Tool Mentor: Creating a Test Plan Using Rational TestManager

Tool Mentors > Rational TestManager Tool Mentors > Creating a Test Plan Using Rational TestManager

Purpose

This tool mentor describes how to use Rational TestManager to create a Test Plan.

It relates to this Rational Unified Process information:

Overview

This tool mentor applies to Windows 98/ME/XP/2000 and NT 4.0 platforms.

A Test Plan is an evolving collection of information organized by TestManager. It represents
agreement and insight into what to test and when. A project can have multiple Test Plans representing
different phases or aspects of a test effort. Organize Test Plans around feature sets, functionality, types
of testing, or even across the names of the members of your team.

Each Test Plan can contain multiple test case folders and test cases. A test plan defines all key test
elements as represented by the hierarchy of test case folders and test cases.

Tool Steps

To create a test plan, perform the following steps:

Create a Test Plan
Set the Test Plan properties

1. Create a Test Plan

From the Planning tab of the Test Asset Workspace, right-click Test Plan and then click New Test Plan.
The name of the test plan is the only required field. Name your test plan according to the type of testing; for example, Functional Tests.
At the Name field, input the appropriate name for your test plan. Click OK.

Refer to the following topics in the TestManager online Help:

Test Planning (Index: test planning)
Test Plans (Index: test plans > creating)

2. Set the Test Plan properties

In addition to assigning a test plan name, you can assign other properties as the test plan evolves. For example, you can assign a test plan owner, add pointers to external documents, and specify the configurations and iterations associated with the test plan. Test planning happens over time. A test plan is an evolving asset that is defined iteratively. A test plan has many properties:

The description of the test plan — Use this field to describe the scope of the test plan; for example, "Covers all primary usage scenarios".
The owner of the test plan — Assign ownership of test plans to structure your team and ensure that test plans are emerging assets with someone honing the elements.
The configurations associated with the test plan — Specify the hardware and software configurations on which the test plan needs to be executed to verify proper behavior of the target of test.
The iterations associated with the test plan — Assign milestones in your project's lifecycle that define when you want specific portions (sets of test cases) of the test plan executed. This gives you insight into the scheduling within your test plans.
The external documents associated with the test plan — External documents may contain listings of the following:
- resource constraints—time, budget, bodies, skill sets
- testing strategies that outline the types of testing to be done—function, performance, reliability
- implementation of the testing strategy including automated and manual testing as well as to the current toolset
- scope of the project
- duration of the project
- anticipated schedule
- definition of quality for the project
- deliverables
- definition of the project's metrics

Refer to the following topics in the TestManager online Help:

Associating a Configuration with a Test Plan (Contents: Planning Tests)
Associating an Iteration with a Test Plan (Contents: Planning Tests)
Designing Tests (Contents: Planning Tests)

Rational Unified Process