Test manager: the test automation component for the maintenance of large-scale systems

Abstract

Nowadays, the information systems of large companies are quickly growing in complexity. In fact, tough new software development technologies and technical infrastructures are ever more powerful and allow higher degrees of flexibility, on the other hand this translates in a more complex solution for the final software systems and their maintainability results in a very challenging task. This is further emphasized in the cases, actually very common, where modern systems need to coexist with legacy ones. In this scenario, the testing of new functions or changes to existing ones has become a very demanding task. Netsiel has developed, and it is continuously improving, a specific methodology (SAMMIT-Software Application Maintenance Methodology and Industrial Techniques) in order to properly define the processes (tasks, roles, products, etc.) covering the entire "maintenance life-cycle" and to aid software engineers in performing all the maintenance tasks required by large and complex information systems. Moreover, the methodology itself is complemented and fully supported by a proprietary software tool, the SAMMIT WorkBench, assisting software engineers in their day-by-day maintenance operations.