Abstract In the current business environment, organizations face multiple challenges including outdated systems, newer technologies, and changing business processes. The airline industry is no exception. To manage passenger expectations and demand for seamless personalized services at each stage of the journey, a number of airlines are migrating current systems to different Passenger Service Systems (PSS). PSS migration programs are complex and critical as they impact most of the other applications and can potentially affect airline operations. One of the key factors to successful PSS migration is management of the test data and test environment at all stages of testing.

Accelerate PSS Migration Testing through Smart Test Data Management

www.niit-tech.com

At the Heart of Testing

Effectiveness

Ushering Fundamental Change

PSS governs critical airline systems such as airline reservation system, airline inventory system, and a Departure Control System (DCS).

PSS holds a wide range of product information, as well as important passenger data (such as journey history and customer preferences) that flows across applications. Changes in business strategy and obsolescence of existing systems necessitate the need for PSS migration. PSS migration involves business change, IT system change, and data migration, all of which trigger the need to train the business team. Changes in the airline industry are driving both large airlines and low cost carriers to

consider migration to PSS. Cathay Pacific Airways and Singapore Airlines migrated from their in-house Mainframe systems to Amadeus; the LAN Group and Etihad left Amadeus for Sabre; Virgin Australia moved from Amadeus and Navitaire to Sabre.

PSS migration entails a fundamental change in the way airlines operate. Its successful implementation requires Test Data Management (TDM). TDM ensures that parallel testing activities can take place without impacting each other. This is particularly important for migration projects where it is critical that migrated data is not being modified by other processes. Parallel modifications may potentially result in incorrect test results and require additional effort in defect analysis.

Testing determines quality andreliability in PSS programs toensure smooth transition

Migrations are complex, data mustbe protected, correctly migrated,

and unmodified to avoid any impact on operations and test results

69% of IT professionals useproduction data for testing of

their applications

Data-related tasks occupy about40-50% of application developmentand testing time

Only 10% of production data can be madeavailable in test environment for testing

50% of business data is considered confidentialand cost about a million dollar databreach to a company

Figure : Test Data Insights

This paper explores an effective approach to test data management for smooth PSS migration that reduces the effort spent in test data creation, maintenance, and idle wait time. It proposes that test data managers can ensure that test data is available to all without overlap and invalidation.

Containing Chaos: The Challenge of Migrating Data

The complexity of PSS migration has made TDM even more challenging. It is, therefore, crucial to maintain secure integrated data over repeated test cycles and other non-production environments. Ineffective governance policies results in the following challenges: Limited availability of environment while

multiple teams are accessing the same data There are only two to three environments

available to perform development, testing, and training. Among these, one environment is designated for production.

PSS data is accessed by a number of teams simultaneously viz. testing team, business team, PSS owner, and interfacing application owners. This means that there

will be a number of user groups performing different activities in each environment. An integrated test environment poses the risk of test data overstepping, making the data invalid for other users.

Aggressive delivery plan does not allow time delay or wastage Data mining, data preparation, and other

data-related tasks consume around 40-50% of development lifecycle time. This means that the user groups must follow data management guidelines to ensure that there is no chaos or misconception when using data, especially migrated data in each environment.

Specific data may be required for validating application functionality. User groups must also have a clear idea of their data requirements ensuring data variety, test coverage, and scheduled delivery.

Non-production environments have space and performance constraints With full dump of production data not

advisable for use due to storage constraints, a subset of production data is migrated.

Given the large volume of data flowing across applications and interacting with the PSS and numerous other transactions generated from different use groups, performance is of vital importance.

Judicial use of space necessitates liaising with different user groups and selection of correct subset of production data—ensuring full coverage of test cases and fulfillment of user groups requirements.

All environments reside in a multi-hosted client environment These environments have maintenance

activities occurring at scheduled times and user groups must work within this maintenance schedule.

Any transactional or new data created by user will not be stored for use in later test cycles; hence test schedules and refresh cycles need to be properly aligned.

TDM protects the usage of migrated data, ensuring that all user groups working in each environment can access both migrated and new data that suits their work scenarios and perform activities without impacting data of other user groups. Absence of TDM would result in chaos between the teams using test data indiscriminately, invalidating the test data created for other purposes. It would also result in delays arising from insufficient test data and conflicting test data requirements.

Test Data Management to the Rescue

Effective Test Data Management, a coordinated and easy-to-manage process, improves testing effectiveness and reduces time and cost of providing high quality, safe test data for smooth PSS migration. Our TDM framework depicts different components of test data management in sequential manner. The objective is to cater to the challenges user groups face and define best practices of test data management.

