System Integration Testing Part I

In this blog I will discuss how to perform web services testing. To test web services one should know about

• What is XML
• What are web services

What is XML

• XML stands for Extensible Markup Language
• XML is a markup language much like HTML
• XML was designed to carry data, not to display data
• XML tags are not predefined. You must define your own tags
• XML is designed to be self-descriptive
• XML is a W3C Recommendation

Web Services Overview
Web services are distributed application components that are externally available. You can use them to integrate computer applications that are written in different languages and run on different platforms. Web services are language and platform independent because vendors have agreed on common web service standards.
There are three type of Web services platform elements:

• SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol)
• WSDL (Web Services Description Language)

SOAP
SOAP is an XML-based protocol to let applications exchange information over HTTP.
Or more simple: SOAP is a protocol for accessing a Web Service.

• SOAP stands for Simple Object Access Protocol
• SOAP is a communication protocol
• SOAP is a format for sending messages
• SOAP is designed to communicate via Internet
• SOAP is platform independent
• SOAP is language independent
• SOAP is based on XML
• SOAP is simple and extensible
• SOAP allows you to get around firewalls
• SOAP is a W3C standard

WSDL
WSDL is an XML-based language for locating and describing Web services.

• WSDL stands for Web Services Description Language
• WSDL is based on XML
• WSDL is used to describe Web services
• WSDL is used to locate Web services
• WSDL is a W3C standard

How to test Web Services
There is not interface available to test web services. In some case you have the interface but in normal cases you don’t have any interface. Following are few testing techniques that can be used for web services testing.
Testing Techniques

• Functional testing
• Regression testing
• Security Testing
• Load/stress testing
• Monitoring

Tools than can be used for Web Services Testing

• SOAPUI
• LOADUI

Challenges in testing web services
Like all software, web services need to be tested. Like websites, they are often highly visible, so they need to be very robust.  Some example of challenge’s are

• No Graphical User Interface available to test web services
• Troubleshooting of issues not an easy job
• Security Issues
• Performance Issues

In next blog we will discuss these testing techniques in details. Your feedback will be highly appreciated

Reference:  “w3schools“