This discussion is a result of what happen during testing. What is software testing?

would say it is the process by which errors are identified, isolated and corrected to ensure an

error free product.

During software testing we will come across speed bumps known as errors, failures and

faults. Errors are a result of a human mistake probably made during development of the product.

Faults are the appearance of an error in software during one of the testing stages which are also

referred to as bugs. Failures are abnormalities that show up in the software which changes its

performance expected result. Failures are caused by faults in the software.

(Testingexcellence.com, 2017)

For a program to be cleared for use, unit testing, integration testing, system testing, and

acceptance testing must be completed. You may be wondering where is regression testing, from

my research I have been enlightened that regression testing is not a separate level of testing, it is

simply a type of testing can be done during any of the four main testing stages.

(Segue Technologies, 2017)

Unit Testing
The sole purpose of unit testing is to establish whether the software functions as

expected. In this phase, a unit can refer to a function, individual program or even a procedure,

and a White-box Testing method is usually used to get the job done. (Segue Technologies, 2017)

Integration Testing
This level of testing is created to identify interface defects between the functions.

Integration testing allows testers the opportunity to combine all the units within a program and

test them as one unit/function. (Segue Technologies, 2017)

System Testing
The purpose of this level of testing is to evaluate whether the system has complied with

all of the outlined requirements and to validate that is meets quality standards. This is the first

level where the entire software is tested as a whole. (Segue Technologies, 2017)

Acceptance Testing
The final level, Acceptance testing (or User Acceptance Testing), is conducted

to establish whether the system is ready for release. (Segue Technologies, 2017)

St. Marys Mercy Medical Center Kills Its Patients, On Paper

In February 2003, Baseline reported on a computer software blunder at St. Marys Mercy
Medical Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, that cost the lives of 8,500 patients. Well, not really.
In actuality, each of the patients, who had procedures done from October 25 through December
11 of the previous year, were alive and kicking. However, the glitch, attributed to the hospitals
patient management system, notified Social Security, patient insurance companies, and the
patients themselves, of the unfortunate demises. St. Marys spokeswoman Jennifer Cammenga
had this to say: To us, this is really not a very big story. Were not going to elaborate any more
It was a mapping error. Thats all we have to say about it.
(Salonek, 2017)

In this scenario at Mercy Medical, the mapping error should have been uncovered

during one of the four main testing levels. I would say the unit testing level would be the level

where the mapping issue would have been exposed and corrected. This is where the software is

tested to give expected results, so if there were a load and stress test done at this level surely the

mapping error would have been exposed.

 This just shows how important it is to have multiple testing at different level is to the

integrity of a product.

References
Salonek, T. (2017). Top 15 Worst Computer Software Blunders - Intertech Blog. [online]
Intertech Blog. Available at: https://www.intertech.com/Blog/15-worst-computer-software-
blunders/ [Accessed 13 Sep. 2017].
Segue Technologies. (2017). The Four Levels of Software Testing | Segue Technologies. [online]
Available at: https://www.seguetech.com/the-four-levels-of-software-testing/ [Accessed 13
Sep. 2017].
Testingexcellence.com. (2017). Cite a Website - Cite This For Me. [online] Available at:
https://www.testingexcellence.com/error-fault-failure-software-testing/ [Accessed 13 Sep.
2017].