Verification And Validation Activities In Software Processes

Dec. 6, 2011 - PRLog -- Binary grouping of verification versus validation activities can be the reason of classifying the quality assurance activities. Validation verifies the conformance to quality expectations of customers and users owing to the presence or absence of expected features and functions.

On the other hand, verification tests the conformance of software product realization against its specifications in order to make sure that it is performed right.

Validation involves connection with users and their demands and verification involves connection with internal software product specifications. In terms of the software development process various processes may deal with clients and users in various ways. Thus, various software processes may include verification and validation activities in different way.

The involvement of the users with their demands in the beginning and the end of the waterfall process is required. These stages include planning, market and requirement analysis, specification, acceptance testing, product release, support and maintenance of the released product. So these steps are a place where validation activities can focus.
For instance, all product specifications must be validated through verifications and controlled in order to satisfy customer demands. Different kinds of software testing oriented at users, such as system and acceptance testing http://qatestlab.com/services/service-models/acceptance-t..., are concentrated on the validation by checking the presence of functions and features expected by customers in the software product which is going to be delivered.

In addition, with beta testing and operational support you can be convinced that software product is validated.

Validated product is a software product which works correctly in accordance with the requirements under the application environment of the potential clients.

On the other hand, many development activities don’t require the presence of customers during the central part of waterfall process. It is necessary to follow the specifications and established rules. For instance, product design should meet the specifications of the software product, the implementation of the final product should follow the design decisions taken earlier.

The conformance of these specifications, designs, and principles is the main area of the application of different verification activities. For instance, through checks of design documents, satisfaction of product specifications can be controlled. Program correctness can be formally achieved using formal verification techniques. Software testing of units and components can be used to check the part of project by making detailed design for it.

These verification and validation http://qatestlab.com/services/our-qa-services/independent... activities can be best-represented by the V-model (variation of the waterfall process model). For instance, client demands are validated by use, while product specification and designs are verified by system, integration and component software testing.

System software testing also validates the product because the operational environment of clients is considered to be a part of the product specification or testing model.
Coding and unit testing are generally grouped in a single stage, where the code indicates the points to be verified with unit test.

Occasionally, such quality assurance activities as checks, analyses, step by step instructions and others are also associated with V-model.

Validation and verification activities can be associated with inconsistent processes such as incremental, iterative, spiral, and extreme processes. There is some level of user participation in every part or iteration. Thus, validation is more important for these processes than for waterfall process.

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QATestLab is independent, offshore software testing company located in Kiev, Ukraine. QATestLab performs testing of products on each stage of software development cycle.