Definitions of Test and Technology Terms

Acceptance Testing

Testing performed upon receipt of a finished product.

BIT

Built In Test

Black Box Testing

Testing a device or software module without having any knowledge of the internal design.

Boundary Conditions

Tests centered on boundaries between expected and unexpected values. If 100 is the maximum integer input for a variable, boundary tests might include 99, 100, and 101.

Build Verification Test

A cursory test of a new build. Synonymous with Smoke Test.

BVA

Boundary Value Analysis

CCB

Configuration Control Board (alternate definition, Change Control Board)

CDR

Critical Design Review

CMVC

Configuration Management and Version Control

DFL

Definitive Features List

Dry Run

An informal test run that precedes a formal test effort.

DT&E

Developmental Test and Evaluation

DVT

Design Verification Testing

ECP

Equivalence Class Partitions

EMC

Electro-Magnetic Compatibility

EMI

Electro-Magnetic Interference

EUT

Equipment Under Test

Extreme Programming

An approach to software development emphasizing open communication, simplicity of process, and quick feedback. Also written as eXtreme Programming.

FDR

Final Design Review

FQT

Formal Qualification Test

FVT

Feature Verification Test - While generally done at the system level, this term is sometimes applied to unit and integration testing.

GUI

Graphical User Interface

HAIPE

High Assurance Internet Protocol Encryptor

HAIPIS

High Assurance Internet Protocol Interoperability Specification

HIPPA

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. When used in the context of testing, this refers to testing of HIPPA transactions between health insurance applications.

HMI

Human-Machine Interface

HRR

Hardware Requirements Review

IEEE

Pronounced I-triple-E.  Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers

Integration

May refer to the process of integrating various hardware and software components into the final system configuration, or it may refer to a test process step between unit and system testing.

IR

Internal Release

IRR

Integration Readiness Review

ISO

International Standards Organization

Load Testing

Testing a system under a heavy, but reasonable system load. This type of testing is done to ensure that they system under test behaves well under a heavy system load.

MOST

Media Oriented Systems Transport - A network protocol primarily used in telematics systems. Usually laid out in a ring topology.

Objective Requirements

Requirements that may need to be met by a later release, but are only goals for the immediate release.

PDR

Preliminary Design Review

POST

Power on Self Test

Quality Assurance (QA)

A planned and systematic set of activities to ensure that variances in processes are clearly identified, assessed and resolved; including
improving defined processes for fulfilling the requirements of customers and product makers.

Quality Control (QC)

Maintenance in the standards of quality of manufactured goods.

Rainy Day Scenarios

Testing that is intended to simulate error and failure conditions.

RUP

Rational Unified Process - A proprietary suite of tools that facilitate software development.

Regression Testing

Testing of legacy features and functionality. New test cases for the current release under test will become regression tests when they are executed again on the next release.

RM

Release Media

Run for Record

A set (possibly a subset) of tests that are executed on the final version of software and hardware to be delivered.

Sanity Check

A quick test of a specific area of functionality.

SCML

Software Configuration Management Library

SDP

Software Development Plan

SEI

Software Engineering Institute

SFMEA

Software Failure Modes and Effects Analysis

Smoke Testing

A cursory test of a new build. Synonymous with Build Verification Test.

SQA

Software Quality Assurance

Stress Testing

Testing a system under an unusually large system load. The goal of stress testing is to overwhelm the system under test, and observe how it fails.

Sunny Day Scenarios

Test scenarios that simulate expected conditions and inputs.

System Test

Testing performed on the complete system configuration against the stated system requirements.

Test Method

The manner in which a requirement was verified. Also known as verification method. Common test methods include analysis, demonstration, inspection, and test.

Threshold Requirements

Requirements that need to be met by an initial release, as opposed to Objective Requirements which may not need to be immediately satisfied.

TRR

Test Readiness Review. A process milestone that precedes a formal test effort.

Unit Test

The testing of an individual component, subsystem, or module of code.

UUT

Unit Under Test

Validation

When used in the context of requirements, this refers to the process of ensuring that requirements are correct and meet the needs of the customer(s). When used to describe testing, this may refer to inspection, analysis, and fault injection techniques.

Verification

When used in the context of requirements, this refers to the process of ensuring a requirement has been properly implemented in an item under development and test. When used to describe testing, this may refer to most types of testing, including functional, static, dynamic, etc.

White Box Testing

Testing a device or software module with insight into the internal design.

  Have I missed anything? If so, let me know.