12127

1© 2015 ELLUCIAN. CONFIDENTIAL & PROPRIETARY | Session 12127

Degree Works Testing: Plan, Pray, Production!

Lynn Miller and Chad PurcellInformation Technology Services,

Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia

April 10, 2015

Session 12127


Session rules of etiquette

• Please turn off your cell phone/pager

• If you must leave the session early, please do so as discreetly as possible

• Please avoid side conversation during the session

Thank you for your cooperation!


Introduction

• Purposeo Discuss Degree Works upgrade best practices from the functional

and technical perspectiveo Discuss testing strategies before migration to production

• Benefits of attending this sessiono Learn methods and strategies for a successful upgradeo Learn testing strategies and tips related to upgrade and successful

migration to production


Who Are we?

Lynn Miller• 16 years experience in higher

education

• Still not an expert after all these years

• Jackets versus Bulldogs

• Children versus grandchildren

• Two favorite things

Chad Purcell• 15 years experience in higher

education

• Funky Tech?

• Ramblin Wreck vs Grumblin Wife

• Claim to Fame

• Top two hobbies


Agenda

• Planning for upgrade

• Preparation

• Testing Strategies

• Localizations

• Migration to Production


Planning for Upgrade


Planning for Upgrade

• Academic Calendar Review

• Timeline Development

• Resources

• Communication Plan


Planning for UpgradeAcademic Calendar Review

• Identify high volume use periods

• Identify stakeholder key dates

• Confirm unknowns with other

departments


Planning for UpgradeTimeline Development

Mapping out

• Start and finish dates

• Testing windows

• Remediation windows

• Migration to production

• Follow-up testing


Planning for UpgradeResources

• Documentation

• Functional Team

• Technical Team

• DBA

• Other IT staff

• Ellucian Action Line


Planning for UpgradeCommunication Plan

Who

• Identify stakeholders

What

• Design communications

When• Determine delivery dates based on

timeline


Preparation


Preparation

• Documentation Review

• Problem Resolution

• Test Plan Development

• Back Ups and Reports


PreparationDocumentation Review

• Divide and conquer

• Record your review

• Discuss with

• Technical team

• Functional team


PreparationProblem Resolution

• Review

• Research

• Compare


PreparationTest Plan Development

• Smarter not Harder

• Generic versus Custom

• Know your environment

• Know expertise level of testers


PreparationBack Ups & Reports

• Back up test and production environments

• Clone production to test if possible

• Caution! If you have scenarios/settings in test, you need to

record them or skip the clone

• Back up scribe blocks from production

• Run AUD01 in Transit (unhooked/unenforced exceptions)


Testing Strategies


Testing Strategies

• Open Case(s) Review & Defect Resolution Document

• Team Testing

• Documenting & Compiling Results


Testing StrategiesOpen Case(s) Review & Defect Resolution Document

Open Case(s)

• Compare to problem/defect resolutions

• Update vendor if not resolved


Testing StrategiesTeam Testing

• Pair functional staff with technical staff

• Job/task based testing as a group

• Quality assurance testing

• Act As If…


Testing StrategiesDocumenting & Compiling Results

• Single spreadsheet with tabs

• Test plan review/notes

• Separate documentation as needed


Localizations


Localizations

• Comparisons

• Team/Staff Review

• Remediation


LocalizationsComparisons

• Production pre-upgrade to test after upgrade

• Test after upgrade to production after upgrade


LocalizationsTeam/Staff Review

• Use checklist

• Functional/technical staff review as team

• Document with screenshots/source


LocalizationsRemediation

• Categorize

• Agile approach

• Apples to apples (or is that an orange?)


Migration to Production


Migration to Production

• Additional testing

• Localizations comparison (again!)

• Communication


Migration to ProductionAdditional Testing

Population of students by• Degree• Major• Minor• Concentration• Catalog• Classification• Other pertinent audits (athletic, FA)


Migration to ProductionLocalizations Comparison (AGAIN!)

• Side by side comparison

• PDFs, special views

• Other customizations

• Have you cleared your browser

cache?

AGAIN!


Migration to ProductionCommunication

• Follow communication plan

• Update stakeholders

o Faculty/Staff

o Advisors

o Students

• Post known issues if helpful


Summary

• Planning for upgrade

• Preparation

• Testing Strategies

• Localizations

• Migration to Production


Questions & Answers


Thank you!

Lynn Miller and Chad [email protected], [email protected]

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Session ID 12127

Business

12127