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IRCTC Registration form | how to create a new account in irctc.co.in | Indian Railway train seat availablity details | Next Generation e - Ticketing Journey Planner

2013-12-16T02:47:00.001-08:00

IRCTC NEW ACCOUNT CREATION : Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited. This site is used to know the seat availability in Indian Railway service . This is also used for Booking the tickets in all classes like SL (Sleeper Class) , 3AC , 2AC (Tier) , CC (Chair class) , 2S . . Etc in all trains including Garib radh , Rajadhani , Jan shatabdi, Super fast express trains and also passengers. You have different reservations like General , Tatkal , Ladies , E-tickets categories.You also find the seats availability in www.indianrail.gov.in account.

How to create a new account and registration :
First Log on to www.irctc.co.in and click for sign up option and one application from will be displayed and follow the instructions and submit the form. And you have to give Email ID and Mobile number for sending Verification codes and submit the verification code in irctc and you have to log in successfully.

How to Get Verification code and how to remember password :
If u forgot password and they ask about username and type the your username in text filed and ask about one security question and you have to submit the correct answer and then password will be send to your E-mail and also to your Mobile.

CLICK HERE FOR REGISTRATION FORM FOR IRCTC

CLICK HERE FOR LOG IN TO IRCTC ACCOUNT

Next Generation e - Ticketing Journey Planner

Login by entering your user name and password.

The "Plan my travel"page appears.

If the From/To station selected by you are correct in the route of the train then:
Select Ticket type option.
Select the type of Quota.
You may be redirected to the following page.
Click on class to get availability and fare in desired train.
Availability page appears.
User will be redirected to Passenger reservation page by pressing Book Now button.
Ticket reservation page appears; check whether the train name and the station names displayed on the top of the page are same as desired by you.
Enter the names of the Passengers, age, sex and berth preference for each Passenger. The maximum length of names should be restricted to 15 characters. If the Passenger is a senior citizen (60 years and above for male and 58 years and above for female) and wants to avail Senior Citizens' concession (40% of Base fare for male and 50% of base fare for female), click the box provided. Senior citizens are requested to carry some proof of age in original during their journey. A sample form is reproduced below. (The allotment of your required berth depends on the availability).
The ticket details, availability of tickets at the particular time and the fare, including the service charge, appear on the screen, along with the payment option Follow the instructions.
Click on the button "Make Payment" and a pop -up window will give the list of payment options. Please choose one of the mode of payment. Please click on the payment option below for help regarding the payment procedure through each of these options.
After successful payment and booking of accommodations, the User is shown the ticket confirmation details along with a “Print Reservation Slip” Button. On clicking the button ERS is shown with an option to print.

DCS Careers 2013

2013-09-30T23:07:00.002-07:00

DCS Careers 2013: DCS is the fastest growing software development company in India. DCS area of expertise lies in web development, SEO, web promotion, logo designing, content writing, data entry, copy writing, blog writing. DCS eliminate the boundaries that lie between the client and the quality services.

(0-1 years) IT – Freshers openings at Bengaluru/ Bangalore, Delhi/ NCR, Hyderabad / Secunderabad, Chennai:
DCS is having openings for eligible fresher candidate to work as Software Developer at Bengaluru/Bangalore, Delhi/NCR, Hyderabad / Secunderabad, Chennai. 2013 passed out Graduate and Post Graduate candidates are eligible.

Job summary:
Company Name: DCS
Experience: 0-1 year
Education: (UG – B.Tech/ B.E.) OR (PG – MCA) OR (Doctorate – Any Doctorate – Any Specialization, Doctorate Not Required)
Location: Bengaluru/ Bangalore, Delhi/ NCR, Hyderabad / Secunderabad, Chennai,
Salary: INR 1, 25,000 – 2, 25,000 P.A
Industry: IT-Software / Software Services
Role: Software Developer
Key skills: Fresher, C, C++, 2013 Batch, Trainee, Freshers Software Engineers, Graduate Fresher.

Job description:
Candidates familiar with Web Development, Live Project Development and 2013 passed out B.E/B.Tech, MCA candidates are eligible.

(0-1 years) C, C++ Developer openings at Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore:
DCS is looking for eligible fresher candidate to work as C, C++ Developer at Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore. 2013/2012 passed out Graduate, Post Graduate, Doctorate candidates are eligible.

Job summary:
Company Name: DCS
Experience: 0-1 year
Education: (UG – B.Tech/B.E.) OR (PG – MCA) OR (Doctorate – Any Doctorate – Any Specialization, Doctorate Not Required)
Location: Chennai, Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore
Salary: INR 1, 25,000 – 2, 25,000 P.A
Industry: IT-Software / Software Services
Role: Software Developer
Key skills: Freshers, C, C++, Trainee, Java.

Job description:
Candidates familiar with Java technologies, C, C++, Web hosting and 2013/2012 passed out B.E/ B.Tech, MCA candidates are eligible.

(0-1 years) Java Developer openings at Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad/ Secunderabad, Chennai:
DCS is seeking for eligible fresher candidate to work as Java Developer at Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad/ Secunderabad, Chennai. 2013/2012 passed out Graduate, Post Graduate, Doctorate candidates are eligible.

Job summary:
Company Name: DCS
Experience: 0-1 year
Education: (UG – B.Tech/B.E. – Any Specialization, Diploma – Any Specialization) OR (PG – MCA – Computers) AND (Doctorate – Any Doctorate – Any Specialization, Doctorate Not Required)
Location: Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad/ Secunderabad, Chennai.
Salary: INR 1, 25,000 – 2, 25,000 P.A
Industry: IT-Software / Software Services
Role: Software Developer
Key skills: Freshers, Java Developer, Software Engineers, Core Java, J2EE Developer, Java / J2EE developer.

Job description:
Candidates familiar with Java technologies and 2013/2012 passed out B.E/B.Tech, MCA candidates are eligible.

Contact details:
Company Name: DCS
Web Site: www.dcsit.in

Gloscon Solutions Careers 2013

2013-09-30T22:49:00.004-07:00

Gloscon Solutions Careers 2013: Gloscon Solutions Pvt Limited is growing innovative web-design and development company and expertise in Drupal Services, Ruby on Rails Services, Linux Services and SEO Services. Gloscon is an international company that gives global experience to the employees.

