Testing the blockchain, how?

[TriggerHappyCoin]

Hi all,

Hopefully you can help me in my quest for information. In my workfield we are discussibg the possibilities to test the blockchain from a software perspective (like ISTQB for example).

On the internet, it’s difficult to find good information on the matter.

Question:
Where to find quality information regarding testing of the blockchain?
As a softwaretester myself, i will be very thankfull for your help!

[TriggerHappyCoin]

information i found so far (probably not all). Not sure if it contains all information necessary to start writing a guide on 'how to test the blockchain'.

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=117487.0
https://simpleprogrammer.com/testing-blockchain-applications/
https://www.capgemini.com/2017/01/testing-of-smart-contracts-in-the-blockchain-world/
https://blog.gurock.com/testing-blockchain-apps/
https://hackernoon.com/beginners-guide-to-blockchain-explaining-it-to-a-5-years-old-772caac6ae97
https://hackernoon.com/beginners-guide-to-blockchain-explaining-it-to-a-6-year-old-86afa54a5fa8
https://www.pymnts.com/news/b2b-payments/2018/qualitest-blockchain-software-security/
https://www.verdict.co.uk/airline-industry-blockchain-use/
https://www.a1qa.com/blog/specifics-of-testing-blockchain-based-apps/
https://jaxenter.com/ins-outs-testing-blockchain-apps-146447.html

[mocacinno]

When you're talking about "testing the blockchain". Do you mean you've created your own blockchain from scratch, or do you mean testing an application that used one of the existing crypto currencies  to accept payments, store smart contracts in a blockchain or store data in a blockchain?

If it's the first case (built your own blockchain): If you developed your own blockchain from scratch, this question should be very easy for you...

If it's the second case (using an existing blockchain): Most establised crypto currencies have a main net, a testnet and regtest mode. The testnet and regtest are usually used for testing new software applications.

[TriggerHappyCoin]

..or do you mean testing an application that used one of the existing crypto currencies blockchains to accept payments, store smart contracts or store data?

Most establised crypto currencies have a main net, a testnet and regtest mode

Yes, I mean testing applications on top of blockchain. Sorry for the sloppy question...

[mocacinno]

..or do you mean testing an application that used one of the existing crypto currencies blockchains to accept payments, store smart contracts or store data?

Most establised crypto currencies have a main net, a testnet and regtest mode

Yes, I mean testing applications on top of blockchain. Sorry for the sloppy question...

no problem
I was still editing my respons while you were already quoting it (a bad habit of me).
I guess the answer was given in my previous post:

- regtest mode is a local environment, you start a bitcoin (or altcoin) daemon in regtest mode and immediately generate one or more blocks. These coins are 100% local, and can be used to test out application. You need to connect to the daemon that was started in regtest mode in order to run your tests.

- the testnet is a real network. Most existing coins have several people running a testnet node, there are a couple of miners that mine testnet blocks. The testnet usually behaves exactly like the main net, except it's usually a bit less predicatable due to fluctuating hashrate and other people using it for their own tests. Testnet coins are worthless to

I prefer testing on the testnet, since it mimics the main net much closer than running a daemon in regtest mode.

[TriggerHappyCoin]

Thank you very much for the information.

Depending on the product (I know) what are the best characteristics to test on. What I found interesting where the following quality attributes. Most of which are also known in softwaretesting under ISO 9126. Are there any specific tests that must be done when testing applications on the blockchain?


https://jaxenter.com/ins-outs-testing-blockchain-apps-146447.html

Functional tests: it’s highly likely that your blockchain product is entirely unique in some regards, given the limited scope of today’s applications for blockchain technology. It’s possible that you’re doing something that hasn’t been fully implemented in blockchain before. Here, functional testing will be your ‘sanity check’ to make sure that everything works properly.

Security tests: blockchain truly shines in financial and banking applications. For them, it’s important to test authentication and authorization methods. Their ability to withstand attacks of various malicious origins is crucial for their stability and security.

Integration tests: your blockchain app will work in multiple environments with various systems integrated, for example, a customer-facing UI. So it’s essential to test the performance and solidity of these inter-system connections.

Contract tests: making sure that the automation behind smart contracts works flawlessly is another thing that can make or break your blockchain application.

Performance tests: testing the size of the network and its ability to process transactions is critical, as it allows you to identify hardware and software bottlenecks in advance. This can also help you figure out the potential costs of running the application in the cloud or other environments.

Peer & node tests: verifying that there’s a consensus between nodes and that transactions are correctly sequenced within the network will ensure its stability and productivity for the end user.

[mocacinno]

Thank you very much for the information.

Depending on the product (I know) what are the best characteristics to test on. What I found interesting where the following quality attributes. Most of which are also known in softwaretesting under ISO 9126. Are there any specific tests that must be done when testing applications on the blockchain?


https://jaxenter.com/ins-outs-testing-blockchain-apps-146447.html

I'm just a unix sysadmin who develops as a hobby so i'm not really proficient in all these testing standards, but these steps you posted in your previous post sound about right