Workflow management system for request provisioning

Understanding data requirements

Develop a TDM process to support filter-based data extraction, data creation, workflow, and data management

Publish data management guidelines to avoid any chaos for data usage and reservation

Timely data availability in various environments considering execution schedule and environment maintenance and data refreshes

Leverage TDM tools and techniques to simplify, automate, optimize the test data use and new data creation

Apply data subsetting techniques based on filter criteria to extract realistic data

Apply data privatization techniques to safeguard customer privacy/security

Quickly and periodically refresh data in Test environments

Maintain reference copy for reuse across testing phases

Core Objectives of Test Data Management Approach

Test Data Management Framework

Capture Data Request Define Filter Criteria Transform and Load Data Maintain Data

Criteria for production data

Criteria for new data generation

Communicate filter criteria

Manage and define request for interfacing systems

Extract data based on filter

Subsetting and Masking

Load data in different environments

Run utilities to generate new data

Notify users

Guidelines or search criteria to access data

Configuration management backup and versioning

Data quality audits

Periodic data refresh

Figure: Test Data Management Framework

Actively managing test data requests for applications and setting up data sets as per the master test strategy to ensure there are no delays in testing

Ensuring that all user groups in each environment can access the required data and perform activities without impacting other user groups’ data.

We also leverage on Test Data Management Governance approach that describes actions for effective test data management in PSS projects.

The PSS owner performs the following tasks to counter the challenges faced in test data preparation: Data extraction Data subsetting and masking Data loading in different environments Configuration management Quality audits and data refresh

To ensure coordination and communication, organizations need a Test Data Manager who is responsible for: Availability of test data for all test phases Coordinating with the Environment Test

Manager and ensuring that the test data is available for testing

User Groups

Data RequestsTest Data Manager

Interfacing Third Parties PSS Owner

NewData

requests

PSSData

requests

TrainingData

requests TestEnvironment

1

TestEnvironment

2

WorkflowManagement

System

Dev QA Training

Masked prodSubset

New DataGeneration

Data Request basedon filter criteria

Different users perform different tasks in the test data management framework.

Task Objective Tasks Owner Tools

1. Capture Request 1.1 Different user groups provide test data requests to Test Data Manager in predefined data templates. There is a common interface for placing test data requests and data management activities.

1.2 We use centralized test management tools such as JIRA and TFS for workflow management. The tools provide visibility to the test data management activities including status of data requests, interface for calendar publication within the test environment refresh periods and other broadcasts.

1.3 The requests need to be made two weeks in advance for the Test Data Manager to comply with the requirement. Ideally, test data requirements should be made during the test design phase.

1.4 Specific requests for data reservation requirements need to be made. For example, a user wants to test a scenario of overbooking a flight. The user needs to book the whole flight and bar further booking on the flight by some other user. Similarly ‘cancel’ flight or ‘close’ flight scenarios may need such reservations to be made. This is mandatory to avoid data-overstepping.

• JIRA/TFS(workflowmanagement)

• Predefinedtemplates(datarequests)

User Groups (QA/Dev/Training)

1.5 Test Data Manager discusses with different user groups to understand data requests, if needed.

1.6 Liaise with business SMEs as they have a good understanding of data.

Test Data Manager

2. Define FilterCriteria for PSS

2.1 Depending on the data requirements of each user group in different environments, the Test Data Manager may need to define separate filters for each environment.

2.2 Define criteria for selecting the PNR records to be migrated to different environments for each data refresh. Filter should be based on flight numbers, and markets covering domestic and international, short-haul and long-haul flights for a specified departure period.

2.3 Coordinate with data migration team to identify data in the production system that satisfies the requirements.

Test Data Manager

PSS owner

Define Filter Criteria

2.7 If there is insufficient variety of data scenarios that can be picked out of the selected data, then there is an option of creating specific data in the current production systems for data migration and loads during data refresh. The Test Data Manager needs to manage this data in order to avoid a situation where this data affects ‘live’ data.

2.8 Test Data Manager holds calls, meetings and formal reviews of documents to ensure alignment of all teams on test data requirements.

2.9 Test Data Manager will communicate filter criteria with the PSS owner.

2.10 The Test Data Manager will specify the filter for selecting and moving PNR records from production to different test environments.

3.1 Data requests involving the interfacing third parties should be specifically managed to ensure that the data in these interfacing systems are synchronized with the data in the PSS environment.

3.2 The Test Data Manager will liaise with respective user groups and owners of the interfacing systems as well as the Test Environment Manager to determine these requirements. This will hopefully enable the interfacing systems to be tested or training on these modules to be performed without impacting the actions that are taking place in the test environment.

Test Data Manager

3. Request/Response for Third Party Interfaces

4.1 PSS owner will move PNRs from production to different environments based on the filter criteria provided.

PSS owner CA Test Data Manager

4. Load Migrated Data as per filter criteria

Transform and Load data

Task Objective Tasks Owner Tools

• Ensure that the data is sanitized to cater the privacy regulations

• Take latest production snapshot to avoid issues withobsolete data

• Script for any defect fixes is executed before using the data

2.4 Create dummy flight and PNR using tools/APIs/script, if required for specific testing needs. This may include bulk PNR data requirement in different environments. The data specification details should be placed in the spreadsheet/data template.