(0-3 years) Manual QA Testing Engineer openings at Ahmedabad:
Gloscon Solutions Pvt Limited is looking for fresher candidates to work as Manual QA Testing Engineer at Ahmedabad. Graduate, Post Graduate, Doctorate candidates with aggregate of 60% through out the academics are eligible.

Job summary:
Company Name: Gloscon Solutions Pvt Limited.
Experience: 0-3 years
Education: (UG – Any Graduate – Any Specialization, Graduation Not Required) AND (PG – Any Postgraduate – Any Specialization, Post Graduation Not Required) AND ( Doctorate – Any Doctorate – Any Specialization, Doctorate Not Required)
Location: Ahmedabad
Industry: IT Software, Software Services
Role: Testing Engineer
Key skills: IT Software – QA & Testing, Quality Assurance/ Testing, Quality Checking, Quality Testing, Quality Assurance Testing, Quality Monitoring, QA/ QC, Quality Control, Quality Analyst.

Job description:
Candidate aware of report defects with screenshots, videos, manual testing of website, automation of certain sections using selenium, write test cases, business analysis. Communicate with US client, good communication skills are required.

Contact details:
Company Name: Gloscon Solutions Pvt Limited
Website: www.gloscon.com

NS Group Careers 2013

2013-09-30T22:36:00.001-07:00

NS Group Careers 2013: NS Group is a leading software company into development of various leading portals. It has received a quality award as recognitions for its high-standard processes. Rapid and reliable deliveries to major corporations, which had a need for comprehensive machining expertise, formed the point of departure for the firm’s activities. The level of requirements and the equipment investments needed to meet them have been increasing constantly, but Ns Group have been able to enhance the efficiency of operations without compromising on quality.

(0-1 years) Jr Php Developer openings at Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad/ Secunderabad:
NS Group is requiring the fresher candidates for filling the vacancies of Jr Php Developer to work at different locations like Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Graduate, Post Graduate, Doctorate candidates are eligible.

Job description:
Candidate is self-starter, highly motivated, proactive – consistently demonstrates ability to take initiative, work in a high-energy, fast paced environment Dynamic and static web site construction (HTML/XHTML/XML), basic Photoshop skills, ensure cross-browser compatibility and identify and resolve bugs where required

(0-1 years) Software Engineer- Fresher openings at Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad/ Secunderabad:
NS Group is requiring the fresher candidates for filling the vacancies of Software Engineer to work at different locations like Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Graduate, Post Graduate, Doctorate candidates are eligible.

Job description:
Candidate having knowledge on Objected Oriented Programming Concepts (Objects and Classes, Encapsulation, Polymorphism, Inheritance), Core Java (Data Types, Programming Constructs, Error handling with Exceptions), Servlets/ JSP, Struts.

(0-1 years) Mainframe Developer openings at Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad/ Secunderabad:
NS Group is required fresher candidates for filling the vacancies of Mainframe Developer to work at different locations like Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Graduate, Post Graduate, Doctorate candidates are eligible.

Job description:
Candidate possessing experience in development, support and analysis role on Mainframe Environments, REXX, Stored Procedures and JCL Utilities. proficient in COBOL, JCL, DB2, CICS, design concepts and SDLC.

(0-1 years) C#, Asp.Net – Software Developer openings at Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad/ Secunderabad:
NS Group is seeking for the fresher candidates for filling the vacancies of C#, Asp.Net Developer to work at different locations like Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Graduate, Post Graduate, Doctorate candidates are eligible.

Job description:
Candidate possessing experience with n tier architecture / MVC architecture, Visual Studio 2005 / 2008, VSTS, Distributed Application , .Net Remoting , WCF and Design Patterns,. Experience and knowledge in Visual Studio Extensibility is a plus.

(0-1 years) QA Test Engineer openings at Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad/ Secunderabad:
NS Group is requiring the fresher candidates for filling the vacancies of QA Test Engineer to work at different locations like Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Graduate, Post Graduate, Doctorate candidates are eligible.

Job description:
Candidate having experience in Manual Testing, STLC, Capital Financial, Fix Protocol.

Additional Benefits of Health Insurance Plans

2013-09-29T12:11:00.002-07:00

n Insurers provide certain benefits. These benefits include the:

· Carry-over provision

· Lifetime maximum and benefit maximum

· Three-tier benefit plan

Carry-over provision

n Carry-over provision is an optional benefit that allows any amount paid toward OOP in the last quarter of the year to be applied toward OOP for the next plan year.

Example of carry-over

Sam has a health insurance plan, which specifies that his OOP limit for a year is $1200. He has not availed any benefits under the health insurance plan for the first nine months. However, toward the end of the year, he falls ill and pays $200 that is part of his OOP.

The carry-over provision of health insurance plan ensures that next year when Sam renews his policy, the OOP limit will be reduced by $200.

Ø New OOP limit for next year= OOP limit – Amount paid toward OOP in the last quarter of the previous policy year

Ø Sam’s new OOP limit= $1200-$200 = $1000

At UHG, the internet Benefit at a Glance (iBAAG) department validates if a member is eligible for the carry-over provision.

Lifetime Maximum and Benefit Maximum

n Benefit Maximum and Lifetime Maximum: Another benefit provided by insurers is benefit maximum and lifetime maximum. Benefit maximum is associated with the maximum benefit for a year and lifetime maximum for the entire life. Lifetime maximum is the limit on the total amount that an insurer pays to a member. A typical lifetime maximum is $1,000,000. However, some policies have an unlimited lifetime maximum.

n Lifetime maximum can be applied as an overall limitation or to specific conditions. It can also be applied on an all cause or a per cause basis.

· All cause maximum: The lifetime 'all cause' maximum covers all covered expenses during the entire period of coverage for all diagnosis.

· Per cause maximum: The lifetime 'per cause' maximum applies to each covered service which is taken by the member. For example, a member who is receiving benefits under a per cause plan for the treatment of both diabetes and a heart condition avails a separate maximum benefit amount for each illness.

