Creating and Loading Test Data

You can batch load test data. This can be helpful, for example, to test sample files from labs to confirm they are delivering the correct file formats. Oracle Clinical enables you to batch load data into test database tables, batch delete data from the test tables, and execute a batch validation session on test data. Test mode Batch Data Load is a way to get test data into the system, and to check that your files formats are correct. However, the Test mode batch system is not optimized for large volumes of data, and it uses separate tables; so there's no correlation between test mode and production mode performance.

For more information, see:

• Creating Test Data
  
• Batch Loading Test Data
  
• Using Test Mode Batch Data Delete
  

Creating Test Data

These are some guidelines for creating test data:

• Use actual clinical study data from a previous study for the best test data. You can batch load data in Test mode.

• Test mode Batch Data Load is not tuned for performance. If you have a large BDL file, consider taking a subset of the file to reduce load time.

• Embed the test cases in error-free data.

• List all the ways each Question on the DCM for which you are building test data can be invalid. Consider these points of view:

  • Misleading responses from patients

  • Misunderstanding the patient response by the clinical staff (Omissions and commissions)

  • The data entry operators' mistakes reading the CRF, misreading the CRF, mistakes of entry, misunderstanding wording on the DCM layout).

• Include responses that are invalid from the point of view of the system, but not from the point of view of the person responding.

• Modify your test data to create responses that are out of range, not in the correct DVG, incorrect units, incompatible with other responses on the DCM, or from earlier planned events.

  Create test data that is valid, slightly invalid (just over the range, for example), and extremely invalid; sometimes Validation Procedures catch errors near a set point, but fail to handle errors totally outside the expected range.

Batch Loading Test Data

Batch load test data to make the following tests:

• Internal study definition—of, for example, format masks, DCIs, DCMs, and DCI_Modules

• Validation and derivation Procedures

Test batch data load works like production batch data load, giving similar errors and warnings in similar circumstances; however, objects in a test load are test objects, and data is loaded into test database tables.

Test batch data load differs from production batch data load in two additional respects:

• You can apply both provisional and active format masks to test data files and test operating system files.

• You can use both provisional and active DCIs, DCMs, and DCIs in test batch load files.

Using Test Mode Batch Data Delete

Deleting data from test database tables allows reproducible testing of study conduct and data entry on provisional objects, which is particularly useful during the initial setup of a study. Deleting batch data also frees up database space.

When full study data delete is run in Test mode, all relevant test mass change information is deleted for the study.

The data you delete depends on the input parameters from the test database tables for a study. Parameters are DCI, Document Number, Data File, and Data File Group. DCIs can be Active or Provisional; but the three other parameters must be Test. When data is deleted, it can be deleted from actual tables as well as the staging, according to the parameters input.