Age Testing in Software

Prerequisite – Software Testing

Age Testing:
Age testing is a type of software testing that is performed to evaluate the system’s performance in the future means this testing tells how the system will behave in the future after its getting older or after being used for a certain period of years. With the help of Age testing, the ability of future performance is evaluated. When different types of software testing are performed by the tester team during that period Age testing is also performed. Age testing is an approach to knowing the durability of the system/software. This age testing report not only helps in detecting the future performance of the system but also helps in future improvement of the system. Based on the Age testing report new modifications, updates, and features are also added accordingly.

Defect Age is the basis on which Age testing is performed. So before knowing about Defect Age, let’s first know what is referred to as Age in a system/software then we will know about Defect Age in software. 

Age:
In this world, everything that may be a living entity or a non-living entity has an age of sustainability. After a certain period, everything comes to the end of its life with variation in performance. Similarly, a software/system has its time of sustainability. So, due to aging software lacks in performance and different defects arise. 

There are different problems associated with aging of software like

• Supportability
• Security of software
• Obsolete libraries and packages

Defect Age:
A defect is something in which a software behaves abnormally. Defects are identified and fixed also by following a Defect/Bug Life Cycle. So, a defect has also an age. The Defect Age is calculated based on two factors/parameters i.e.

• Time
• Phase

1. Defect Age in Time:
Defect Age in Time is the difference between the time of defect detection and defect fixing. This means when the testing team identified the defect and when the defect is fixed. The defect fix date may be the last date on which it is fixed or the current date if still, the defect is open/unsolved. Mainly this defect age is calculated in days or in hours.

Defect Age in Time = Defect Fix/Solve Date (OR Current Date) – Defect Detection/Identification Date

For example, a defect was identified on 5/11/20 and the defect was fixed on 20/11/20. So, the defect age is 15 days. 

2. Defect Age in Phase:
Defect Age in Phase is the difference between the phases of the defect injection phase and a defect detection phase. This means in which phase the defect is identified and on which phase the defect is introduced/originated. Here the phase refers to the different phases of SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle).

Defect Age in Phase = Defect Detection/Identification Phase – Defect Injection/Originate Phase

For example, a defect was identified in Integration Testing Phase but the defect was introduced in the Coding phase. So, the defect age is 2. 

Where SDLC phases are like :

1. Requirements Development
2. Design
3. Coding
4. Unit Testing
5. Integration Testing
6. System Testing
7. Acceptance Testing
8. Maintenance

Defect Spoilage:
Defect spoilage refers to the factors for which it becomes very difficult to identify and debug a defect for the tester. A high defect spoilage value means that defect detection is so difficult and a lower defect spoilage value means that defect detection is easy to detect and debug. 

It can be calculated by:

Defect spoilage = (Total number of defects in one phase * defect discover phase)/ Total number of defects found.