High-Level testing a VoiceObjects installation

Any new / upgraded installation of VoiceObjects needs to be tested before it can be used.

This article describes the Excel template which shows a set of needed tests to ensure a overall sanity of the installation and collects some of the main installation information.
 The resulting sheet can also be used to document what has been done to assure the sanity of the system.The current set is designed to be used for a simple installation with one desktop and one server instance. It assumes that two installations (Test and Production) are available.
If there are more installations or more instances, please copy the boxes on the sheets to multiply the information.

Please take a look at the comments at the cells describing the tests. These will contain more information on the needed input.

Fill the Excel Sheet

Add as many information to the Excel sheet as possible.
 In the column "Checked" please use the following 3 entries - then the cells will be automatically colored according to the status of the test:

Please note that the Excel sheet can at every time only be a rough guide. Not every test is needed (or even helpful) while setting up or troubleshooting a VoiceObjects installation. Please add any step you want - and delete the ones you don't find helpful in your current situation.
 

Please download the template here: InstallationDocumentation.xls.

The General Tab

The General tab contains general data of the installation - and defines some high-level checks on the general setup. It is divided into 2 main sections.

1. The first one describes the different Server and Desktop instances for each system in the setup(s).
2. The second sections contains high level checks and information of the setup.

The Desktop Tab

The tab Desktop contains a set of standard test which can be performed to ensure / prove the proper function of VoiceObjects Desktop for Web and Desktop for Eclipse.
The first section Connectivity of the Desktop tests show that the Desktop instance can be reached from the client.
To test the overall functionality of the Desktop itself please use the second section Useability of the Desktop.
Connectivity with VoiceObjects Server tests are contained in the third section Interaction with Server.
Again - please add one complete box for each tested system.

The Instances Tab

This tab shows essential tests for instances. Please copy the Tested instance box as often as needed.
Connectivity of the instance contains a set of tests which prove / ensure that the communication channels to this instance work.
The General tests ensure the overall functionality of this Server instance.
The last section, Clustering contains some very high level tests which can / should be used in cased of issues within the cluster.
Please see Load Testing for a high level description of load tests.

The Files Tab

Please secure as many files from the running setup as possible.
If the setup was created from the installer, please secure the installation logs from the main installation folder (<InstallationFolder>\VoiceObjects_x_InstallLog.log).
Additionally please safe all VoiceObjects log and configuration files - best the complete folder from the VoiceObjects log files section.
Add any other file which you think might be helpful.

Load Testing

Every installation of VoiceObjects and every application should undergo a load test. Load testing is usually only needed for the Server instances.
Load tests should be done End-To-End if possible .
To gain more information on the specific performance of a VoiceObjects installation, please use the load tester (See the Load Tester Guide in the VoiceObjects online help).
It is recommended to perform one longer test with changing load to see the overall performance of the setup and one shorter test with the maximum amount of expected calls (or up to the license limit).
These tests should show the overall performance of VoiceObjects. In both tests the memory should not get over 90% of the -Xmx setting of the instances. There should be no/seldom peaks in step execution which go above 500ms execution time.

Failover Testing

Failover testing is needed in case a VoiceObjects cluster has been set up.
To get a real helpful outcome of this test, a load balancer in front of VoiceObjects is needed. It needs to be a load balancer which can dynamically react on outage of an instance of VoiceObjects with re-routing the load to another instance. In case this is not available this test will lead to missed calls.
To perform a failover test, please run a default load test (e.g. with the VoiceObjects load tester).
During this test shut down one instance of VoiceObjects.
Once it is stopped, the calls should be rerouted from the load balancer to the remaining instances. In case the load balancer routes calls to the missing instance these calls will fail.
Calls to other instances should not be affected in any way.
Then start the instance again.

The test is successful if no call is dropped / affected (except the calls which are dropped when the instance is stopped).
The stopped / restarted instance should be taking calls and appear in the Control Center when it is back online.