Testing Software

As with the hardware test process, the software test process begins by populating the OAT with the functionality to be tested. Be sure to identify all the aspects of each software application that needs to be tested. For example, if you have an HR application that integrates with a back end database and exposes information in that database to users via the corporate intranet, your list might include:

• User identification —Does the application properly pull user identification from Active Directory?

• Security context —Does the application retrieve the proper access rights for the user from Active Directory? If appropriate, does the application integrate with Kerberos to utilize Kerberos authentication for resource access?

• Network impact —What impact does the application have on network traffic?

• Windows 2000 compatibility —Will the application function properly in a Windows 2000 operating system environment?

When identifying applications to test, be sure to consider all the applications in the environment, including all desktop productivity applications, all server applications, and all homegrown applications that might be in production in each of the LOB environments.