QC/ALM Interview Qestions and Answers

Q1. What is Quality Center?

HP Quality Center is Web based Test Management tool. We can access Quality Center over the internet or intranet, via a Web browser. It involves interrelated steps such as defining release, developing requirement, designing and execution of tests, monitoring and reporting defects. Quality Center simplifies and organizes application management by giving us systematic control over the process. It helps in creating framework and foundation for application management workflow. Quality center features a system for organizing and tracking application release, enabling us to align business priorities and quality expectation with our project’s requirement, test and defects.

Q2. What are the modules of Quality Center?

The Quality Center modules are:

• Management Module: This module includes following sub modules:
  1. Release module: Enable us to define release and cycles for the application management process.
  2. Libraries module: Enables us to define libraries to track changes in project, reuse entities in project, or share entities across multiple projects.
• Requirement Module: Helps us to manage requirements. This includes defining what we are testing, defining requirement topics and items, also analyzing requirements.
• Test Plan: Enable us to develop and manage test in a hierarchical tree-structure. Tests can be linked to requirement and defects.
• Test Resources: Enables us to manage test resources in a hierarchical tree structure. Tests resources can be associated with tests.
• Test lab: Enables us to run tests and analyze the results.
• Defect Module: Helps us to report defects, determine, repair priorities and reopen defects.
• Dashboard: Helps to create graphs, reports and excel reports.

Q3. How many built in tables does Quality Center have?

There are six tables accessible to user via QC’s customized project interface:

• Test Table
• Test Step Table
• Test Set Table
• Run Table
• Defect Table
• Requirement Table

Q4. What are the benefits of Requirement Traceability?

Requirement Traceability defines a relationship between two or more requirements. When analyzing the impact of a change proposed in specific requirements, the traceability links indicate the other requirements in the requirements tree; we can establish traceability between the requirements. Using this tab in the Requirement Details view, you can add traceability link to and from selected requirement. Trace from links indicates requirements that affect a selected requirement. Trace to links indicates requirements that are affected by a selected requirement. When a requirement change QC alerts the affected requirements this can be seen by all users. QC sends email notification to the authors of the affected requirements.

Q5. Can We Convert or Generate Test from the requirements?

Yes, we can convert and also generate test case from the requirements.

There are two methods we can use to generate tests from the requirements:

• Convert Requirement to test: convert requirement to test in a specified subject in the test plan tree. We can convert selected requirement or all requirements in the requirements tree.
• Generate a test from requirements: convert requirement to a test in a specified subject in the test plan tree and a specified test set in the Test Lab modules. This method enables us to quickly run a test when analyzing our requirements.

Q6. Explain Version Control.

Version Control helps us to keep track of changes made to entities in our project including requirements. In this we can create and manage QC entities while maintaining previous version of those entities in requirements. To make changes in an entity in a version control enabled project, first we have to check out the entity. When we check out an entity, QC locks the entity, preventing other users from overwriting any changes we make. The checked out version of the entity is not visible to the other user.

We can check out an entity in the following ways:

• Checking Out Entities Automatically
• Checking Out Entities Manually

Q7.Can we create a QTP test from QC?

Yes we can create QTP test from QC but we must first make sure QTP has the ability to execute tests from Quality Center. Please ensure the following option in QTP Run Settings is enabled:

When QTP is enabled, follow the below steps to schedule and execute tests from Quality Center:

1. Login to Quality Center and Navigate to Test Lab Module

2. After selecting the correct Test Set, Click the Execution Flow Tab.

3. Right-click on the test that requires configuration of Time Dependency and click Test Run Schedule.

4. In the Run Schedule window, select the Time Dependency tab. The time and date of execution can be configured.

5. Time dependency will be added to the relevant test.

6. After time dependency has been added, navigate back to the Execution Grid pane. From the Execution Grid, select the tests to be run at the designated date and time.

7. From the Automatic Runner dialog, click Run All.

8. Once Run All is clicked from the Automatic Runner dialog, the test status will change to Waiting and QC will fire the tests to be run at the scheduled date and time:

9. QC will fire the tests in the sequence configured in the Execution Flow pane. The Test Run Scheduler will show all the tests that were selected and are executing and are to be executed.

