Should I always include test-cases from previous interations?

Question

Hi, I recently installed Microsoft Test Manager 2010 and this is my first experience with this style of testing. My usual method of testing is to load up a few different web browsers and run through an application.

The reason I moved to Test Manager was because our application has become quite large and complex and a better way of testing and logging information was needed.

In test manager I chose to use the Agile template where you have a test plan with iterations like so:

• [Test Plan]
  • Iteration 1
    
    • Test Cases
    • Requirements (user Stories)
    • etc...
  • Iteration 2
    
    • Test Cases
    • Requirements (user Stories)
    • etc...

What I don't get is how often do you run through certain test cases? Say for example I am on Iteration 1 and have created a whole bunch of test cases for the application, when I move into Iteration 2 do I copy and paste all the test cases from Iteration 1 into Iteration 2 and rerun them? Do I only run certain ones?

Answer 1

Implementing stories during iteration 2 might impact code (including tests) written during iteration 1. So you definitely want to run all tests to ensure you didn't break anything from Iteration 1 during Iteration 2 (i.e. that you didn't introduce any regression).

I don't use Microsoft Test Manager 2010 so I'm not totally sure but I can imagine that requirements from iteration 2 could change test cases from iteration 1. In that case, I guess you'd have to copy test cases.