Smoke Testing Method

A Smoke Testing Method is a preliminary build verification software testing method that verifies core software functionality after software deployment or software changes.

• AKA: Build Verification Testing Method, Confidence Testing Method, Sanity Check Method.
• Context:
  • It can typically verify Core System Functionality through critical path execution.
  • It can typically detect Major Software Defects through shallow test coverage.
  • It can typically ensure Software Build Stability through basic operation verification.
  • It can typically validate Deployment Success through essential service checks.
  • It can typically confirm System Readiness through primary feature testing.
  • ...
  • It can often enable Early Problem Detection in the software development life cycle.
  • It can often reduce Testing Costs through quick failure identification.
  • It can often support Continuous Integration Pipelines through automated build validation.
  • It can often improve Software Release Confidence through rapid stability assessment.
  • ...
  • It can range from being a Manual Smoke Testing Method to being an Automated Smoke Testing Method, depending on its testing execution approach.
  • It can range from being a Minimal Smoke Testing Method to being a Comprehensive Smoke Testing Method, depending on its testing coverage scope.
  • It can range from being a UI-Focused Smoke Testing Method to being an API-Focused Smoke Testing Method, depending on its testing interface target.
  • ...
  • It can utilize Automated Testing Tools such as Selenium Framework, Cypress Framework, or Playwright Framework.
  • It can employ Test Scripts for repeatable test execution.
  • It can generate Smoke Test Reports for build quality decisions.
  • It can integrate with CI/CD Pipelines for continuous quality monitoring.
  • It can establish Go/No-Go Decisions for subsequent testing phases.
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • Cloud System Smoke Testing Methods, such as:
    • AWS Deployment Smoke Testing Method that verifies EC2 instances, S3 buckets, and API Gateway endpoints.
    • Kubernetes Cluster Smoke Testing Method that validates pod deployments, service connectivity, and ingress configurations.
    • Microservices Smoke Testing Method that checks service registry, API endpoints, and inter-service communication.
  • Web Application Smoke Testing Methods, such as:
    • E-commerce Platform Smoke Testing Method that tests user login, product search, and checkout process.
    • Banking Application Smoke Testing Method that verifies authentication systems, account access, and transaction capability.
    • SaaS Application Smoke Testing Method that validates tenant isolation, core feature access, and data persistence.
  • Mobile Application Smoke Testing Methods, such as:
    • iOS App Smoke Testing Method that checks app installation, push notifications, and core navigation.
    • Android App Smoke Testing Method that verifies permission handling, offline capability, and background services.
    • Cross-Platform App Smoke Testing Method that tests platform-specific features and unified functionality.
  • API Service Smoke Testing Methods, such as:
    • REST API Smoke Testing Method that validates endpoint availability, authentication flow, and basic CRUD operations.
    • GraphQL API Smoke Testing Method that checks schema validation, query execution, and mutation handling.
    • gRPC Service Smoke Testing Method that verifies service definitions, connection establishment, and streaming capability.
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • Unit Testing Methods, which focus on individual component testing rather than system-wide functionality verification.
  • Integration Testing Methods, which perform detailed interface testing rather than basic functionality checks.
  • Regression Testing Methods, which execute comprehensive test suites rather than minimal critical tests.
  • Performance Testing Methods, which measure system performance metrics rather than functional availability.
  • Security Testing Methods, which assess security vulnerabilitys rather than basic operational readiness.
• See: Software Testing Method, Build Verification Test, Continuous Integration, Test Automation Framework, Software Quality Assurance Task, Acceptance Testing Task.

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