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How to test a Mainframe application?

Mainframe Testing is similar to client-server applications testing, but you have to know how to operate basic TSO and

ISPF commands and menus, view mainframe files, look at and use SDSF or other output tool, log on CICS and

transactions, use FTP or another transfer protocol, submit the batch job - it's for QA testing of mainframe

applications.

And plus, unlike the QA testing for another platform, like WEB and/or client-service, the mainframe is usually back-

end. It can be learned pretty quickly, but it needs an access to mainframe.There are various kind of tests : integration tests, performance tests, volume tests, regression tests, stress tests etc.

You can test a all cluster of programs or a whole day or night of production. You need to know the expected results,

discuss with business analysts, with system team, with Capacity team, .And you will have to know a lot of tools or

technic : Strobe, File Aid, Ecomp, CA7, report Excel, Word, DB2, CICS, zOS, Sort, backup, recovery, etc.

As part of mainframe testing you could be testing a COBOL application on a DB2 database, or a Peoplesoft

application using an Oracle database, or the application could be a CICS application using QA Hyperstation to

automate the testing. The QA principles do not change, however the skillsets differ to some extent. You may be

required to know JCL, ISPF and TSO and have a basic understanding of COBOL. You should know how to write SQL

queries to test any databases. There may also be networking issues to consider when testing large system

environments.

Mainframe applications run on the mainframe and clients access the mainframe through a terminal emulator. The

terminal emulator is the only software that needs to sit on the client machine. Changes to the software (COBOL, JCL,etc) are made on the mainframe and as a mainframe tester you don't need to worry about migrating them to the

client. If it works through one terminal emulator it should work on them all.

Client/Server Testing Vs Mainframe Testing concepts

Client/server architecture allows some of the processing to be done by the client. However, since there is code to

ship to the client, you have to worry about the code being installed properly, working on their OS, playing well with

the other applications on the desktop, security, and performance. Inside a company, you probably know the number

of users, types of environments (OS, RAM, connection speed), so it's not as extensive as web testing, but it has more

variables than mainframe testing. Also, while usability should not be ignored on mainframe applications, it seems to

be more of an issue with client/server applications since they also generally have GUIs.

Mainframe Test Tools

Some of the tools that are used for mainframe testing are as follows:

1. Test Director

2. QTP (Quick Test Professional)

3. Claim Repository

4. Foundation Testing Tool (FTT)

5. TN3270 Plus

6. Hiperstation

7. Load Runner

Skill set specific to mainframe testing

1. COBOL

2. DB2

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3. JCL

4. CICS

5. Assembler

6. VSAM

7. ISPF/TPF