Database Fundamentals for Test Engineers (CSTP Elective) or (CTM Elective)

This tutorial covers the Elective area of the Test Management Body of Knowledge (TMBOK) required for the Certified Test Manager (CTM) certification. This tutorial also covers the Elective area of the Certified Software Test Professional requirements.

For cost and cities where this course might be offered, check our Public Training Schedule.To bring this course to your test team at your location, contact our Education and Professionals Services Group.

Concepts

Knowledge is power and the data is what creates the knowledge. We need to know how to store it and how to retrieve it in order to be effective in testing the data flow through a system. In this section we will discuss what a database is, why it's used and how to use it. We'll touch on a little bit of SQL, although this isn't a class on SQL. SQL can be a major tool for verifying the data that you are processing during testing. Throughout this course we'll look at database design issues and how they affect the testing requirements.

Outline

• What is a database?
1. Flat files
2. Hierarchical databases
3. Relational databases
• Why use one?
1. Data integrity
2. Data accessibility
3. Predicting the future
• Database tools
1. RAD DBMS tools
2. SQL
   1. What is SQL?
   2. SQL general info
• Identifying the data
  1. Data types and how to define them
  2. Numbers, strings and others
• Organizing the data
  1. Who needs what, when
  2. Schemas and tables
  3. Rows and columns
• Creating the database
  1. Database design
     1. Specifics to consider
     2. Tools to use
  2. Creating tables
     1. Understanding data relationships
     2. Storage for efficiency and ease
     3. Identifying and creating keys and indices
  3. Example walkthroughs with RAD and SQL
• Where's the data?
  1. Populating the database
     1. Via program
     2. Importing
     3. Via manual input
  2. Accessing the data - Finding what you want
  3. Protecting the data
     1. "You can't touch that"
     2. SQL transactions
• SQL in the modern world
  1. ODBC and JDBC
  2. Triggers and cursors
  3. Stored modules
  4. Handling errors
• Database technology and how it relates to QA
  1. The data is what it's all about
  2. Integrity of data handling
     1. Inputs
     2. Retrievals
     3. Updates
     4. Deletions
• Performance and recoverability testing issues
• Error handling testing issues
• QA involvement during design
  1. Are you the middleman?
  2. Maintain the "Big Picture" view
  3. Expectations for technical input and understanding