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MAINFRAME / COBOL /
1. PREPARE TEST DATA
In mainframe, we never do test on live data. Test data sources:
anonymized copy of real data
hand-made data
test data generator programs
filling DB2 test tables
Test data types:
valid records
invalid records
boundary values
extreme values
missing fields
faulty formats
2. TEST ENVIRONMENT
There are separate enviromments on mainframe:
DEV (development)
TEST (testing)
UAT (user acceptance test)
PROD (live)
All environments have
LOADLIB
COPYLIB
DB2 schema
VSAM file
PS dataset
JCL library
3. TESTING METHODS
3.1. MODULE TEST (UNIT TEST)
For every module a tester main program is made:
reads from PS
writes with DISPLAY
create PS logs
create PS for found errors only
EXAMPLE FOR MAIN TESTER PROGRAM:
3.2. INTEGRATION TEST
The developed main program is executed:
all modules a loaded from LOADLIB (not linked into the main program)
on test data
executed from JCL
3.3. REGRESSION TEST
If a module changes:
all tests are re-executed
comparing the output with the baseline
3.4. END-TO-END TEST
The whole process is tested:
input
processing
output
log
error file
4. TESTER TOOL KIT
DISPLAY with D indicator: mostly used. For this, compiling must happen to trigger debugging mode.
EXAMPLE FOR USING DISPLAY:
PS dataset output for writing test data:
results
errors
logs
SYSOUT; in the spool:
IGYCRCTL messages
IEWL messages
program DISPLAYs
ABEND codes (S0C7, S0C4, S0C1)
ABEND code analysis:
SYSOUT
SYSUDUMP
CEEDUMP
LE traceback
5. DEBUG MODE
In the compiler JCL the debugging mode will be enabled:
SSRANGE (runtime index check; in case of wrong index, immediate ABEND, no silently corrupting memory)
LIST (the generated machine code, the storage map and the symbol table will be visible)
LIB (library listing; easier to read)
DISPLAY (in COBOL with D indicator; debug in execution time)
EXAMPLE FOR COMPILER JCL FOR TESTING:
EXAMPLE FOR BINDER JCL:
6. LANGUAGE ENVIRONMENT (LE) DEBUG
The LE provides:
traceback
CEEDUMP
runtime diagnostics
abend analysis
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