[BI Testing] Testing Approach

BI Testing 

Testing an Oracle Business Intelligence suite Enterprise Edition (OBIEE) implementation is a unique challenge that requires specialised skills, tools and approach.  An OBIEE project can be viewed as comprising two broad components: constructing the data warehouse using extract, transform, and load (ETL) technologies and presenting of the same for analysis purposes with online analytical processing (OLAP) technologies.

Unlike other IT applications where testing is typically focused on the function of the user interface and logic flows, the criticality of data, with multiple phases of data transformation and thus potential errors, means that testing for OBIEE has to be more data detail-oriented; it calls for a thorough understanding of ETL and OLAP concepts and the underlying technologies on the part of the testers

BI Testing Challenges 

BI Testing challenges fall into a number of categories: first there is the skills gap challenge of finding people who are both familiar with BI, ETL and OLAP tools and the patience to implement complex test procedures. Then there is the need for external validation to test each step in the data chain from source to outcome. And whilst the DW/BI market is awash with tools, there are few options for automated or functional testing.

The challenges are compounded by the absence of a standard approach or methodology for DW/BI testing. And finally, there is the need to set proper expectations about the challenge of testing every possible permutation within the system, and the need to establish the general quality of data in the system.

Approach

At Acrotrend we understand that OBIEE testing is a niche skill that demands a blend of ETL/OLAP technical competency and thorough testing skills - skills that many end-user organisations do not want or cannot afford to maintain in-house. This is compounded by the fact that testing is often a "bursty" process, with periods of intense and time-critical activity punctuated by periods where relatively little changes.

The primary focus of our OBIEE testing is to ensure database structures, ETL processes, front-end access and BI reports generations processes completely support the client requirements. We focus on the verification and validation of business transformation applied on data that delivers trusted information to the users giving accurate and timely decision support. 

This testing methodology has a data driven testing framework. Key components of our approach to BI testing include:

• Test Data Preparation 
• ETL Testing   
• Data Validation
• OLAP & Cube Testing
• Reports Testing (Drill Down/Drill Through)