TL;DR

This post explains what is test configuration, first part of every test specification. This explanation is aligned with Black Box Software Testing Foundations course (BBST) created by Rebecca Fiedler, Cem Kaner and James Bach.

The Problem

Fist part of test specification is test configuration. Test configuration specifies environment for test case execution. The problem is that testers often forgot important parts of environment. This becomes an issue when we use for oracle comparable program.

Solution

Above picture shows Activity monitor at the moment of writing this post. Imagine a situation that my Chrome crashed and that Google still does not have a feature send Chrome crash info to Google. How Google engineers figured out content of such report?

In order to figure this out, you need to ask following questions:

• Does your test specification specify all the processes running on your computer or browser (remember that all active browser plugins are running processes in your browser).
• Does it specify what version of each one?
• Can you tell what version of these you are running?

• When you or your system last updated each one?
• Whether there is later update?

Conclusion

It is important to remember that your System Under Test is not an island, its ruining environment is complex system.