Three-tier benefit Plan

n Three-tier benefit plan: Under the three-tier benefit plan, self-funded groups provide different benefits levels to their employees.

n Three-tier benefit plan is designed for self-funded groups that are into the business of healthcare service, such as hospitals and skilled nursing facilities (SNF). These self-funded groups take help of insurance companies, which act like third party administrator (TPA) for self-funded groups. These TPA’s process all claims on behalf of the self-funded groups.

n Benefits available at various tiers in three- tier benefit plan.

· Tier-one: Tier-one is applicable to employees who seek services in hospitals and medical facilities owned by their employers. This also includes employer groups’ affiliated physicians and related healthcare professionals. Tier-one provides the highest cost coverage. This means that if employees receive care at the employer’s facilities, the employer provides them the incentive of paying very less OOP expenses.

· Tier-two: Tier-two is applicable to employees who seek medical services at a facility, which is not owned by the employer but is part of the TPA’s network. The member expenses for tier-two will be higher as compared to tier-one.

· Tier-three: Tier-three is applicable to employees who seek medical services from facilities or professionals who are not part of the employer group or the TPA’s network. The member expense is highest in this tier.

OOP

2013-09-29T12:04:00.002-07:00

n Health insurance plan defines an upper limit for the member expenses. This limit is called Out-of-Pocket (OOP). OOP is a combination of deductible, copay, and coinsurance.

n After the OOP limit for a plan year is met, the member will not pay anything up till benefit maximum limit. The insurer will pay the medical expenses at 100%.

n For example, Jim has a health insurance plan that specifies his maximum OOP as $2000 in a calendar year. He has paid this OOP expense by June. This means that for the remainder of the year if he has any covered medical expense, the insurer will pay the entire amount.

Plans can be written to contain both individual and family OOP maximums

Exercise 1: Calculate the amount paid by a member in the following scenario:

Billed Amount: $3000

Deductible: $500

Copay: $0

Coinsurance: 30%

OOP: $700

Exercise 2: Calculate the amount paid by a member in the following scenario:

Jennifer gets an asthma attack. She goes to the Cleveland Hospital for treatment. In her previous visit, she was also advised to get her diabetes checked. Copay for asthma is $10 and for diabetes is $15. However, the billed amount for asthma is $120. How much copay would Jennifer pay?

Exercise 3: Calculate the amount paid by the customer in the following scenario:

Billed Amount: $5000

Deductible: $800 (300 met)

Copay: $150

Coinsurance: 40%

OOP: $2500

Exercise 4: Justin goes out of town for a business trip to New York. He experiences chest pain in the morning and decides to see a doctor. Justin uses an ambulance to go the hospital. The ambulance service costs him $300.The hospital that Justin visits is a non-network hospital, according to his insurance plan. He meets Dr. Wilson at the hospital who suggests surgery and some lab tests. The cost of the surgery is $4000.The lab tests, which were conducted in an out-of network independent lab, costs $600. After returning to his home town, Justin gets admitted in a network hospital costing $2000. Then, he takes some medicines from in network drug store costing him $800.

The various healthcare expenses as offered by Justin’s plan are:

Deductible: $600

Coinsurance for In-network Facility: 10%

Coinsurance for Out-network Facility: 30%

Coinsurance for In-network Physician: 20%

Coinsurance for Out-network Physician: 40%

OOP: $3000

How much does Justin need to pay before he reaches the maximum OOP limit?

When calculating the final payable amount, the different member expenses are applied in the following sequence:

Deductible
Copay
Coinsurance

Deductible

2013-09-29T11:58:00.002-07:00

Deductible is the annual fixed amount that a member must pay before benefits are payable. The amount of deductible varies according to the plan options opted by a member.

Like copay, deductible is also not applicable to all services. It may be applicable only on certain services. For example, it may be applicable for a regular physician visit and not on emergency services.

Typically, each member covered under a plan has their own deductible to meet. Many policies also have family deductibles that offer a break to larger families. A family deductible can be met together instead of each person meeting their individual deductible.

If a plan offers both coinsurance and deductible, first deductible is deducted from the billed amount. Thereafter, coinsurance is deducted from the remaining billed amount.

Exercise for deductible

Question Eric falls off the roof and is taken to the hospital by ambulance. The ambulance service costs him $500. Eric is covered under a health insurance plan that has $150 deductible and 80:20 coinsurance. How much amount does Eric need to pay?

Coinsurance

2013-09-29T11:53:00.002-07:00

Coinsurance is the percentage of the allowable expense borne by a member. The remaining percentage of the allowable expense is borne by the insurer.

Coinsurance is, typically, referenced as the ratio of the percentage of expenses borne by the insurer and the member. For example, if coinsurance for a plan is 80:20, this means that 80% of the expenses will be paid by the insurer whereas 20% will be paid by the member.

The coinsurance amount varies across health insurance plans. There are several types of coinsurance amounts that can be applied depending on the type of health insurance plan and the provider.

Type of Provider	Member %	Insurer %
In-network physician	20%	80%
Out-of-network physician	40%	60%
In-network hospital	10%	90%
Out-of-network hospital	30%	70%

A member always pays the smaller share and the larger share is paid by the insurer. Additionally, coinsurance is applicable on every service that is mentioned in a plan.

Exercise of coinsurance

Question: Sally is hospitalized for an injury. Sally has an 80:20 coinsurance plan. The hospital stay costs $1,000. What will Sally pay in this case?

Copay

2013-09-29T11:50:00.002-07:00

Copay is a fee, usually a small amount, paid by a member to the provider for expenses incurred at a medical facility, such as a physician's office or an outpatient hospital.

The amount of copay applicable on a service depends on the plan, type of service rendered, and who is rendering the service. This table lists some of the services and their respective copay amount.

Services	Amount of Copay
Primary care physician (PCP) visits	$20
Covering physician	$20
Specialist visits	$30
In-network physical therapy	$20
In-network chiropractic	$20
Urgent care center	$40
Emergency room	$50

The amount of copay, displayed in the table, is indicative and the actual amount will vary depending on the type of plan.

Copay for each service needs to be paid separately.

Exercise for copay

Question: Sam has contracted an eye infection and is visiting Dr. Richard Dearden in this regard. Dr. Dearden examines Sam and prescribes an antibiotic. For the services rendered, Dr. Dearden charges $30. If $10 is the copay amount provided by Sam’s health insurance plan, what amount needs to be paid by Sam and the insurer?

