Test automation.
Test automation is the process of using various automation tools that maintain the test data, execute tests and analyze test results to improve software quality. In short, test automation is an autonomous testing process to detect the performance of a product, software or cloud-based system. It should be implemented into every product lifecycle to make sure testing occurs regularly.
Typical types include:
- Unit testing: Used to isolate a part of the application and test it to see how individual components act without anything else being impacted.
- Integration testing: Testing multiple units to see how they run together.
- Smoke Testing: Used to examine the stability of a particular system...
- Regression Testing: Used to test whether a recent change in code won’t affect other aspects of the application.
Why would you want test automation?
Any product or system is liable to failure in unforeseen ways. If a test automation system isn’t put in place, the process of testing and improving products is often left off, as the complexities of running a system take over the job of designing, and new features stave the attention off any potential failures. Automatic testing ensures this is not the case by locking in certain testing dates, procedures and environments.
How does test automation work?
- Identify the critical areas of the application that can be automated.
- Set up a testing infrastructure that supports automated testing.
- Establish clear testing procedures and protocols to ensure automated tests are executed consistently and accurately.
- Use data analytics to optimize the testing infrastructure and improve testing efficiency.
- Use a testing framework that supports automation and provides robust testing tools.
- Use cloud-native tools and services to improve the efficiency and scalability of the testing infrastructure.
- Use continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) practices to automate the testing process.
- Use behavior-driven development (BDD) to create automated tests focusing on business outcomes.
- Establish a process for test maintenance and updates to ensure the automated tests remain relevant and practical.
- Continuously monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the test automation process, and make improvements as needed.
The value of test automation
By creating a test automation process for cloud application testing, project managers can reduce testing time, improve software quality, and deliver high-quality applications more quickly and reliably. This helps stabilize the product and secure its future through incremental stages.
Main advantages of test automation
- Enable more efficient and effective testing processes
- Reduce manual effort and increases testing speed
- Improve overall quality and reliability of applications
- Facilitate continuous testing and integration
- Enable more frequent and reliable software releases
- Help prevent performance issues and downtime in production.
A common user story
“As a Product Manager, I want to create a test automation process for cloud application testing to ensure that our applications are tested more efficiently and thoroughly, reducing testing time and improving software quality. By identifying key areas of the application that can be automated, setting up a testing infrastructure that supports automated testing, establishing clear testing procedures and protocols, and using data analytics and machine learning to optimize the testing infrastructure, we can reduce testing time, improve software quality, and ultimately deliver high-quality applications more quickly and reliably.”
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