Prioritizing Test Cases Using Business CriticalityTest Value

Abstract

Software maintenance is an important and costly activity of the software development lifecycle. Regression testing is the process of validating modifications introduced in a system during software maintenance. It is very inefficient to re-execute every test case in regression testing for small changes. This issue of retesting of software systems can be handled using a good test case prioritization technique. A prioritization technique schedules the test cases for execution so that the test cases with higher priority executed before lower priority. The objective of test case prioritization is to detect fault as early as possible. Early fault detection can provide a faster feedback generating a scope for debuggers to carry out their task at an early stage. Model Based Prioritization has an edge over Code Based Prioritization techniques. The issue of dynamic changes that occur during the maintenance phase of software development can only be addressed by maintaining statistical data for system models, change models and fault models. In this paper we present a novel approach for test case prioritization by evaluating the Business Criticality Value (BCV) of the various functions present in the software using the statistical data. Then according to the business criticality value of various functions present in the change and fault model we prioritize the test cases are prioritized.