A Complete Guide For Test Data Management

The software development environment is evolving so rapidly that it’s hard for businesses to keep afloat. It is important to have a proper testing plan in place in this highly competitive scenario. And there are several components to a sound testing approach, one of which is test data management. And that’s exactly what the post today is about: what, why, and how to handle test results.

We begin by addressing test data management (TDM) and then proceed to explain why it is so relevant. After that, we’re giving some basic guidance on how to implement Test data management strategy, showing the usual stages of the test data management process, and describing the activities performed in each of them.

What is Test Data Management?

Let’s start with the concept of test data management (TDM). Test data management is the process of managing the data required to satisfy the needs of automated tests, with zero (or as little) human involvement. This means that the test data management services are responsible for generating the necessary test data according to the needs of the tests. It should also ensure that the data are of the highest quality possible. 

Bad quality test data is worse than no data at all because it will yield results that cannot be trusted. Fidelity is another essential criterion for test data. In other words, it should be as similar as possible to the actual data contained on the production servers. Finally, the TDM process must also ensure the availability of test data. It’s not a good idea to provide high-quality data that is as practical as possible but doesn’t get to test cases when it’s needed. We may therefore conclude that the test data management process has three key objectives: to provide high-quality, practical, and usable test data.

Also Read: What Is Test Data?

Why does the Data Management Test Matter?

In the previous section, we described the management of test data and briefly covered the motivation behind its use. We’re going to cover those motivations in greater detail now.

1. Automated Testing Need Quality Data

If you feed bad feedstock to any industrial process, the result will be subpar. If you supply bad materials to a skilled craftsman, they will probably get a better result than a less talented worker, but they can only go so far. The same is true for research. It doesn’t matter how brilliant your test plan is. If you feed it with bad data, you’ll get bad results every time. Not taking care of the accuracy of your test data is throwing money away. All the investments made in your research plan will have been for nothing.

2. Available Data for Automated Testing

Another main duty of TDM is to ensure the availability of test data. Your data may be of the best standard quality imaginable, but if it’s not there when it’s needed, it’s worthless. The only thing that would certainly be worse would be to have low-quality but readily available data. So, high-quality, high-availability data is the only outcome we can settle for. 

3. You Want to Follow The Rules on Data

The previous section ended by discussing the possibility of disclosure of confidential client data. This is not something you’re going to take lightly. On the contrary: the disclosure of sensitive data may result in catastrophic damage to the company.

4. You Want to Find Bugs as Early as Possible

The faster you find a flaw, the cheaper it will be to patch it. Having a solid test data management process means that the whole automated testing process is running smoothly, this improves the possibility of finding more bugs sooner.

Top Test Data Management Tools

Here is a list of the Popular Test Data Management Software:

1. DATPROF is a top-of-the-line tool that offers data masking, synthesized test data creation, test data subsetting technologies, and a test data distribution framework. DATPROF claimed that there is no need for complex tools for the management of test data. All of our customers enjoy the simplicity of our applications and the amazing technology that solves the required test data issues.
2. Informatica Test Data Management Platform is a leading tool that offers automatic data subsetting, data masking, data connectivity, and data generation testing features. Critical data positions are automatically listed. It meets the rising demand for test results.
3. CA Test Data Manager is another top tool that offers high-quality synthetic data generation solutions. The architecture of this tool is very versatile and simplifies the test features. It is the result of CA technology. It acquires the Grid-Tools DataMaker. It’s also called Agile Builder, DataFinder, Quick DataMaker, DataMaker.
4. Compuware’s Test Data Tool is another common testing tool that offers optimized test data for mgt. We can easily generate test data through this method. The tool provides for masking, translating, producing, aging, analyzing, and validating test results. The new feature of the tool is that it fulfills all the specifications of the mainframe test.
5. IBM InfoSphere Optim has a built-in workflow as well as on support services. This feature helps with continuous testing and agile software development. The tool offers significant data testing, uses the right-sized test databases to simplify and automate the mgt test data process.
6. The Delphix Research Data Tool offers high quality and faster testing. During creation, testing, training, or reporting, duplicate data is exchanged throughout the entire process. This data sharing is called virtualization of data or virtual data. In a few minutes, the virtual data of the tool offers total, full-size, and real data sets that take very few spaces.
7. Solix Test Data Tool automatically produces test data subsets for testing, development, masking, patching, training, and outsourcing. The tool also generates and manages subsets of clone output data from large databases.

In this article, you’ve seen what the management of test data is, why you should take care of it, and how to take care of it. We began by defining the word. Then we covered the reasons behind the adoption of the test data management. After that, we’ve shown you the basics of how to apply TDM by explaining its basic steps.

Also Read: 6 Test Data Management Strategies