Service transition processes
4 Service transition processes
4.5 SERvICE vALIDATIOn AnD TESTIng
4.5.5.7 Test clean up and closure
Ensure that the test environments are cleaned up or initialized. Review the testing approach and identify improvements to input to design/build, buy/build decision parameters and future testing policy/procedures.
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4.5.6 Triggers, inputs, outputs and interfaces
4.5.6.1 Trigger
The trigger for testing is a scheduled activity on a release plan, test plan or quality assurance plan.
4.5.6.2 Inputs
The key inputs to the process are:
■ The service design package This defines the agreed requirements of the service, expressed in terms of the service model and service operation plan. It includes:
● The service charter, which defines the requirements from the business/customer for the service, including a description of the expected utility and warranty from the perspective of outcomes, assets and patterns of business activity of customers (PBA)
● Service provider interface definitions, which define the interfaces to be tested at the boundaries of the service being delivered, e.g. process interfaces, organizational interfaces
● Operation models (including support resources, escalation procedures and critical situation handling procedures)
Test strategy Test standards Reusable test models SDP – Portfolios,
models, architecture, SAC
Prepare test model
Perform tests and record results
Resolve incidents/
issues and mitigate
risks Exit criteria
met?
Incident/issue/
risk Start
End SKMS/CMS
Issue/risk management
Incident and problem management
Change and configuration management managementTest
CMS
No
No Yes
Yes
Figure 4.32 Performing test activities – an example
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| Service transition processes● Capacity/resource model and plans –
combined with performance and availability aspects
● Financial/economic/cost models (with TCO, TCU)
● Service management model (e.g. integrated process model as in ISO/IEC 20000)
● Test conditions and expected results
● Design and interface specifications
● Release and deployment plans, which define all stages of the build, test and deployment of a release
● Acceptance criteria – these exist at all levels at which testing and acceptance are foreseen
■ RFCs These instigate required changes to the environment within which the service functions or will function.
4.5.6.3 Outputs
The direct output from testing is the report delivered to change evaluation (see section 4.6).
This sets out:
■ Configuration baseline of the testing environment
■ Testing carried out (including options chosen and constraints encountered)
■ Results from those tests
■ Analysis of the results, e.g. comparison of actual results with expected results, risks identified during testing activities.
After the service has been in use for a reasonable time, there should be sufficient data to perform an evaluation of the actual versus predicted service capability and performance. If the change evaluation is successful, an evaluation report is sent to change management with a recommendation to promote the service release out of early life support and into normal operation.
Other outputs include:
■ Updated data, information and knowledge to be added to the service knowledge management system, e.g. errors and workarounds, testing techniques, analysis methods
■ Test incidents, problems and error records
■ Entries in the CSI register to address potential improvements in any area that impacts on testing:
● To the testing process itself
● To the nature and documentation of the service design outputs
■ Third-party relationships, suppliers of
equipment or services, partners (co-suppliers to end customers), users and customers or other stakeholders.
4.5.6.4 Interfaces
Testing supports all of the release and deployment management steps within service transition.
Release and deployment management is
responsible for ensuring that appropriate testing takes place, but the actual testing is carried out as part of the service validation and testing process.
The output of service validation and testing is a key input to change evaluation, and must be provided at an appropriate time and in a suitable format to enable changes to be evaluated in time for change management decision-making.
Although this section focuses on the application of testing within the service transition stage of the service lifecycle, the test strategy will ensure that the testing process works with all stages of the lifecycle:
■ Working with service design coordination to ensure that designs are inherently testable and providing positive support in achieving this;
examples range from including self-monitoring within hardware and software, the re-use of previously tested and known service elements through to ensuring rights of access to third-party suppliers so that they can easily carry out inspection and observation on delivered service elements.
■ Working closely with CSI to feed failure information and improvement ideas resulting from testing exercises.
■ Service operation will use maintenance tests to ensure the continued efficacy of services;
these tests will require maintenance to cope with innovation and change in environmental circumstances.
■ Service strategy should accommodate testing in terms of adequate funding, resource, profile etc.
4.5.7 Information management
The nature of IT service management is repetitive, and this ability to benefit from re-use is recognized in the suggested use of transition models. Testing
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benefits greatly from re-use and to this end it is sensible to create and maintain a library of relevant tests and an updated and maintained data set for applying and performing tests. The test management group within an organization should take responsibility for creating, cataloguing and maintaining test scripts, test cases and test data that can be re-used.
Similarly, the use of automated testing tools (computer-aided software testing – CAST) is becoming ever more central to effective testing in complex software environments. Equivalently standard and automated hardware testing approaches are fast and effective.