Test automation management tools: Difference between revisions

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'''Test automation management tools''' tools are specific tools providingthat 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,) therefore, the need offor a specific and dedicated environment for test automation environment is becoming vital.

==Motivation==

[[Test automation]] usually lacks of reporting, analysis and providing meaningful information about a project's status from automation perspective. Test management systems from the other hand mostly targeted ontarget manual effort and cannotdoes 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 | year = 2011| publisher = Automated Software Testing Magazine}}</ref>

Test automation management system leverages automation effort towards efficient and continuous processprocesses 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 progressProgress of test coverage shows the group performance.)

==Compliance with Agile==

Test automation management tools are perfectly fit [[Agile]] methodologies and SDLC. In most cases test automation is to covercovers continuous changes in order to minimize manual regression testing, therefore, at glance reporting is essential in order to be up to date and move the project quickly. The changes are usually noted by seeing differencedifferences 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 onincreases project quality attributes with clean reporting on hand.

== TDD ==

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

== Continuous Integration ==

Another proper test automation practice <ref>{{cite book | last = Kolawa | first = Adam | coauthors = 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 = 0-470-04212-5 }}</ref> is being part of [[continuous integration]] which explicitly supposes to have automated test suites as a final stage upon building, deployment and distributing new versionversions of software. Basically, basedBased on acceptance of test results, a build is declared either as qualified for further testing or not qualified (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

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

==References==