Since the shift of telecom sector to computer network and digital medium, telecommunication sector has undergone a major software transformation. Telecom started depending on the various types of software components to deliver many services like routing and switching, VoIP broadband access, etc. Hence, that telecom testing has become an inevitable process.
In this tutorial, we will learn-
- What is Domain in Testing?
- Why Domain Knowledge Matters?
- Business Processes in Telecom Industry
- Typical Telecom Business Process
- Types of Protocols used in Telecom Industry
- Testing LifeCycle in the Telecom Industry
- Types of Testing Performed on Telecom Software
- Sample TestCases for Telecom Testing
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What is Domain in Testing?
Domain is nothing but the industry for which the software testing project is created. When we talk about software project or development, this term is often referred. For example, Insurance domain, Banking domain, Retail Domain, Telecom Domain, etc.
Usually while developing any specific domain project, domain expert help is sought out. Domain expert are master of the subject and he may know the inside-out of the product or application.
Why Testing Domain Knowledge Matters?
Domain knowledge is quintessential for testing any software product, and it has its own benefits like
Business Processes in Telecom Industry
For telecom testing end-to-end service verification is important. To ensure efficient testing a good understanding of different Business process is a must.
You need to understand each stage of service deliverability before drafting the test cases.
Telecom services are either based on a business support system that includes IVR's, Call Centers, generating invoices, etc. or an operation support system that includes routers, switches, cell towers, etc.
The following table shows what activities are performed at different levels
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| Ordering |
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| Provisioning |
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| Billing |
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| Service Assurance |
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| Inventory Systems |
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| Tracking |
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Typical Telecom Business Process
Following is a typical business process in the Telecom Industry.
Types of Protocols used in Telecom Industry
Here the popular protocols used in the Telecom industry
- VoIP technologies: VoIP, IMS, MPLS, ISDN, PSTN
- Signaling and Protocols: SIP, ISDN, Codecs, H.323
- Wireless technologies: GPRS, CDMA, GSM, UMTS
- Network Management: SNMP
- Layer 2 Protocols: ARP, STP, L2TP, PPP
- Layer 3 protocols/routing: ICMP, BGP, ISIS, MPLS
- Infrastructure/Security: ATM, TCP/IP, LAN/VLAN, SSH
You can learn more about Protocol Testing here
Testing LifeCycle in the Telecom Industry
The Test Lifecycle in the telecom industry is similar to that of any other industry but with a stress on details. Here is how the test lifecycle looks like along with the test artifacts.
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Types of Testing Performed on Telecom Software
- Interconnection Testing
- Conformance Testing
- IVR Testing
- Performance Testing
- Security Testing
- Interoperability Testing
- Protocol Testing
- Functional Testing
- Automation Testing
Sample TestCases for Telecom Testing
In Telecom Testing, one must consider testing following
| Billing System |
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| Application Testing |
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| OSS-BSS Testing |
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| Conformance Testing |
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| IVR Testing |
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Summary
The telecom service is a very broad field consists of various component including cables, networks, signals, protocols, etc. and their testing requires broad range of testing techniques, so the choice of testing techniques and strategy highly depends on what component of telecom is tested.
The test requirement, scope, test scenarios, testing techniques, testing tools, etc. varies with the type of testing involves, it can be protocol testing for VoIP or wireless device testing for CDMA. The tutorial gives basic but complete overview of how telecom testing can be performed and discuss various prospects that are crucial for telecom testing.
