3.0.1 Standards: Testing Feedback Loops

Testing Feedback Loops and Issue Reproduction

This document outlines the process for handling issues detected in the field and emphasizes the importance of reproducing these issues at the lowest possible level for efficient investigation and resolution.

Key Principles:

• Reproducibility: Issues found in higher-level testing or in the field should be reproducible at lower layers using dedicated testing suites. This allows the responsible team to effectively investigate and resolve the issue.
• Collaboration: Testing suites should be accessible to all relevant parties, including internal teams and third-party vendors, to facilitate collaborative debugging and resolution.
• Continuous Improvement: Testing suites should be continuously updated to reflect new issues and fixes. This ensures comprehensive test coverage and prevents regressions.

Feedback Loop Process:

1. Issue Detection: Issues may be identified through Level 4 or Level 5 testing, or reported from the field.
2. Initial Triage: Determine whether the issue originates from the assembled product or a specific component delivery.
3. Investigation (Component Level):
   • Attempt to reproduce the issue in lower-level tests (L2, L3).
   • Extend existing test scenarios or create new tests to reproduce the issue at the component level.
   • Commit these new tests to the relevant testing suite.
   • Provide the new test suite to the vendor for further investigation.
4. Investigation (System Level):
   • Extend L4 and L5 test cases to reproduce and narrow down the issue.
   • Commit new tests to the suite.
   • Provide the updated test suite to the appropriate team for investigation.
5. Extending Coverage:
   • Regularly review test coverage to identify gaps.
   • Extend testing suites at any level as needed to address new features or potential problem areas.

Testing Suite Management:

• All parties can contribute to the improvement of testing suites by submitting new tests or updates.
• Component owners are responsible for reviewing and approving changes to their respective testing suites.
• Testing suites are maintained with independent cadence and versioning to ensure flexibility and avoid conflicts.
• Comprehensive documentation is required for all tests, outlining the test objectives, procedures, and expected results.