Software Testing

All development and testing is accomplished on a developmental system that is separate from the deployed production system. All Information Assurance (IA) patches or Information System Vulnerability Alerts (IAVA) are installed and tested on the developmental system to determine potential impacts to databases, applications, portal operation, and network compatibility and to identify any specific compliance issues with the IAVA. If any issues are detected through testing that require software or network configuration change, a technical ECP is developed that specifies the impact to the system and recommendations with a scope of resources required and a schedule of completion.

With respect to the formal ECP process, once an ECP(s) is completed both functional, interface, file transfer, database and stress testing are scheduled on the development system using the ECP changes as applied to the production system baseline. Once all testing has been successfully completed and validation/verification is approved, a new Appendix to the current system Authorization to Operate (ATO) will be drafted and finalized for approval. Once the ATO has been obtained, the development system version of the software will be migrated to the production system, all users will be informed and encouraged to provide any comments back through the Wiki.