System integration testing

Article summary

System integration testing (SIT) involves the overall testing of a complete system of many subsystem components or elements. The system under test may be composed of electromechanical or computer hardware, or software, or hardware with embedded software, or hardware/software with human-in-the-loop testing. SIT is typically performed on a larger integrated system of components and subassemblies that have previously undergone subsystem testing. SIT consists, initially, of the "process of assembling the constituent parts of a system in a logical, cost-effective way, comprehensively checking system execution (all nominal and exceptional paths), and including a full functional check-out." Following integration, system test is a process of "verifying that the system meets its requirements, and validating that the system performs in accordance with the customer or user expectations." In technology product development, the beginning of system integration testing is often the first time that an entire system has been assembled such that it can be tested as a whole. In order to make system testing most productive, the many constituent assemblies and subsystems will have typically gone through a subsystem test and successfully verified that each subsystem meets its requirements at the subsystem interface level.…

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