Question: It’s been a week since Sam’s last diagnosis and he is again visiting his primary care physician (PCP) today. The PCP examines Sam’s infected eye and informs him that the infection is cured. The PCP charges $10. Considering that Sam’s plan has s a copay of $10, what amount needs to be paid by Sam and the insurer?

Health Insurance Expenses and Benefits

2013-09-29T11:47:00.000-07:00

After completing the Health Insurance Expenses and Benefits module, you should be able to:

· Define copay, coinsurance, and deductible

· Define the out-of-pocket (OOP) limit

· Calculate member expenses in specific scenarios

· Describe the carry-over provision, benefit maximum, lifetime maximum, and three-tier benefit plan

Healthcare Related Expenses

n Under insurance, members are guaranteed compensation for losses. For this, members need to pay the premium as specified in the insurance contract.

n In addition to the premium, members may be required to pay some additional expenses when they avail medical facilities. These expenses include copay, coinsurance, and deductible.

HCL Technologies arm wins multi-million dollar deal from WyCAN Consortium

2013-09-27T13:29:00.004-07:00

HCL America Inc (HCLA), a fully owned subsidiary of leading global IT services company HCL Technologies Ltd., announced today that it has won a multi-year, multi-million dollar deal with the WyCAN Consortium, a group of states including Arizona, Colorado, North Dakota and Wyoming. HCLA will enable WyCAN to significantly improve services for its Unemployment Insurance (UI) modernization program, which is one of the largest such programs in the US providing critical income to millions of unemployed Americans.

HCLA was selected through a highly competitive process where it demonstrated its unique and effective managed cloud-as-a-service solution called iGOVERN. HCL‘s solution expertise will be used to deliver and support WYCAN‘s unemployment insurance (UI) tax and benefit systems and transform it into an integrated claimant and employer focused, self assisted service channe

Financial Tech asks for investors support

2013-09-27T13:28:00.004-07:00

Financial Technologies (India) Ltd, promoter of National Spot Exchange Ltd (NSEL), reportedly asked for support from the government and investors over the current phase. At the company's annual general meeting, Jignesh Shah, chairman, said that he was attending an AGM after a few years to show his commitment to the shareholders. “We understand the pain of the investors and I am going to have a dialogue with the NSEL Investors Forum,” Shah said. Shah urged the investors forum to work with the company. The company would work to entire capacity after those which had actually taken the money in the current crisis, shah reported.

Infosys Ltd has announced that a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company will be held on October 11, 2013

2013-09-27T13:27:00.000-07:00

Infosys Q2 results on Oct 11, 2013
Infosys Ltd has announced that a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company will be held on October 11, 2013, to consider:

The audited financial results of the company as per Indian GAAP for the second quarter and half year ending September 30, 2013. The audited consolidated financial results of the Company and its subsidiaries as per IFRS for the second quarter and half year ending September 30, 2013. To consider payment of interim dividend, if any.

Infosys Ltd has announced................

2013-09-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

Infosys Ltd has announced that a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company will be held on October 11, 2013

General Testing Terms

2013-09-24T11:38:00.003-07:00

Software Testing:

1. The process of operating a product under certain conditions, observing and recording the results, and making an evaluation of some part of the product.
2. The process of executing a program or system with the intent of finding defects/bugs/problems.
3. The process of establishing confidence that a product/application does what it is supposed to.

Verification:

"The process of evaluating a product/application/component to evaluate whether the output of the development phase satisfies the conditions imposed at the start of that phase.
Verification is a Quality control process that is used to check whether or not a product complies with regulations, specifications, or conditions imposed at the start of a development phase. This is often an internal process."

Validation:

"The process of evaluating a system or component during or at the end of the development process to determine whether it satisfies specified user requirements.
Validation is Quality assurance process of establishing evidence that provides a high degree of assurance that a product accomplishes its intended requirements."

Quality Assurance (QA):

"A set of activities designed to ensure that the development and/or maintenance process is adequate to ensure a system will meet its objectives.
A planned and systematic set of activities necessary to provide adequate confidence that requirements are properly established and products or services conform to specified requirements."

Quality Control (QC):

The process by which product quality is compared with applicable standards, and the action is taken when nonconformance is detected.

White Box:

In this type of testing we use an internal perspective of the system/product to design test cases based on the internal structure. It requires programming skills to identify all flows and paths through the software. The test designer uses test case inputs to exercise flows/paths through the code and decides the appropriate outputs.

Gray Box:

Gray box testing is a software testing method that uses a combination of black box testing and white box testing. Gray box testing is completely not black box testing, because the tester will have knowledge of some of the internal workings of the software under test. In gray box testing, the tester applies a limited number of test cases to the internal workings of the software under test. In the remaining part of the gray box testing a black box approach is taken in applying inputs to the software under test and observing the outputs.

Black Box:

Black box testing takes an external perspective of the test object to design and execute the test cases. In this testing technique one need not know the test object's internal structure. These tests can be functional or non-functional, however these are usually functional. The test designer selects valid and invalid inputs and determines the correct output.

References: wikipedia.

Other SDLC Models

2013-09-24T11:36:00.003-07:00

Waterfall with Prototyping
Prototyping to analysis and design phases

Preview and validation of User Interface by customer.

Preview and validation of complex workflows by customer.

Technical risks mitigation etc. Feasibility. Biggest Risks

Correctness and completeness of earlier phases is a prerequisite of each phase.

Risks related to complex functionalities and large size of projects.

Might not handle all scenarios.

Evolutionary Prototyping Methodology.

Here the system concept evolves during the project
- Develop a prototype
- Show it to customer. Get their feedback.
- Refine the prototype. Repeat till prototype is “good”.
- Complete any pending work and release the product.
Appropriate when
- Rapidly changing requirements
- Customer can not commit to a set of requirements. Poor understanding of the application area (by customer or developer).
- Poor understanding of technology, architecture or algorithms.
Problems
- Cant predict efforts, size, costs.
- Demands on good engineering, to ensure sustaining every iteration.

