Blockchain | Bug Hunters

Blockchain Testing

Blockchain technology is becoming increasingly relevant across all domains because of its properties of decentralization, immutability and transparency.A blockchain is basically like a distributed ledger which stores the database of assets and transactions done across a peer to peer network.

You can think of a blockchain as an open infrastructure that can store various types of assets. This digital ledger possesses unique attributes that make it special. For instance, it is decentralized, and that means each transaction that is added onto the chain has to be replicated so that each node has the same copy.

Bug Hunters Blockchain Testing Types

To guarantee trust, testers must ensure that all the components of a blockchain are working perfectly and that all applications are interacting with it in a trusted manner. Some of the core tests that should be run include functional, performance, API, node testing, and other specialized tests. So here is what they entail in a nutshell:

Functional Testing

This is a holistic process that evaluates the work of various functional parts of the blockchain (e.g. smart contracts).

API Testing

Application Programming Interface tests address the interaction between applications in the blockchain ecosystem. It checks to ensure that API requests and replies are formatted and handled properly.

Performance Testing

. It identifies performance bottlenecks, suggests the methods of fine-tuning the system and reviews if the application is ready for launching.

Node Testing

All heterogeneous nodes on the network must be tested independently to ensure smooth cooperation.

What we usually test in Blockchain?

In blockchain development, which often follows Agile practices, the shift left approach to testing is gaining popularity. Carrying out a series of tests as early in the development lifecycle as possible allows minimizing the number of defects that could be found in the app’s lifecycle later on when the impact on a business can be detrimental.

Block Size

The maximum fixed limit of a block is 1 megabyte. After the introduction of bitcoin, the average size of a block for the first 18 months came out to be under 30 KB. But in December 2017, it hovered around 1 MB. What if the size of a block exceeds beyond 1 MB? Well, this is yet to be decided how the blocks above 1 MB pan out.

Block Addition

Every new block is added to the chain once the transaction’s validity is authenticated. So it must be tested that there should not be any leak in the block addition system and the block must be added after authentication.

Load

With so many people on the blockchain, load becomes a major parameter to test in a blockchain. Let’s take an example of bitcoin. It currently has a maximum throughput of 3-4 transactions per second but what if the transaction/second increases as in case of Visa(2000),Paypal(193), etc. Hence load remains the major problem with blockchain as its performance drops when load increases.

Security

Since there are many miners involved with a transaction, ensuring security is a little complex. Well, there is a multi-layered security system in a blockchain. If one of the layers have been hacked, the instantaneous transactions cannot be stopped. It is therefore to be tested that one security layer doesn’t affect the other.

Data Transmission

Encrypted and decrypted data is transferred from computer to computer so it is necessary to test if the transmission process is working flawlessly. Is the data being sent received on the other end or there is a loss in between. So it becomes necessary to make sure that the data is not lost.

Chain Size

There is no limit on the size of the chain. So it is fun to test it for its function and performance. For example, the bitcoin chain’s size keeps on increasing day by day.