Automation in testing frameworks within the CI/CD ecosystem in DevOps and software development is often underestimated in terms of its importance. However, there are key considerations that should be taken into account when developing these frameworks.
Key Points:
- The framework should be usable by any department across the organization.
- It should be easily deployable and usable for customers.
- The framework should be robust, flexible, and adaptable to meet technical requirements.
- When building a new framework, evaluate all options, including open source, commercial, and developing from scratch.
- The flexibility and adaptability of the framework should be considered when deciding whether to build on top of an old framework or develop a new one.
- A centralized data lake for automation testing can provide valuable insights for testing current releases and improving product quality.
- An adoption strategy is necessary when rolling out new frameworks, especially when transitioning from an old framework.
When developing a testing framework, it is important to consider the requirements and needs of various departments within the organization. The framework should be usable by product management, R&D, Cloud, and customer success teams, among others. Additionally, it should be easily deployable and usable for customers who may want to use it at their own locations.
To ensure the effectiveness of the framework, it should be robust, flexible, and adaptable to meet technical requirements. This includes considerations for availability, reliability, and resiliency.
When building a new framework, developers should evaluate all options, including open source, commercial, and developing from scratch. Developers have a better understanding of the problems they are trying to solve and the requirements they need to fulfill at an organizational level. It is important to overcome any vested interests that may influence or derail decisions.
Decisions regarding whether to continue building on top of an old framework or develop a new one should be based on the requirements discussed earlier. The chosen framework should be flexible, adaptable, easily usable, observable, highly available, reliable, and resilient.
A centralized data lake for automation testing can provide valuable insights and benefits. By storing automation test results and related data in a centralized repository, testing teams can automatically determine where the focus should be for testing the current release and identify areas for improvement. The data lake can also help pinpoint why and when product quality may be deteriorating.
When rolling out new frameworks, an adoption strategy is crucial, especially when transitioning from an old framework. This may involve a phased rollout where both the old and new frameworks are run simultaneously until the switch is made completely.
In conclusion, automation in testing frameworks within the CI/CD ecosystem in DevOps and software development should not be underestimated. Considerations must be made regarding usability, technical requirements, building new frameworks, centralized data lakes, and adoption strategies. By rethinking the role of automation in testing, organizations can improve the effectiveness and success of their product development and customer satisfaction.