Capability maturity model(CMM)

Introduction:
CMM was developed by the Software Engineering Institute. The Capability Maturity Model (CMM) is a way to develop and refine an organization's processes.
Structure of CMM
The CMM involves the following aspects:
Maturity Levels:
It is a layered framework providing a progression to the discipline needed to engage in continuous improvement (It is important to state here that an organization develops the ability to assess the impact of a new practice, technology, or tool on their activity. Hence it is not a matter of adopting these, rather it is a matter of determining how innovative efforts influence existing practices. This really empowers projects, teams, and organizations by giving them the foundation to support reasoned choice.)

Key Process Areas:
A Key Process Area (KPA) identifies a cluster of related activities that, when performed collectively, achieve a set of goals considered important.

Goals:
The goals of a key process area summarize the states that must exist for that key process area to have been implemented in an effective and lasting way. The extent to which the goals have been accomplished is an indicator of how much capability the organization has established at that maturity level. The goals signify the scope, boundaries, and intent of each key process area.
Common Features: Common features include practices that implement and institutionalize a key process area. These five types of common features include: Commitment to Perform, Ability to Perform, Activities Performed, Measurement and Analysis, and Verifying Implementation.

Key Practices:
The key practices describe the elements of infrastructure and practice that contribute most effectively to the implementation and institutionalization of the key process areas.

What is testing maturity model
1. Estiblishes a baseline for the current level of testing
2. Highlights any inconsistencies between believed level of maturity
3. Provides a roadmap for test process improvemenent.

Phases of Software Testing maturity models
Level 1: Intial
Level 2: Phase defination
Level 3: Integretion
Level 4: Management and measurement
Level 5: Optimization/Defect prevention and Quality control

Level 1:

1. Testing is a choatic process
2. Tests are developed and ad-hoc
3, Objective is show there work in ad hoc way or chatic process
4. Lacks trained staff or resources
5. Connot decide the time.

Level 2:
1. Testing is seperate from debugging state
2. phase after coding
3. Primary testing fields to show the goals meet software requirements
4. Basic testing techniques are adapted

Level 3:
1. Testing integrated in entire life cycle
2. Test objectives are based on objectives
3. test recognizes the professional activity

Level 4:
1. Testing is measured and quality process
2. Reviews at all development process
3. products are tested for the attributes like reliability,usability and maintainablity
4. Regression testing, test cases are recorded and maintained
5. Defects are logged and severirty is given

Level 5:
1. Testing is defined and managed
2. Testing costs and effectiviness can be monitered
3. An estiblish procedure for the selection and evalution of testing tools
4. Automated tools a primary part of testing process