Rapid Application Development

Modified waterfall model that emphasizes an extremely short development life cycle
- Methodology driven by tools which achieve rapid development
  - Joint Requirements Planning
  - Joint Application Development
  - Construction
  - Cutover
- Costs of rework is very less. So, design and testing phases and shortened
Appropriate if the requirements can be realized using the tools
- CASE tools (such as VB, Borland Delphi, PowerBuilder etc.)

Product Lifecycle Models

Modification of iterative model
- Multiple cycles of development, adding newer features in every cycle.
- Requirements driven by the market, not by specific customers.
  - Influenced by competing products.
  - Present customer base as well as targeted customers.
Each cycle builds on earlier cycle’s work products
- Stable architecture and standard development practices.
- Requirements gathering and analysis is more tedious.
- HLD and architecture inherited from earlier cycles.
- DD & CUT combined to one stage.
- System testing is elaborate.
- Customer testing is more tedious: alpha and beta.
Biggest Risks and Challenges
- Conflicting requirements from diverse customer base.
- Need to rapidly change to adapt to changing market pressures.

SDLC - WaterFall, Spiral, Agile and Test Life Cycle

2013-09-24T11:28:00.004-07:00

Waterfall Model:

The waterfall model is a popular version of the systems development life cycle model for software engineering. Often considered the classic approach to the systems development life cycle, the waterfall model describes a development method that is linear and sequential. Waterfall development has distinct goals for each phase of development. Imagine a waterfall on the cliff of a steep mountain. Once the water has flowed over the edge of the cliff and has begun its journey down the side of the mountain, it cannot turn back. It is the same with waterfall development. Once a phase of development is completed, the development proceeds to the next phase and there is no turning back.
The advantage of waterfall development is that it allows for departmentalization and managerial control. A schedule can be set with deadlines for each stage of development and a product can proceed through the development process like a car in a carwash, and theoretically, be delivered on time.
The disadvantage of waterfall development is that it does not allow for much reflection or revision. Once an application is in the testing stage, it is very difficult to go back and change something that was not well-thought out in the concept stage.
The model is also called Classic or Linear Sequential model. A linear and orderly sequence of steps from System Study to Implementation. When one phase ends, then the next phase begins. Appropriate if system’s requirements are stable and well understood.
Examples

Building a well-defined maintenance releases of a product.

Porting an existing application to a new platform. Biggest Risks

Customer gets to see it only in the end.

Correctness and completeness of earlier phases is a prerequisite of each phase. Stages: Project Planning -> Requirements definition -> Design -> Development -> Integration and Testing -> Installation/Acceptance -> Maintenance

Spiral Model:

There are four phases in the "Spiral Model" which are: Planning, Evaluation, Risk Analysis and Engineering. These four phases are iteratively followed one after other in order to eliminate all the problems, which were faced in "The Waterfall Model". Iterating the phases helps in understating the problems associated with a phase and dealing with those problems when the same phase is repeated next time, planning and developing strategies to be followed while iterating through the phases.
In Spiral model it splits the project to multiple mini-projects;

Based on risks such as: Poor requirements understanding, architecture definition, performance, technologies etc.
Riskier one first.
Each mini-project could be in a non-risk based model such as waterfall.
- Identify objectives, alternatives, constraints
- Identify and resolve risks. Choose the right alternative.
- Develop for that iteration. Verify it.
- Plan for the next iteration.
Appropriate when the challenges are huge and many.

Agile Process:

Agile aims to reduce risk by breaking projects into small, time-limited modules or timeboxes ("iterations") with each iteration being approached like a small, self-contained mini-project, each lasting only a few weeks. Each iteration has it own self-contained stages of analysis, design, production, testing and documentation. In theory, a new software release could be done at the end of each iteration, but in practice the progress made in one iteration may not be worth a release and it will be carried over and incorporated into the next iteration. The project's priorities, direction and progress are re-evaluated at the end of each iteration.

Test life cycle:

1. Test Requirements stage - Requirement Specification documents, Functional Specification documents, Design Specification documents (use cases, etc), Use case Documents, Test Trace-ability Matrix for identifying Test Coverage.
2. Test Plan - Test Scope, Test Environment, Different Test phase and Test Methodologies, Manual and Automation Testing, Defect Management, Configuration Management, Risk Management, Evaluation & identification – Test, Defect tracking tools, test schedule, resource allocation.
3. Test Design - Traceability Matrix and Test coverage, Test Scenarios Identification & Test Case preparation, Test data and Test scripts preparation, Test case reviews and Approval, Base lining under Configuration Management.
4. Test Environment Setup - Test Bed installation and configuration, Network connectivity's, All the Software/ tools Installation and configuration, Coordination with Vendors and others.
5. Test Automation - Automation requirement identification, Tool Evaluation and Identification, Designing or identifying Framework and scripting, Script Integration, Review and Approval, Base lining under Configuration Management.
6. Test Execution and Defect Tracking - Executing Test cases, Testing Test Scripts, Capture, review and analyze Test Results, Raise the defects and tracking for its closure.
7. Test Reports and Acceptance - Test summary reports, Test Metrics and process Improvements made, Build release, Receiving acceptance.

Test Life Cycle / Software Testing models

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SDLC:

The software development life cycle (SDLC) is a conceptual model used in project management that describes the stages involved in an information system development project, from an initial feasibility study through maintenance of the completed application/product.

Phases of SDLC

System Study

Feasibility Study

Requirements

Design

Coding

Testing

Implementation

Maintenance

V-Model:

The V-Model shows and translates the relationships between each phase of the development life cycle and its associated phase of testing. The V-model is a software development model which is considered to be an extension of the waterfall model. Instead of moving down in a linear way, the process steps are targeted upwards after the coding phase, to form the typical V shape.
Requirements analysis: In this phase, the requirements of the proposed system are collected by analyzing the needs of the user(s). This phase is concerned about establishing what the ideal system has to perform. However, it does not determine how the software will be designed or built. Usually, the users are interviewed and a document called the user requirements document is generated. The user requirements document will typically describe the system’s functional, physical, interface, performance, data, security requirements etc as expected by the user. The user acceptance tests are designed in this phase.
System Design: System engineers analyze and understand the business of the proposed system by studying the user requirements document. They figure out possibilities and techniques by which the user requirements can be implemented. If any of the requirements are not feasible, the user is informed of the issue. A resolution is found and the user requirement document is edited accordingly.
The software specification document which serves as a blueprint for the development phase is generated. This document contains the general system organization, menu structures, data structures etc. It may also hold example business scenarios, sample windows, reports for the better understanding. Other technical documentation like entity diagrams, data dictionary will also be produced in this phase. The documents for system testing is prepared in this phase.
High-level design: This phase can also be called as high-level design. The baseline in selecting the architecture is that it should realize all which typically consists of the list of modules, brief functionality of each module, their interface relationships, dependencies, database tables, architecture diagrams, technology details etc. The integration testing design is carried out in this phase.
Low-level design: This phase can also be called as low-level design. The designed system is broken up in to smaller units or modules and each of them is explained so that the programmer can start coding directly. The low level design document or program specifications will contain a detailed functional logic of the module, in pseudo-code - database tables, with all elements, including their type and size - all interface details with complete API references- all dependency issues- error message listings- complete input and outputs for a module. The unit test design is developed in this stage."

