What is meant by production verification testing?

Production verification is also an important part of the software testing life cycle like the other software testing methodologies but is much unheard of! Therefore we have dedicated this article entirely to the discussion about what is production verification testing? 

This software testing methodology is carried out after the user acceptance testing phase is completed successfully. The production verification testing is aimed at the simulation of the cutover of the whole production process as close to the true value as possible. 

This software testing methodology has been designed for the verification of the below mentioned aspects:

1. Business process flows
2. Proper functioning of the data entry functions
3. Proper running of any batch processes against the actual data values of the production process.

About Production Verification Testing

- Production verification testing can be thought of as an opportunity for the conduction of a full dress rehearsal of the changes in the business requirements if any. 

- The production verification is not to be confused from the parallel testing since there is a difference of the goal.

- We mean to say that the goal of the production verification testing is to verify that the data is being processed properly by the software system or application rather than comparing the results of the data handling of the new software system software or application with the current one as in the case of parallel testing. 

- For the production verification testing to commence, it is important that the documentation of the previous testings is produced and the issues and faults that were discovered then are fixed and closed.

- If there is a final opportunity for the determination of whether or not the software system or application is ready for the release, it is the production verification testing. 

- Apart from just the simulation of the actual production cut over, the real business activities are also simulated during the phase of the production verification testing. 

- Since it is the full rehearsal of the production phase and business activities, it should serve the purpose of the identification of the unexpected changes or anomalies presiding in the existing processes as a result of the production of the new software system or application which is currently under the test. 

- The importance of this software testing technique cannot be overstated in the case of the critical software applications.

- For the production verification testing, the testers need to remove or uninstall the software system or application from the testing environment and reinstall it again as it will be installed in the case of the production implementation.

- This is for carrying out a mock test of the whole production process, since such kind of mock tests help a lot in the verification of the interfaces, existing business flows. 

- The batch processes continue to execute alongside those mock tests. 

- This is entirely different from the parallel testing in which both the new and the old systems run besides each other.

- Therefore in parallel testing, the mock testing is not an option to provide accurate results for the data handling issues since the source data or data base has a limited access. 

Entry and Exit Criterion for Production Verification Testing

Here we list some of the entry and exit criteria of the production verification testing:

Entry criteria:

1. The completion of the User acceptance testing is over and has been approved by all the involved parties.
2. The documentation of the known defects is ready.
3. The documentation of the migration package has been completed, reviewed and approved by all the parties and without fail by the production systems manager.

Exit Criteria:

1. The processing of the migration package is complete.
2. The installation testing has been performed and its documentation is ready and signed off.
3. The documentation of the mock testing has been approved and reviewed.
4. A record of the system changes has been prepared and approved.