2.5 Carefully define filter(s) to ensure that the selection of data contains enough scenarios to allow user groups to work with each of the environments.

2.6 Manage requests for creating new data for user groups and coordinate to load data for these requests. These requests may be for new data such as PNR (possibly) or data scenarios that cannot be found in the environment. There are some new functionalities that are not productive. For example, data related to check-in of international passengers may not be found in production environment if the international route has been rolled out recently.

Task Objective Tasks Owner Tools

4.2 PSS owner will consider data subsetting and privacy regulations for production data.

5.1 Test Data Manager validates and approves test data creation and management tools.

5.2 PNR generation test data utilities will be used to create new test data in different environments.

5.3 Command-based emulators may be used for bulk PNR generation. Shell scripts and SQL procedures may also be used for this purpose.

PNR generation utilities/SQL procedures/Shell scripts

Test Data Manager

5. New Data Generation

6.1 Test Data Manager will notify the user group that the data is set up for use. This will be reflected through workflow status as part of the workflow management system.

JIRA/TFSTest Data Manager

6. Notify

7.1 Establish simple guidelines for accessing migrated PNR / flight data in different environments so that user groups can use migrated data for their activities without interfering with one another. Any data reserved for a particular user group needs to be clearly specified.

TFSTest Data Manager

7. Post Data Setup

Maintain Data

7.2 Test environment manager or PSS owner to store the copy/backup of data, assign a version number to the data and then make a note of the version number along with data details. This allows restoration of the environment to original condition with minimum effort, as and when required throughout the testing phase. Due to factors such as execution of negative scenarios during execution, some inconsistency may creep into the test environment and may require restoration.

PSS owner

8.1 TDM process documentation

8.2 Best practices to be followed

8.3 Lead time required for any type of data request

Test Data Manager/ PSS owner

8. Transition of TDM Post Cutover

Reduced time-to-market with no delays in test data delivery

Increased defect detection efficiency due to availability of correct, timely data

Improved productivity and overall efficiency Higher customer satisfaction and growth

See the Bigger PictureSeveral benefits are envisaged by following a streamlined process where all requests are funneled through the TDM team: Reduced effort involved in the overall TDM

process due to workflow automation, data request templates, and process improvement

No rework and data overstepping with reservation and distribution of test data

Reduced efforts with reusable tools

The NIIT Technologies Thought Board:Accelerate PSS Migration Testing through Smart Test Data Management

Which Processes are Governed by Passenger Service Systems?

Data extraction Data subsetting and masking

Data loading in different

environments

Configuration management

Quality audits and data refresh

What Tasks does a PSS Owner Need to Perform?

What Tasks is a Test Data Manager Responsible for?

Capture requests

Define filter

criteria

Request/respond to third-party

interfaces

Load migrated

data as per the filter criteria

Generate new data

Notify user groups when

the data is available for

use

Post data setup

Transition TDM post cut-over

What Actions should be Performed for Effective Test Data Management inPSS Projects?

Reservation processes Inventory processes Departure control processes

Round-the-clock availability of

test data

Coordination with environment test

manager

Management of test data

requests for applications

Setting up of data sets as per the master test

strategy

Accessibility of required data by

different user groups

Permitting user groups to

perform activities without any

impact on other groups data

Streamlining Data Management

Effective test data management is crucial to ensure success of PSS migration projects. Dedicated test data management teams managing the test data setup and administration through appropriate TDM frameworks would help ensure accurate test data is provided in the test environment as per user requirements. The challenges in test data management can be addressed through implementation of a workflow-based request provisioning system for timely test data request, status and provisioning, tools for test data generation, effective coordination with user groups, improved defect detection, and increased customer satisfaction.

Tools providing a holistic solution to test data manage-ment like CA Test Data Manager can be leveraged to automate the test data management process. Data acquisition, subsetting, masking, test data generation, test data matching and coverage are some of the vital features of this tool toward improving the testing efficiency.

References

1. http://www.niit-tech.com/industries/travel-transpor-tation/airlines/services/pss-migration

2. http://www.ca.com/in/devcenter/ca-test-data-man-ager/details.aspx

3. http://www.sita.aero

4. http://www.amadeus.com/blog/13/01/migrating-air-line-passenger-service-system/

5. http://www.amadeus.com/nablog/2015/01/5-guid-ing-princi-ples-airline-teams-follow-passenger-service-systems-migrations/airlines

For more information, contact marketing@niit-tech.com

© 2016 NIIT Technologies. All rights reserved.

NIIT Technologies is a leading global IT solutions organization, differentiated on the strength of domain expertise; it services clients in travel and transportation, banking and financial services, insurance, manufacturing, and media verticals. Leading with its service vision “New Ideas, More Value,” NIIT Technologies is committed to delivering new ideas combined with operational excellence to provide exceptional value to its clients. The Company is focused on helping businesses design sustainable, optimizable and winning digital operating models, enabling them to become agile, scalable, and flexible. Visit us at www.niit-tech.com

Stay connected:

D_1

33_1

7061

6