References: wikipedia.

Bug Life Cycle

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Bug:

Product is still not yet released in the market. Found before production.

Defect:

Product is released in the market. Found after production.

Defect States:

States:
-Open
-Fixed
-Verified
-Closed
-Double/Duplicate
-Reject (Works as per Requirements, wont fix, works for me)

Defect Content:

Defect heading: IE Error. “Error Loading https://localhost:10000/index.cgi Connection refused”
Description:
Hardware Used:
Software version:
Environmental parameters:
Failed Test case ID:
Failed Requirement Id:
Occurrence: Repeatable/Random
Severity:
Keyword/Responsible:
Steps to Reproduce the Problem:
Expected Result: IE login page should be displayed.
Actual Result: Error is displayed. “Error Loading https://localhost:10000/index.cgi Connection refused”
Screenshots if any:
Log files if any:
Time stamp for crash defects:
Symptoms
Phase originated in
Phase found in

Severity:

Severity refers to the level of impact, the defect has created on the users. This is set by the tester. Below are some of the common types.
Unacceptable Risk/Blocker: Crash or A risk to the patient/user, operator, service personnel, etc. Creates a Safety Risk
Design NC/Critical: Non-conformance to design input (product specification)
Improvement Opportunity: Observations that do not represent a Design Defect or belong to any of the previous classes
- Enhancements
- Productivity Opportunities
However this varies from company to company.

Priority:

Priority refers to the "Urgency" with which the incident has to be fixed. This is set by the lead.
In most of the cases a critical incident can be of high priority.

Defect example for each severity:

Unacceptable Risk - In a patient monitoring system if the Product /application Crashes, Incorrect parameter value (ex. Instead of 60 Heart Rate 80 Heart Rate is displayed)
Design NC - Patient information not displayed under User Information.
Minor Issue - IP address textbox should be grayed out when DHCP is selected
Improvement Opportunity - Some cosmetic defect which is negligible. ex. when a sub-menu is opened the borders of the sub-menu is cut off. or Documentation Issue.

What to do when a defect is not reproducible:

1. Test on another setup.
2. Take pictures and video the first time the defect occurs.
3. Save and Attach the Log file.

Test Design Techniques

2013-09-24T10:58:00.004-07:00

Some general software documentation terms.

USR:

User Requirements Specification - Contains User (Customer) requirements received from the user/client.

PS:

Product Specification. Derived from UR such that it can be implemented in the product. A high level product requirement.

DRS:

Design Requirement Specifications - Related to design. Design requirements. For hardware components.

SRS:

Software Requirement Specifications - Low level requirements derived from PS. For Software related components.

SVP:

Software Verification Procedure written from SRS. These are the actual test cases.

DVP:

Design Verification Procedure written from DRS. More design oriented test cases.

Some of the Test Design Techniques are as below,

Test Design Technique 1 - Fault Tree analysis

Fault tree analysis is useful both in designing new products/services (test cases for new components) or in dealing with identified problems in existing products/services. Fault tree analysis (FTA) is a failure analysis in which the system is analyzed using boolean logic.

Test Design Technique 2 - Boundary value analysis

Boundary value analysis is a software testing design technique in which tests are designed to include representatives of boundary values. The test cases are developed around the boundary conditions. One common example for this technique can be, if a text box (named username) supports 10 characters, then we can write test cases which contain 0,1, 5, 10, >10 characters.

Test Design Technique 3 - Equivalence partitioning

Equivalence partitioning is a software design technique that divides the input data to a software unit into partition of data from which test cases can be derived.

Test Design Technique 4 - Orthogonal Array Testing

This Technique can be used to reduce the number of combination and provide maximum coverage with a minimum number of Test Cases. Pay attention to the fact that it is an old and proven technique. The Orthogonal array testing was introduced for the first time by Plackett and Burman in 1946 and was implemented by G. Taguchi in 1987.
It is a Mathematical technique to determine which variations of parameters need to be tested. [William E. Lewis, 2000]

Test Design Steps - Test case writing steps

1. Read the requirement. Analyze the requirement.
2. Write the related prerequisites and information steps if required (ex. If some setting should have already been done, or Some browser should have been selected).
3. Write the procedure (steps to perform some connection, configuration). This will contain the majority of steps to reproduce is this test case fails.
4. Write a step to capture the tester input/record. This is used for objective evidence.
5. Write the Verify step (Usually the expected Result).

What is a Test Case? – It is a document, which specifies the test inputs, events and expected results developed for a particular objective, so as to evaluate a particular program path or to verify the compliance with a specific requirement based on the test specification.

Areas for Test Design - Below are some of the areas in Test Design.
o Deriving Test Cases from Use Cases
o Deriving Test Cases from Supplementary Specifications
>>>>>> Deriving Test Cases for Performance Tests
>>>>>> Deriving Test Cases for Security / Access Tests
>>>>>> Deriving Test Cases for Configuration Tests
>>>>>> Deriving Test Cases for Installation Tests
>>>>>> Deriving Test Cases for other Non-Functional Tests
o Deriving test cases for Unit Tests
>>>>>> White-box tests
>>>>>> Black-box tests
o Deriving Test Cases for Product Acceptance Test
o Build Test Cases for Regression Test

Test case content:

The contents of a test case are,
* Prerequisites
* Procedures
* Information if required
* Tester input/record
* Verify step

Types of Test Cases They are often categorized or classified by the type of test / requirement for test they are associated with, and will vary accordingly. Best practice is to develop at least two test cases for each requirement for test:
1. A Test Case to demonstrate the requirement has been achieved. Often referred to as a Positive Test Case.
2. Another Test Case, reflecting an unacceptable, abnormal or unexpected condition or data, to demonstrate that the requirement is only achieved under the desired condition, referred to as a Negative Test Case.