Q8. What is Purge Run?

Purge Run is used to delete old test run result in project. By default Purge Run delete all the run result in the selected test sets. Purge run can be used to:

• Delete only Test Runs: In this we can select a period of time before which we want to delete test run result
• Delete only Run Steps: In this we can select a period of time before which we want to delete run steps.

Q9. What is test set notification, and when we need it?

Test set notification is used to inform specified user. We can instruct QC to send email to a specified user if any of the following events occurs for a test set:

• Any test is the test set fails.
• Test in the test set fails due to reason other than the test logic itself, Environmental failure could include. Ex. Functional call not returning access violations, version incompatibility between application components, a missing DLL.
• All tests in the test set that were run have been finished running. But this does not include tests that are not executed.

Q10. What is the need of Host Manager?

Using host Manager we can run test on a host connected to our network. Using the Host Manager Dialog box we can create a list of available host for test execution and also organize hosts into groups to be used for a specific project.

Following condition must be kept in mind before executing test on remote host:

1. QTP must be installed on each machine where you wish to execute the tests.
2. QTP must be configured to allow other HP products to run
3. QTP Connectivity add-in installed on both the Host (QTP) machines as well as the QC machine.
4. Define your host machines in the Host Manager of QC.
5. Ensure that Object Repositories and/or Function Libraries which are used by all scripts are 'shared' and accessible from all machines.

Q11. Explain Linking Defect to test in Quality Control.

We can link a test in our test plan to a specific defect in the Defect Grid. This is useful, for example, when a new test is created specifically for a known defect. By creating a linking, we can determine if the test should be run based on the status of the defect. We can also link the defect to other entities, such as requirements. A defect can be linked directly or indirectly to an entity. When we add a defect link to an entity, QC adds a direct link to this entity and indirect link to other related entities. When we link a defect to run step, it adds an indirect link to its run, test instance, test set and test. If the same test is covered by a requirement, an indirect link is also added to the requirement, but indirect linkage is one directional flow.

Q12. What is Matching Defects?

Matching Defects enables us to eliminate duplicate or similar defects in project. When we add a new defect, QC stores list of keywords from the Summary and Description Fields. When we search for similar defects, keywords in these fields are matched against other defects. Keywords are more than two characters and they are not case sensitive. We have two methods to conduct search of similar defects.

• Finding similar Defects: compare a selected defect with all other existing defects in project.
• Finding similar Text: compare a specific test string against all other existing defects in project.

Q13. What is Defect Tracking?

Defect Tracking means locating and repairing application defect efficiently. Defects can be added or detected to project by the users during all stages of application management process. The defect tracking workflow consists of following:

• Adding Defects: After finding new defect we submit to QC project. The project stores defect information that can be accessed by authorized users.
• Reviewing New Defects: Reviewing all new defects and decide which one to fix.
• Repairing Open Defects: Fix the Open defects.
• Testing a New Application Build: Run test on the new build of the application.
• Analyzing Defect Data: View Defect Report to see how many defects were resolved, and how many still remain open.

Q14. How many types of report are there in QC?

We can generate reports any time during the testing process from each QC module, using default or customized setting. We can apply filters and sort conditions, and display information according to our specification. Following types are reports are available to us in QC:

• Requirement Module Reports: Standard Requirements, Tabular, Requirement with coverage test, requirement with Coverage test and Steps, requirement with linked Defects, requirements with Traceability, report selected.
• Test Plan Module Reports: standard test planning, subject tree, tests with design steps, tests with covered Requirements, tests with linked Defect, report Selected,
• Test Lab Module Reports: current test set, cross test set, test set Hierarchy with tests, cross test set with tests, execution notification.
• Defects Module Reports: standard Defects, Tabular defects, fixed or rejected Defects, report selected.

Q15. How many types of Graphs are there in QC?

