10 Ways to Speed Up Test Automation Using a CI/CD Pipeline

Changing user expectations and rising business demands have had a wider impact on the software development lifecycle.

 This has resulted in an increase in demand for rapid innovation, followed by early product growth, release, and time on the market. To achieve the speed, the various phases of the SDLC had to accelerate their respective delivery mechanisms.

And here is where test automation services have come as an advantage in speeding up and streamlining the internal processes.

The role of automation is much talked about in software testing referred to as ‘Test Automation’ and ‘Automation Testing.’

Although ‘Automation Testing’ is a software methodology that checks and compares the actual outcome with the predicted result, ‘Test Automation’ is all about automating repetitive tasks and other testing activities that are difficult to perform manually. 

However, a good testing process is a mixture of test automation framework and an efficient testing approach.

Here are 10 CI/CD practices that enhance test automation capabilities:

Identifying and categorizing tests.

All tests cannot be automated, and I must add that some test cases perform well with the manual process. It is necessary to define and categorize test cases that can be automated by frequency and skill set.

By Frequency

High-frequency test cases consume time, staff, and energy, and are often vulnerable to human error. Automation, thus, increases performance and prevents potential errors.

By Skillset

This collection of test cases requires a high level of expertise and additional resources. This includes depending on test experts that could be a challenge in the event of an emergency. Automation removes the dependency and makes it easy for everyone to run it once it is automated.

Automating as many tests as possible

Create an appropriate test plan with a clear understanding of all processes. Categorize test cases by means of manual and automation testing criteria. Test cases that are frequent and require specific skills are suitable for automation. Automate as much as possible.

Performing several tests in parallel

Running several tests in parallel increases the test speed and shortens the total test time. If you have a limited infrastructure to do this, try the cloud-based testing infrastructure to run multiple tests.

Starting with the Basic Tests

Testing is also referred to as lightweight and heavyweight in two ways, both needing different timelines and resources. So, it is recommended to run lightweight tests first as they can run faster and then go for heavyweight tests that are often time-consuming and complicated.

Version control

Issues/faults missed in previous releases also occur when running software tests. This situation naturally involves root cause analysis, which can sometimes take longer and lead to a lack of features in the production setting. This is where it is suggested to roll back the improvements that developers have made to address problems in previous updates. You need a version control system to do this.

Single-click code migration.

Migrating code changes between environments is a difficult job that generally requires time and effort. Automated processes, such as single-click code migration, will do this for you without much effort, in addition to reducing conflict between operations. Embedding such procedures in the infrastructure would improve operational and development capabilities.

CI/CD Pipeline is the main aspect.

The CI/CD pipeline plays a significant role in ensuring the efficient movement of code changes through automated test cycles. It is imperative to establish rigorous test practices along the pipeline and to ensure that the pipeline is safe, effective, fast, and reliable.

Isolate and Secure CI/CD Environment

CI/CD infrastructure has access to critical components such as certificates, data, applications, etc., it is necessary to protect the CI/CD environment from cyber-attacks to avoid any significant failure or shutdown of the process. To keep it safe, it is recommended to isolate the CI/CD environment and monitor access (exempting developers) to certain properties.

Continuous feedback

A continuous feedback system is very important to verify the functioning of the automation tools and to ensure that the desired results are achieved. Feedback would help you understand bugs and correct test scripts to ensure that the ideal code reaches the development process. Unclear reports also involve rewriting of test scripts. Overall, continuous feedback helps in finding bugs, rewrite code, and developing test processes.

Selecting the right tools

Although the above factors demonstrate the road to efficient test automation through the CI/CD pipeline, the right tooling plays a key role in this journey. It is necessary to choose the CI/CD tools that can perform any kind of testing feature. The quest for such successful resources prevents a deviation in the middle of product growth. 

Conclusion.

Test automation is an important part of the overall test strategy, but it must be carefully prepared and carried out. There are several aspects of test automation (particularly related to infrastructure) where you can use resources at hand smartly without investing in the in-house test infrastructure.

Get the development and QA teams to incorporate these best practices and achieve improved automation capabilities in development, testing, and implementation cycles.

Having a strong pedigree in QA, particularly in test automation, AFour Technologies follows the new-age Test Automation approach to accelerate the testing process and meet the needs of tomorrow.

Our accredited test engineers use advanced technologies and techniques to help you produce higher-quality products while mitigating risks and lowering operating costs.

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