Dynamic testing or dynamic analysis is an intricate process of inspecting and evaluating software applications as the user uses them. In sharp contrast, static tests are conducted on an application when it is not in use. Dynamic testing evaluates the software applications that work under different environments.

Software testing is an intricate process of inspecting, evaluating and examining software during and after the developmental process. However, dynamic test is very important to evaluate software, before its release to market, so that you can verify that all its features are working. You may also need to ensure that there are no bugs or errors and that the users will not encounter any problems.

The basic principle behind dynamic testing is very simple. It involves working a test on the software to check, if it produces the desired output based on the inputs fed. Dynamic testing method gives way to different offshoots of testing methods. These tests may include integration tests, system tests, and unit tests.

What does dynamic testing do?

Dynamic tests ensure that software will function during installation, and right through its life cycle soon after its installation at the user’s end. To create a stable piece of software, you will need to conduct dynamic testing. Therefore, it is very essential for you to  create or find a facility that provides you the capability for conducting proper testing.

Important requirements needed for the testing include the test analysis equipment to test the correlation capabilities of the software and a multi-reference modal. There are varied requirements that a laboratory should have when they conduct dynamic testing. Some testing facilities provide you transportable equipments, so that they can be dynamically tested either inside the laboratory or in the external environment. Other equipments include repetitive tests equipments that can test the software’s correlation abilities.

The testers who handle dynamic testing should have the required knowledge, extensive experience, competency and skills. With the right type of skills and knowledge, testers can easily solve any problems as and when they arise. They can also create a sturdy and efficient test designs that would be useful in any type of real-time situations.

The equipments used in dynamic testing laboratories should be transferable, so that you conduct the dynamic test both inside the laboratory and out of it. There are many automated equipments that have the ability to perform repetitive tasks which are associated with the dynamic testing.

Apart from the above-mentioned equipments, you will also need to have a wide range of spectrum tools and equipments like analyzers, different sensors, and shakers. Having sophistical testing software with the latest capabilities will enable the software to be presented to the IDEAS, Matlabs, and other kinds of applications.

Different kinds of dynamic testing

Different kinds of tests are available to determine the dynamic properties of the software. For example, modal testing can be used to characterize the frequencies of the software concerning modal mass, shapes, and even modal damping. This test should cover the software’s capability for parameter extraction, the pretest analysis, and test analysis correlation.

Operational testing is also possible to know and understand the measurements of the subsystems. The vibration sensitivity of the software is one of the critical aspect of dynamic testing. Another test that might play an important role in establishing software stability is the field-testing.

Dynamic testing is perhaps the most important and critical test that will help you establish the viability, life span and robustness of the software product. Make sure that you conduct this test along with other related tests to provide a great product.

Reasons for Conducting Dynamic Tests

Dynamic testing helps you to create and sell stable, long lasting software. Many reasons and causes compel you to conduct this test. The main purpose of the dynamic test is to ensure consistency to the software, so that evaluation of the software will have the similar standards. Some of the standards that need consideration include the performance level of the software, the interoperability of the standard model, and the compliance of the software to its designed purpose.

You can never ensure a foolproof and complete dynamic testing, because there are many issues that you should understand about dynamic software testing. Many times, the environment used to conduct dynamic test are not compliant to the standard that is set for dynamic testing. In fact, there are cases, when you may conduct the dynamic test with the Discrete Event Scenario (DES). While this may not be affecting the outcome by itself, it does result in duplication, which will be just a waste of effort and time.

However, you should note that it is possible that the software will become confused and misled, when the same tests are conducted repeatedly. It can either fail the dynamic test or even falsely implicate a device that is used. In fact, the software can also pass a false positive dynamic test although it does not meet the required standard.

The testers should address and tackle many loopholes and weaknesses that may still exist. However, there are ways and methods to fix them. You can run the dynamic test as a post-process validation, instead of using it as an implementation method.

Another requirement is to use attributes those are already set on specific devices. Some examples of these attributes include the source, the target, and the destination. However, the extended attributes are not really the requirements, but they can help you if you want to conduct a graded and accurate dynamic test. These extended attributes can add up to the cost of running the dynamic test.

Therefore, many companies choose to skip this process. In addition, there are other disadvantages with the usage of extended attributes, because they are prone to develop errors in the “source node” and the “destination node.” It is easy to solve this problem by terminating some of the extended attributes.

You might think that removing these attributes may be a bad idea, but it is not as significant as you think. There are actually many ways to measure the models in the dynamic test and this makes the source and destination designation as relevant as the target device.

You can also create a log entry for different events of the software, such as failure and recovery among others, to the DES log, so that you can process them for grading. After you process them, it will let you see the log events including the names and the affected interfaces. In fact, you will also be able to see the types of events that occurred and the time when it happened.

Is the dynamic testing more relevant compared to static testing? You should note that each of these tests have a different purpose. For example, the static test is usually used to analyze the different components and the resources of the application without the machine running the application. On the other hand, dynamic testing requires you to run the application, so that you will be able to see whether the software really works or not.

For this sole reason, static testing is usually the most preferred test conducted at the early stages of the software development, while the dynamic testing will be of immense use, after the software has passed the static test. The software needs to pass the static test first, because errors that may be present on the software are difficult to correct, once they are in the dynamic testing stage.

However, what is common between the dynamic test and the static test is that both of them compare the codes that are inside the software. This is to ensure that the codes comply with the standards that are set by the industry.

It is no wonder then that both the dynamic testing and the static testing are widely used in developing different types of software today, especially when a software developer wants to make sure that the software he will introduce to the market, has very high quality and professional standards. However, you should note that both the dynamic test and the static tests should be completed during the initial phases of the software development.

This approach will ensure that there are no bugs or errors when users start using the software on their systems. Some examples of software tests that the end-users may need to conduct are the alpha and the beta tests, which are usually conducted during the last stages of the software development.