Testing

Software Release Life Cycle (SRLC)

The Software Release Life Cycle (SRLC) refers to the stages a software product goes through from initial development to its final release and maintenance. It ensures that software is developed, tested, deployed, and maintained systematically.

Phases of the Software Release Life Cycle

1. Pre-Alpha (Development Phase)

  • Activities: Initial coding, designing, and unit testing.

  • Testing: Limited to developers and internal testers.

  • Goal: Develop a working prototype or MVP (Minimum Viable Product).

2. Alpha Phase (Internal Testing)

  • Activities:

    • Conduct in-house testing to identify major bugs.

    • Functional and usability testing.

  • Testing Audience: Internal developers and testers.

  • Goal: Fix major issues before external testing.

3. Beta Phase (External Testing)

  • Activities:

    • Software is released to real users outside the development team.

    • Collects real-world feedback and performance insights.

  • Types of Beta Testing:

    • Closed Beta: Limited group of users.

    • Open Beta: Publicly available to a larger user base.

  • Goal: Identify bugs, usability issues, and gather feedback for improvements.

4. Release Candidate (RC) / Gamma Testing

  • Activities:

    • Software is nearly complete with all major issues fixed.

    • Final testing is performed before public release.

  • Goal: Ensure stability and readiness for production.

5. General Availability (GA) / Production Release

  • Activities:

    • Software is officially released to all users.

    • Available for purchase/download.

  • Goal: Deliver a stable and functional product.

6. Maintenance & Updates

  • Activities:

    • Regular updates, patches, and bug fixes.

    • Performance improvements and security updates.

  • Types of Updates:

    • Patch Release: Small fixes for critical issues.

    • Minor Update: Feature enhancements and minor fixes.

    • Major Update: Significant improvements or redesigns.

  • Goal: Ensure continued software reliability and user satisfaction.

Summary of Software Release Life Cycle Stages

Stage

Testing Level

Audience

Purpose

Pre-Alpha

Unit Testing

Developers

Initial coding & prototyping

Alpha

Internal Testing

QA Team

Detect major bugs

Beta

External Testing

Real Users

Gather feedback & usability insights

Release Candidate (RC)

Final Testing

Limited Release

Ensure stability before full launch

General Availability (GA)

Production

Public Users

Official software release

Maintenance & Updates

Continuous

All Users

Bug fixes & improvements

Beta Testing Strategies & Tools for Alpha/Beta Testing

Beta Testing Strategies

To ensure an effective Beta testing phase, different strategies can be applied based on the product type, target users, and testing goals.

1. Open Beta vs. Closed Beta

  • Closed Beta – Limited to a selected group of users, often under NDA (e.g., early adopters, premium customers).

  • Open Beta – Available to the public, allowing a large user base to test the software.

2. Technical Beta

  • Focuses on performance, security, and integration testing.

  • Often conducted with IT professionals or developers.

3. Marketing Beta

  • Used to generate hype around the product.

  • Invites influencers, media, and key stakeholders to test and share reviews.

4. Focused Beta

  • Targets specific features or functionalities.

  • Helps refine a particular aspect of the product.

5. Post-release Beta

  • Conducted after the official release to continue gathering feedback.

  • Helps with ongoing improvements and future updates.

Tools Used for Alpha & Beta Testing

Various tools assist in managing feedback, bug tracking, and user behavior analysis.

Bug Tracking & Issue Management

Tool

Description

JIRA

Popular bug tracking and project management tool.

Bugzilla

Open-source bug-tracking system.

MantisBT

Simple bug-tracking tool with issue collaboration.

Redmine

Flexible project management and issue-tracking tool.

User Feedback Collection

Tool

Description

SurveyMonkey

Collects structured user feedback via surveys.

Google Forms

Simple way to gather user responses.

UserVoice

Provides a portal for feature requests and user feedback.

Zendesk

Helps track and manage customer issues.

Usability & Behavior Analysis

Tool

Description

Hotjar

Heatmaps and session recordings to understand user behavior.

Crazy Egg

Visual analytics for tracking clicks and interactions.

Mixpanel

Event-based user analytics to measure engagement.

Automation & Crash Reporting

Tool

Description

TestFlight (iOS)

Apple’s official tool for Beta testing iOS apps.

Google Play Beta (Android)

Allows Beta testing for Android apps.

Firebase Crashlytics

Monitors crashes in real-time for mobile apps.

Sentry

Open-source error tracking for real-time bug monitoring.

Would you like help choosing the best tools for a specific product or testing scenario?