Beta Certification

Beta certification by QA means that the software is usable by customers under the normal and high probability workflow environment of the features described in the Requirements.

Phase: Beta

Purpose: Present product to external customers for environmental testing including use of intended configuration, hardware, workflow, network etc.

Entry Criteria:
• All Showstoppers, Alpha and Beta defects thrashed till specified number of days prior to the publication of the build must be fixed.
• Defects which are dependent on external implementation must have possible fix dates (before the FC date). All exceptions are in escalation with senior management.
• All Defects fixed in the prior build of Beta candidate should have appropriate action taken on them.
• All pre-release customer reported defects (Showstopper, Alpha and Beta) thrashed till specified number of days prior to publication of the build must be fixed.
• All the Gray Area tasks identified by R&D prior to Alpha build must be completed before Beta build is delivered to QA.
• Results of Performance tests are available and all Showstopper, Alpha and Beta defects have been resolved.
• QA must complete one round of site visits for predefined customers.
• QA must be able to replicate the documented customer workflow on the beta build.
• All exceptions must be approved by competent authority.
• UI specification is complete and signed off. Pixel perfect reviews are finished and all identified issues are resolved.
• Customer pre-release documentation (What to test, Known Issues, New features list, test Documents) is complete.
• The help files must be part of the Beta candidate build and must be launched from the application.
• All other documentation reviewed and final drafts must be installed by the installers. The structure of the installed build must be as per the configuration document reviewed by the stake holders.
• All test Plans and DITs reviewed and approved by R&D and PM and the test wares are updated on shared location.
• All functional requirements from PM and design doc from R&D should be up-to-date and approved.
• The MTBF (Mean Time Between failure) of the application should be more than specified number of hours.
• The UI implementation is complete in all respects.
• All localization changes (Application and XTensions) should have been completed.
• File Format should be frozen i.e. any file saved in the Beta build or later can be opened without data loss.

Activities
• Acceptance testing by QA according to following criteria:
• Successful execution of Build Acceptance tests i.e. Smoke test and Manual test.
• Acceptance results shall be published within 1 working day after receiving the Beta Build.
• Regress all OpenForQA bugs fixed for the Accepted Beta build after publishing the Acceptance test results.
• Regress all Fixed/NLI Showstopper, Alpha and Beta defects.
• Execute all the identified workflows.
• Execute one round of Structured tests and update the results on Shared location.
• Gather, document and react to the feedback from external sources.

Exit Criteria:
• The above testing methods are completed.
• If any of Showstopper, Alpha or Beta defect is rejected, it needs to be approved by PM as an exception.
• Beta build distributed to testers, including external customers.

For more software testing definitions, please go here