Following types are reports are available to us in QC:

• Requirement Module Graphs: requirements summary graph, requirements progress graph, requirements coverage graph, requirements- trend graph, graph wizard.
• Test Plan Module Graphs: test planning summary graph, test planning progress graph, test plan trend graph, graph wizard,
• Test Lab Module Graph: test execution summary graph( current test set), test execution progress graph(current test set), test execution summary graph(cross test set), test execution progress graph(cross test set) , graph wizard.
• Defect Module Graph: defect summary graph, defect progress graph, defect age graph, defect trend graph, graph wizard.

Q16. What are the features of Quality Center?

Features of QC are listed below:

• QC helps to maintain project database of test that covers all functionality of application.
• QC offers integration with HP testing tools (WinRunner, QTP and Load Runner) as well as third party tools.
• QC provides an intuitive and efficient method for scheduling and executing test sets, collecting test results, and analyzing the data.
• Qc helps in defect tracking, enabling to monitor defects closely from initial detection to resolution.
• By linking QC to email system, defect tracking information can be shared by all application development, quality assurance and customer support.

Q17. How to use Quality Centre in real time project?

After completing the test cases, we do:

1. Export the test cases into Quality Centre.
2. The test cases will be loaded in the test plan module.
3. When execution is started. We move the test cases from test plan tab to the test lab module
4. In test lab, we execute the test cases and put as pass or fail or incomplete. We generate the graph in the test lab for daily report and sent to the specific user.
5. If we got any defects and raise the defects in the defect module. When raising the defects, attach the defects with the screen shot.

Q18. How to map the requirements with test cases in Quality Centre?

For mapping the requirement with test cases we do:

1. In requirements tab select coverage view
2. Select requirement by clicking on parent/child or grandchild
3. On right hand side (In coverage view window) another window will appear. It has two tabs: a.Tests coverage,  b.Details
4. Test coverage tab will be selected by default or you click on it.
5. Click on select tests button a new window will appear on right hand side and you will see a list of all tests. You cans elect any test case you want to map with your requirements.

Q19. How can we use Filter in QC?

We can use Filter on Quality Center data to display only those record that meets the criteria that we define. We can assign a single item (such as failed) or logical expression (such as Passed or Failed) to a filter. Only record meeting all the criteria of the filter appear in the grid or tree. In addition, we can define multiple filters.

For example, we can define the Status filter as Failed and the tester as “Rohit or Mayank”. Only test runs performed by Rohit and Mayank are displayed.

Q20. What is Unattached Folder in Test Plan?

We delete a folder or test from the test plan tree. When we delete a folder, we can choose to delete the folder only, or the folder, its subfolders, and test. If we choose to delete the folder only, all the tests are moved to unattached folder in the test plan tree. If we choose to delete a folder and test, all subfolder and test under the selected folder are deleted permanently. If we delete a test, the test and test script are deleted permanently.

Q21. What is difference between Generate Test from the requirements and Convert requirements to test?

When we convert the requirements to test in a specified subject in the test plan tree where as in generating test case, the test case generates from requirements are stored in a specified subject in a test plan tree and a specific test set in Test Lab module. And by default we cannot generate a test for the following, which do not enable to coverage:

• Business
• Folder
• Groups

Q22. Is 'Not covered' and 'Not run' status are same?

No, Not Covered status means all those requirements for which the test cases are not written where as Not Run status means all those requirements for which test cases are written but are not run.

Q23. What is the advantage of libraries in Quality center?

A library represents a collection of entities in a QC, including their relationship to each other. When dealing with many similar projects, it offers the advantage of not having repeatedly created entities. Libraries can be imported form Project A into Project B, compare against each other, or even synchronized. A library also allows one to collect the same entities as in versioning. With Quality Center Premier Edition, defects are not included, but they can be shared with the new HP Quality Center Synchronizer manually among several QC project.

Q24. What types of database are used in QC?

When we create a QC project. We need to store and manage the data generated and collected by Quality Center. Each project is supported by a database that stores project information.

The following database application could be used to store and manage Quality Center information:

• Oracle 9.2.0.6 Standard/Enterprise Edition
• Oracle 10.2.0.3
• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 (SP2).