Test automation management tools: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Tools for managing test automation}}

'''Test automation management tools''' tools are a specific tool for test automation collaborative environment that is intended to make test automation efficient, clear for stakeholders and traceable. Since test automation is becoming cross-discipline (i.e. mixes both testing and development practices), the need of specific and dedicated environment for test automation is becoming vital.

{{refimprove|date=February 2011}}

{{Software development process}}

'''Test automation management tools''' tools are a specific tooltools forthat testprovide automationa [[Collaborative software|collaborative]] environment that is intended to make [[test automation]] efficient, traceable and clear for stakeholders and traceable. Since testTest automation is becoming a cross-discipline (i.e. mixesa mix of both testing and development practices.), the need of specific and dedicated environment for test automation is becoming vital.

=== Motivation ===

[[Test automation]] systems usually need more reporting, analysis and meaningful information about project status. Test management systems target manual effort and do not give all the required information.<ref>{{cite book | last = Kartashov | first = Peter| title = Test Automation Management: A Call For Better Tools | url = http://www.automatedtestinginstitute.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1276:ast-magazine&catid=105:ast-cover-description&Itemid=122 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100615024956/http://www.automatedtestinginstitute.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1276:ast-magazine&catid=105:ast-cover-description&Itemid=122 | url-status = usurped | archive-date = June 15, 2010 | year = 2011| publisher = Automated Software Testing Magazine}}</ref>

Test automation usually lacks of reporting, analysis and providing meaningful information about project status from automation perspective. Test management systems from the other hand mostly targeted on manual effort and cannot give all the required information.

Test automation management system leverages automation effort towards efficient and continuous process of delivering test execution and new working tests by:

- Making transparent, meaningful and traceable reporting for all project stakeholders

- Easing test debugging through built-in test results analysis workflow

- Providing valuable metrics and KPIs – both technical and business-wise (trend analysis, benchmarking, gap analysis, root cause analysis, risk point analysis)

- Grid benchmarking and comparison of test execution days reduces analysis and review effort

- Clean traceability with other testing artifacts (test cases, data, issues, etc)

- Keeping historical data in a single place, easily retrievable

- Post project analysis and automation performance assessment (basically progress of test coverage shows the group performance)

Test automation management systemsystems leveragesleverage automation effortefforts towards efficient and continuous processprocesses of delivering test execution and new working tests by:

=== Compliance with Agile ===

- * Making transparent, meaningful and traceable reporting for all project stakeholders.

Test automation management tools are perfectly fit Agile methodologies and SDLC. In most cases test automation is to cover continuous changes in order to minimize manual regression testing, therefore at glance reporting is essential to be up to date and move project quickly. The changes are usually noted by seeing difference of errors in test logs between day A and day A+1. For example, difference in number of failures (logs errors) signal about probable changes either in AUT or in test code (broken test code base, instabilities) or rarely in both. Quick notice of changes and unified workflow of results analysis, ultimately, reduces cost of testing overall and moreover increase confidence on project quality attributes with clean reporting on hand.

- * Easing test debugging through built-in test results analysis workflow.

- * Providing valuable metrics and KPIskey performance indicators – both technical and business-wise (trend analysis, benchmarking, gap analysis, [[root cause analysis,]] and risk point analysis).

- * Grid benchmarking and comparison of test execution days reduces analysis and review effort.

- * Clean traceability with other testing artifacts (test cases, data, issues, etc.).

* Organizing historical data.

* Post- Post project analysis and automation performance assessment. (basically progressProgress of test coverage shows the group performance.)

=== Compliance with Agile ===

See also:

Test automation management tools arefit perfectly[[Agile fitsoftware development|Agile]] methodologiesSystems andDevelopment SDLCLife Cycle methodologies. In most cases, test automation is to covercovers continuous changes in order to minimize manual regression testing, therefore at glance reporting is essential to be up to date and move project quickly. The changesChanges are usually noted by seeing difference of errors inmonitoring test logslog between day A and day A+1diffs. For example, differencedifferences in the number of failures (logs errors) signal about probable changes either in AUT or in test code (broken test code base, instabilities) or rarely in both. Quick notice of changes and unified workflow of results analysis, ultimately, reduces cost of testing overallcosts and moreover increase confidence onincreases project quality attributes with clean reporting on hand.

* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_management Test management]

* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_management_tools Test management tools]

== TDD ==

* [http://gredy.net Gredy test automation management tool]

[[Test-driven development]] utilizes test automation as the primary driver to rapid and high-quality software production. Concepts of green line and thoughtful design are supported with tests before actual coding, assuming there are special tools to track and analyze within TDD process.

== Continuous Integration ==

Another test automation practice<ref>{{cite book | last = Kolawa | first = Adam |author2=Huizinga, Dorota | title = Automated Defect Prevention: Best Practices in Software Management | url = http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470042125.html | year = 2007 | publisher = Wiley-IEEE Computer Society Press | isbn = 978-0-470-04212-0 }}</ref> is [[continuous integration]], which explicitly supposes automated test suites as a final stage upon building, deployment and distributing new versions of software. Based on acceptance of test results, a build is declared either as qualified for further testing or rejected.<ref name="Fowler, Continuous Integration practices" >{{Cite web

|url=http://martinfowler.com/articles/continuousIntegration.html#PracticesOfContinuousIntegration

|title=Continuous Integration

|accessdate=2009-11-11

|last=Fowler |first=Martin |authorlink=Martin Fowler (software engineer)

}}</ref> Dashboards provide relevant information on all stages of software development including test results. However, dashboards do not support comprehensive operations and views for an automation engineer. This is another reason for dedicated management tools that can supply high-level data to other project management tools such as [[test management]], issue management and [[Change management (engineering)|change management]].

==References==

{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Test Automation Management Tools}}

[[Category:Automation software]]

[[Category:Software testing tools]]

[[Category:Collaborative software]]