Software testing and software architecture are crucial profiles in the software engineering industry. Let us understand each of them separately to know what makes these two profiles different from each other.
Introduction to Software Testing
Software testers analyze the system and software to avert any risk and prevent issues. As a software tester, you will play a role in the quality assurance stages of software deployment and development. You will be responsible for carrying out automated and manual tests to ensure that the developers’ software is fit to use without any issues or bugs. This will make it safe to deploy for everyday use.
Software testing is integral to creating software systems and technical products. Software testers will be employed in international or individual projects across the globe, and software testers must be familiar with the coding language and programming.
Responsibilities of a Software Tester
As a software tester, you will have to:
- Meet the system users and understand the scope of their project
- Work along with the developers and the project support team
- Identify the requirements of the business
- Plan the projects
- Monitor the software system and applications
- Carry out performance, stress, functional, and scalability testing
- Write and then execute these scripts
- Run the manual and automated tests
- Test in the various environments, which includes mobile and web
- Write the bug reports and assess the code
- Carry out resource planning and review the documentation
- Work to meet the project and the departmental deadlines
- Offer quality assurance and provide objective feedback to the software development project team
- Troubleshoot and solve problems
- Design the tests to mitigate the risks
- Present your findings to the business user and the software development team
- Travel to various project sites and work on several projects at the same time
- Document the analysis and liaise with the project team in several parts of the world
- Communicate your findings to your technical and non-technical colleagues
Working hours
The software testers will usually follow the standard working hours. However, the nature of the work may demand work outside the working hours. This means that you may have to work on weekends and prepare for working shifts. This is dependent on the nature of the project, the time zone, and the location of your client.
Skills needed in Software Testing
Someone who has been employed as a software tester has to possess the following skills:
- Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to liaise with several stakeholders
- Problem-solving skills and the ability to work under pressure
- Attention to detail and competent technical skills are a requirement
- The individual should be able to work solo as well as a team
- Organization skills in working with tight deadlines and passion for working with technology are highly expected.
Employers
Software testers are employed in several industries. They are a valuable asset to any organization as they work to ensure safe and functioning software is operated on.
Software testers are employed in the
- financial services,
- manufacturing,
- healthcare,
- public sector,
- retail,
- transport,
- media,
- professional services, and
- telecommunications.
Introduction to Software Architecture
The role of a software architect encompasses several things. This is a design role, a leadership role, a technical role, and a customer-facing role. The software architecture role is responsible for designing software solutions that solve client and company problems.
The career of a software architect is straightforward. However, one needs a broad skill set to be a software architect. They need to possess technical and interpersonal skills. The software architect is a designer or a project manager. They do not just work toward designing solutions. And instead, they have a team of developers under them. They create and assign the project tasks, speak with the clients, and offer solutions to solve their problems. They also keep the client informed about the project’s progress and ensure that things run smoothly.
Check out the software development courses if you dream of a career in software architecture.
Responsibilities of a Software Architect
Here are the roles and responsibilities of a software architect:
- Evaluate the project requirements to determine which tools or standards are best suited
- Break down the project into small steps
- Ensure that the project runs on time
- Communicate the business needs with the team to make sure that the right product gets created
- Check the code for any bugs.
- Ensure that the product is such that it can handle any changes in the software, like if there are security updates
Types of Software Architects
Software architects design software systems and work on a specific software solution.
- The cloud architect focuses on creating the solutions and systems for and in the cloud.
- The application or system architect will develop solutions to solve a single issue.
- The enterprise architect will design the solutions that solve problems across varied projects in an entire organization.
Skills needed in Software Architecture
A software architect needs to have several hard and soft skills:
- They need extensive technical skills in coding and software. However, they may also need to be proficient in several technologies and languages.
- They also need to see beyond the code and understand how all the project aspects work. This lets the team design the complete solution that works and makes sense to the clients.
- The software architect also needs to have excellent organizational skills. They should have attention to detail since they need to hunt for any bugs in the code. They need to create a project roadmap and determine the achievable timeline, milestones, and attainable tasks.
- The software architect should have excellent communication and listening skills because he is the primary contact between the client and the team. He thus needs to communicate the client’s desires to his team, and he also needs to explain to the client if the team is unable to accomplish something.
- Software architects need to be creative too. They need to think out of the box. At times, even a novel solution could be the best. They need to incorporate the past, present, and future to ensure that the software works today and can be improved and upgraded with time.
Conclusion
Software testing and software architecture are advanced software engineering programs. The software tester is responsible for designing the test scenario for software usability. They run the tests and prepare reports to ensure the effectiveness of the software and so that any defects are quickly spotted and rectified. A software tester is also known as a software test engineer or quality assurance engineer.
On the other hand, a software architect leads the development team and works to create software solutions that meet the clients’ necessities. They are responsible for communicating with clients and comprehending their needs, and they need to create a plan and lead a team of software engineers to make a polished product.
You can also check out Great Learning Free Courses from Great Learning Academy by which you can learn in-demand skills and get free certificates.