Software Testing Templates

2013-09-24T10:53:00.001-07:00

Here you will find standard documents containing layout and styles used in the various stages of Software Testing.
Following are the various categories under which you will find 20+ free templates.
Software Testing - Test Case Templates
* Test Case Template 1
* Test Case Template 2
* Test Case Template 3
* Test Case Example
* Use Case Example
* Test Case Review Template

Software Testing - Test Plan Templates
* Test Plan Template 1
* Test Plan Template 2
* Test Plan Template for Mobile Testing
* Software Test Automation - Test Plan Template
* Software Quality Assurance Plan (SQAP) Template

Software Testing - Checklists
* Checklist for Testing Project Setup
* Checklist for Testing of Graphics on Website
* Checklist for Testing Browser Dependencies for a Website
* Checklist for Software Testing
* Checklist for Software Testing Lead

Software Testing - Defect, Test Execution, Test Estimation Templates
* Template for Defect/Bug Content
* Template for Test Execution Status
* Template for Test Execution - Tester Time Tracker
* Automation Test Estimation Framework Template
* Software Test Estimation Template/Workbook

Software Testing - Code Review, Traceability Matrix, MOM Templates
* Template for Code Review
* Template for Traceability Matrix
* Minutes of Meeting Template

Software Testing Process

2013-09-24T10:51:00.000-07:00

One of the main process involved in Software Testing is the preparation of Test Plan.
The contents of a Test Plan would contain the following,

Purpose.

Scope.

References.

Resources Required.

Roles and responsibilities
Test Environment and Tools

Test Schedule.

Types of Testing involved.

Entry/Exit criteria.

Defect Tracking.

Issues/Risks/Assumptions/Mitigation's.

Deviations.

Process involved in Test Case Design:

Review of requirements.
comments for the requirements.
Fix the review comments.
Baseline the requirements document.
Prepare test cases with respect to the baselined requirements documents.
Send the test cases for review.
Fix the comments for the test cases.
Baseline the test case document.
If there are any updates in the requirements, Update the requirements document.
Send the updated requirements document for review.
Fix any comments, if received.
Baseline the requirements document.
Update the test case document with respect to the latest baselined requirements document.

Traceability matrix:

Traceability matrix is a matrix which associates the requirements to its work products,Test cases. This can also be used to associate the Use case to the Requirements.
The advantage of traceability is to ensure the completeness of requirements.
Every Test case should associate to a requirement and Every Requirement has one or more associated test cases.

Testing Review - Dos and Dont's

Author

Be open to feedback.

Observe the review process.

Don’t get discouraged by review feedback – They are constructive.

Do not defend yourself or the product that you produced - Remember that there is no product that is defect-free. Reviewer

Review the Product not the Producer.

Do not accuse.

Do not resolve the issues.

Avoid discussions of styles - stick to technical correctness.

Testers Role

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The various Roles and Responsibilities of a Tester or Senior Software Tester

Requirement Analysis - in case of doubt check with global counter parts or clinical specialist.
Test design - Always clarify, never assume and write.
Review of Other Test design documents.
Approving Test Design documents.
Test Environment setup.
Test results gathering.
Evaluation of any tools if required. - ex. QTP, Valgrind memory profiling tool.
Mentoring of new joinees. Helping them ramp up.

Finding Defects

Testers need to identify two types of defects:
Variance from Specifications – A defect from the perspective of the builder of the product.
Variance from what is Desired – A defect from a user (or customer) perspective.

Testing Constraints

Anything that inhibits the tester’s ability to fulfill their responsibilities is a constraint.
Constraints include:
Limited schedule and budget
Lacking or poorly written requirements
Changes in technology
Limited tester skills

The various Roles and Responsibilities of a Software Test Lead

The Role of Test Lead is to effectively lead the testing team. To fulfill this role the Lead must understand the discipline of testing and how to effectively implement a testing process while fulfilling the traditional leadership roles. What does This mean that the Lead must manage and implement or maintain an effective testing process. This involves creating a test infrastructure that supports robust communication and a cost effective testing framework.
The Test Lead is responsible for:
* Defining and implementing the role testing plays within the organizational structure.
* Defining the scope of testing within the context of each release / delivery.
* Deploying and managing the appropriate testing framework to meet the testing mandate.
* Implementing and evolving appropriate measurements and metrics.
o To be applied against the Product under test.
o To be applied against the Testing Team.
* Planning, deploying, and managing the testing effort for any given engagement / release.
* Managing and growing Testing assets required for meeting the testing mandate:
o Team Members
o Testing Tools
o Testing Process
* Retaining skilled testing personnel.

The various Roles and Responsibilities of a Software Test Manager

* Manage and deliver testing projects with multi-disciplinary teams while respecting deadlines.
* Optimize and increase testing team productivity by devising innovation solutions or improving existing processes.
* Experience identifying, recruiting and retaining strong technical members.
* Bring a client-based approach to all aspects of software testing and client interactions when required.
* Develop and manage organizational structure to provide efficient and productive operations.
* Provide issue resolution to all direct reportees/subordinates, escalating issues when necessary with appropriate substantiation and suggestions for resolution.
* Provide required expertise to all prioritization, methodology, and development initiative.
* Assist direct reports in setting organization goals and objectives and provide annual reviews with reporting of results to HR and the executive team.
* Work with Product Management and other teams to meet organization initiatives.
* Promote customer orientation through organizing and motivating development personnel.
The Test Manager must understand how testing fits into the organizational structure, in other words, clearly define its role within the organization.

