Validates the defense-to-impede capability and ensures that the system remains operational as planned.
6. Compatibility Testing: Maximizes the usability of the software in different settings, for example, several OS, browsers, and devices.
7. Compliance Testing: Conveys an assurance that the system enforces the standards and regulations specific to the respective franchise.
8. Localization Testing: Checks that the layout, text, captions, Help system, and user experience have been localized appropriately to various languages, geographical locations, and cultures.

Non-functional testing can also be described as a very important component of software testing, necessary for the creation of the high-quality software product, which complies with the customers’ requirement and is working in real-life conditions.

Objectives of Non-functional Testing:

Non-functional testing offers several objectives:

• Performance Evaluation:
• Evaluate system behavior and performance when it operates at a normal rate or when it carries a heavy load.
• Synchronization for monitoring the response time of the system and throughput rate of accepted amounts of business load, with acceptable use of operating resources.
• Usability Assessment:
• Make sure that anyone who is to attempt the application should do so with ease.
• Confirm that all the elements of UI are aligned and that the user has an easy time interacting with the interface.
• Reliability Verification:
• Ensure that the system can run with out breaking for a given number of hours.
• Test what is happening in case of the system failure and whether the system is capable of working the same way when that happens.
• Scalability Analysis:
• Find out whether the system possesses this capability, whether it can easily expand or contract to be prepared for heavier or lighter workloads.
• Determine the effectiveness of the proposed or existing system in sustaining quality rates at different degrees of load.
• Security Testing:
• Make sure the application is shielded from such issues as screening attacks and other infringement.
• Data must be protected from unauthorized access while remaining accessible to those who need it.
• Compatibility Testing:
• Ensure the software is fully functional regardless of the environment it is operating in, as this might range from different operating systems, browsers, and even devices.
• Confirm that they are compatible with other programs or systems that may be used in the same workplace.
• Compliance Verification:
• The system should also ensure that regulations, laws, and standards relevant to the projects are followed.
• Ensure that the application was designed and developed following compliance standards relevant to the industry.
• Localization and Internationalization:
• It should be equally important that the right version of the software is being used for each language, area, and culture which it is being used in.
• Ensure that the application responds to different languages and can be used in different regions and localities.
• Maintainability and Portability:
• Reflect the simplicity of maintaining the established system to perform minor and major update and modifications.
• Ensure that the concerned application provides smooth mobility between the environments.
• Resource Utilization:
• Asses how the system thereby utilizes resources if Broad: CPU, memory and disk space.
• The vital importance of resource matching and maximization should also be considered.

Non-functional Testing Techniques:

The following techniques are used in non-functional testing:

• Compatibility Testing
• Compliance Testing
• Endurance Testing
• Load Testing
• Performance Testing
• Recovery Testing
• Security Testing
• Scalability Testing
• Stress Testing
• Usability Testing
• Volume Testing
• Failover Testing
• Portability Testing
• Reliability Testing
• Baseline Testing
• Documentation Testing
• Localization Testing
• Internationalization Testing

Key Parameters to be Evaluated in Non-functional Testing:

In non-functional testing, several cruciality's are tested to ascertain that a software application would optimally perform, is easy to use, and is very reliable among other factors. Here are the primary parameters:

• Performance:
• Response Time: The response time is the amount of time the system takes to process and provide a response to a user or system query/request.
• Throughput: The volume of data analysed by the system at any given time or in a given period of time.
• Load Handling: They have to be seated and tested against the expected load of concurrent users/transactions.
• Stress Handling: Understanding the Steady state response such as response during periods of high usage or with limited resources.
• Usability:
• Ease of Use: How friendly the interface it has bearing in mind the administration and operation of the system.
• User Interface Design: Ease and efficiency of the layouts of the tools and systems used.
• Accessibility: The readiness of the system for people with certain disabilities.
• Consistency: The coherence of the system and or the various aspects of the user interface and the interactions.
• Reliability:
• Failure Rate: The rates at which failures occur in the system concerned.
• Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF): Total time in which the system can run without experiencing any failure.
• Recovery Time: The ability of the system to get back online once a failure has occurred or the time it takes for the system to reboot.
• Data Integrity: They can also measure up to the quality of the data that the system has stored and processed in different quantitative ways.
• Scalability:
• Vertical Scalability: The provision for enhancing capacity through the addition of more resources in a system for instance, CPU, memory among others.
• Horizontal Scalability: Economies of scale: The capacity to enhance productivity through using more machines or systems in the production line.
• Elasticity: The modularity that can be brought about in the system in relation to the workloads to be handled in terms of resource allotment and release.
• Security:
• Authentication: The act of confirming individuals’ identities in order to allow them to access various products and services.
• Authorization: The act of ensuring that only the developed right or permissions for authenticated users are legitimate.
• Encryption: This refers to measures that help to shield the information in question through utilization of various codes.
• Vulnerability Management: A proper consideration of facets concerning the security issue of the system and the aptitude of the system in dealing with such issues.
• Compatibility:
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: This is a summary of the features that affect the operation of the system when executing its tasks in various operating systems.
• Browser Compatibility: The performance of the system in one web browser and another i. e. capability of the system across the various web browsers.
• Device Compatibility: The usability of the system with different devices it is to be implemented such as desktop, tablets, Smart phones etc.
• Compliance:
• Regulatory Compliance: Originally, compliance with the laws, rules, and regulations usually prescribed in each specific field or industry.
• Standard Compliance: Conformity with detectable routine or certain procedures or guidelines.
• Localization and Internationalization:
• Localization: The system’s installation has practical application for fitting into specific regional settings, such as language, dates, locales, and other cultural characteristics.
• Internationalization: That the system is not limited to only one or two countries or it has not been designed to support only several languages.
• Maintainability:
• Code Quality: This is especially true when these components require complex and large-scale implementation of the codebase that determines the quality and readability of the entire program.
• Modularity: The possibility of the breaking down of the system into sub systems and interchanging them while getting the same output.
• Testability: The flexibility of the system ensues in terms of testing for defects present within the software.
• Resource Utilization:
• CPU Usage: The quantity of processes and instructions per unit of time that the system require the central processing unit’s operation.
• Memory Usage: This is the amount of memory required to run the system on the computer without any CPU usage by other programs.
• Disk Space Usage: It indicates total disk space consumed by the operating system on disk drive.
• Network Usage: The tendency of the system to occupy a large measure of the available network bandwidth.

A key set of parameters is thus tested by non-functional testing to ensure that a software application is not just capable of meeting functional operational requirements but also could perform optimally in conditions other than those discussed in functional requirements.

Benefits of Non-functional Testing:

Non-functional testing can lead to several benefits, among which are:

- Improved performance.

- Time efficiency.

- Enhanced user experience.

- Enhanced security.

Limitations of Non-functional Testing:

There is also a limitation of non-functional testing, that is:

- Repetitive testing requirements.

- Higher expenses occur when there are software updates.

Non-functional testing is a crucial part in ensuring the overall quality, reliability, and performance of software applications. While it may create certain problems, the advantages that may accrue from it are larger and make it an imperative factor to be followed in the software development process.

Here's the reference video for you to watch and better understand the topic:

Conclusion: