What is the number one challenge for testers tackling SOA for the first time?

RR: Often, testers lack visibility into the overall strategy. Another issue is that in some enterprises, testers have to fight for the tools that they get. They may be challenged to get the additional tools required to effectively test SOA.

FC: Frank reiterated his point that there is "no standards body" and no "start here" guide for tackling SOA. In fact, there is heavy debate on what SOA is. Because of these issues, many training materials and tools are not up to par.

JG: Jim has seen testers struggle with the concepts of a layered based testing approach. When this occurs, testers tend to apply the testing practices that they are comfortable with which may not be sufficient for testing services end to end.

What advice would you give to a testing director/manager when embarking on their first SOA initiative?

RR: Randy recommends to "develop a network of 4-5 people with 1-2 years of SOA experience". Attending conferences and reading books gives you a foundation of knowledge, but real world lessons learned and advice can be found from practitioners who have been through the battles and experienced real world SOA first hand.

FC: Frank recommends assessing the testing team's skills and capabilities. Does your team "have the right stuff?" Can you tackle this with internal resources or do you need to outsource some parts of it? Frank feels strongly that you need to have the "right cast of characters" which includes test engineers who "understands all of the interfaces", know how to rapidly patch an application, and a manager who can "go from requirements to test results".

JG: Jim's advice is "Think constant change (like agile)". He also highly recommends having a strong release management process in place before starting. I can tell you from experience that countless hours and dollars will be wasted if this advice is not taken. Jim also recommends bringing in "an experienced testing architect from planning through certification". He says that there is not an abundance of SOA testing architects out there. If you can't find one then find someone who has experience with web services.

Summary

Enterprises who are in the early stages of their SOA initiatives or those contemplating starting a SOA initiative should not forget to address the impacts of SOA as it pertains to testing. Understand the risks, evaluate your internal skills and identify skill gaps, built a network with experienced practitioners, identify the necessary tools and processes that need to be in place, and make sure that the funding takes into account the needs of the testing organization.