Challenges in People Relationships testing

The top ten people challenges have been identified as:
Training in testing
Relationship building with developers
Using tools
Getting managers to understand testing
Communicating with users about testing
Making the necessary time for testing
Testing “over the wall” software
Trying to hit a moving target
Fighting a lose-lose situation
Having to say “no”
*According to the book “Surviving the Top Ten Challenges of Software Testing, A People-Oriented Approach” by William Perry and Randall Rice

UPSC Geologist Exam 2013 – Apply Online for 147 Vacancies

2013-09-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

UPSC Geologist Exam 2013 – Apply Online for 147 Vacancies: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has issued notification for conducting Geologists Examination 2013 for recruitment of the 147 vacancies under two categories. Eligible candidates can apply online on or before 23-09-2013. Other details like age limit, educational qualification, selection process and how to apply are given below…

UPSC Geologists Exam Vacancy Details:
Total No. of Posts: 147
Name of the Posts:
Category I:
1. Geologist, Group ‘A’: 50 Posts
2. Assistant Geologist Grade I Group ‘B’: 25 Posts
Category II:
1. Junior Hydrogeologists (Scientist B) Group ‘A’: 33 Posts
2. Assistant Hydrogeologists Group ‘B’: 39 Posts

Age Limit: Candidates age limit should be between 21 years and 32 years for Category I Posts and 21-35 years for Jr Hydrogeologists Post and 21-30 years for Assistant Hydrogeologists posts. Age limit should be reckoned as on 01-08-2013. Age relaxation will be applicable as per the rules.

Educational Qualification: Candidates should possess Master’s Degree in Geological Science or Geology or Applied Geology or Geo-Exploration for Category I Posts Masters Degree in Geology or Applied Geology or Marine Geology from a university, Master’s Degree in Hydrogeology from a recognised university for Category II Posts.

Application Fee Details: Candidates have to pay the fee of Rs.200/- (Rupees Two Hundred only) either by remitting the money in any Branch of SBI by cash or by using net banking facility of State Bank of India/ State Bank of India/ State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur/State Bank of Hyderabad/State Bank of Mysore/ State Bank of Patiala/State Bank of Travancore by using Visa/Master Credit/Debit card. SC/ST/Female/PH candidates are exempted from payment of fee.

Selection Process: Candidates would be selected based on their performance in written examination and interview.

How to Apply: Eligible candidates can apply online through UPSC website www.www.upsconline.nic.in on or before 23-09-2013 till 11:59 PM. After submission of Online Application candidates must take the print out of application form and keep it safe for further reference/use.

Instructions for Online Application:
1. Visit the website www.upsconline.nic.in and click on Online application for Various Examinations of UPSC link.
2. Candidates must select the Part I of Application by selecting the link Click Here below Part I Registration of desired service.
3. Fill all the marked details of Part I of Application Form and then make the payment.
4. After making payment online or offline candidates must revisit the website.
5. This time candidates need to select the link Click Here below Part II Registration of same service.
6. Again fill all the mandatory details in Part II of Application.
7. Upload the scanned Photograph and Signature at the places provided and Submit the Application.
8. Take print out of Online Application and retain it for further use.

Important Dates:
Date of Notification: 24-08-2013
Last Date for Submission of Applications: 23-09-2013.
Date of Examination: 09-11-2013.

UPSC Advt No 13/2013 – 57 various vacancies

2013-09-21T10:55:00.000-07:00

UPSC Advt No 13/2013 – 57 Various Vacancies: Union Public Service Commission – UPSC has advertised notification for recruitment of 57 Various Vacancies in Various Departments. Eligible Candidates can apply online on or before 03-10-2013 by 23.59 hrs. The particulars regarding age limit, educational qualification, application fee and other particulars of UPSC Advt No 13/2013 is mentioned below…

UPSC Advt No 13/2013 Vacancy Details:
Total no. of Posts: 57
Name of the Posts:
1. Assistant Foreign Language Examiner (AFLE): 02 Posts
2. Principal Library and Information Officer: 01 Posts
3. Deputy Director (Non-Technical): 02 Posts
4. General Duty Medical Officer (Homeopathy): 11 Posts
5. Assistant Labour Commissioner: 02 Posts
6. Deputy Director (Planning/Statistics): 04 Posts
7. Statistical Officer: 20 Posts
8. Principal: 01 Post
9. Professor (Computer Science and Engineering): 02 Posts
10. Professor (Electronics and Communication Engineering): 02 Posts
11. Professor (Mechanical Engineering): 01 Post
12. Associate Professor (Civil Engineering): 01 Post
13. Associate Professor (Computer Science and Engineering): 04 Posts
14. Associate Professor (Electronics and Communication Engineering): 04 Posts

Age limit: Candidates age should not exceed 50 years for S.No.2, 8, 9, 10 &11 Posts, 45 years for S.No.3, 12, 13 & 14 Posts, 40 years for S.No.1 & 6 Posts, 35 years for S.No.4 & 5, 30 years for S.No.7 Post and relaxation is available.

Educational Qualification: Candidates must Possess Bachelor’s degree/ Advanced Diploma in Chinese or Japanese with English for S.No.1 Post, Master’s degree for S.No.2 Post, Any Degree in relevant Disciplines for S.No. 3, 4 & 5 Posts, Post graduate degree in relevant field for S.No.6, 7 Posts, Bachelor of Engineering or Bachelor of Technology and Master of Engineering or Master of Technology for S.No.8 to 14 Posts.

Selection Process: Candidates will be selected based on their performance in the interview.

Application Fee: Candidates pay the fee for Rs. 25/- only either by remitting the money in any branch of the SBI by cash or by using net banking facility of the SBI or by using visa/ master credit/ debit card (No fee for SC/ ST/ PH/ Women candidates).

How to apply: Interested and eligible candidates may apply online on or before 23.59 hrs on 03-10-2013 and shortlisted candidates will be called for interview with application, self attested copies of documents/relevant certificates in support of the claims made in the application.

Instructions to Apply Online:
1. Log on to the website www.upsconline.nic.in
2. Click on the link “Online Recruitment Application (ORA) for Various Recruitment Posts”.
3. Select the appropriate Post and click on “Apply Online”.
4. Fill all the mandatory fields and submit error free application form.
5. After submission of ORA, candidates are required to take print out of it for future use.

Important Dates:
Last Date for Submission of Online Application: 23.59 hrs on 03-10-2013
Last Date for Printing Online Application: 23.59 hrs on 04-10-2013