Test Data in Software Testing: Challenges & Best Practices


<p>In the early stages of any SDLC, it may not be feasible to run tests on real desktop and mobile devices. This is because the code is still in an immature stage, and many teams may not have the budget to access a real device cloud from the first test.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The solution? Browser emulators.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This article will define browser emulators and discuss their benefits and usability in testing websites within QA funnels.&nbsp;</p>



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets"><p class="toc_title">Table Of Contents</p><ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#What_is_a_browser_emulator"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">1</span> What is a browser emulator?</a></li><li><a href="#Common_features_of_the_Browser_Emulators"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">2</span> Common features of the Browser Emulators</a></li><li><a href="#The_role_of_browser_emulators_in_Quality_Engineering"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">3</span> The role of browser emulators in Quality Engineering</a></li><li><a href="#Benefits_of_testing_on_browser_emulators"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">4</span> Benefits of testing on browser emulators</a><ul><li><a href="#Cost-effective_testing"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">4.1</span> Cost-effective testing</a></li><li><a href="#Support_for_responsive_testing"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">4.2</span> Support for responsive testing</a></li><li><a href="#Early-stage_debugging"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">4.3</span> Early-stage debugging</a></li><li><a href="#Easy_and_quick_scaling"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">4.4</span> Easy and quick scaling</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Drawbacks_of_browser_emulators"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">5</span> Drawbacks of browser emulators</a><ul><li><a href="#Gaps_inaccuracy"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">5.1</span> Gaps inaccuracy</a></li><li><a href="#Incomplete_hardware_emulation"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">5.2</span> Incomplete hardware emulation</a></li><li><a href="#Network_discrepancies"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">5.3</span> Network discrepancies</a></li><li><a href="#Gaps_in_browser-specific_features"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">5.4</span> Gaps in browser-specific features</a></li><li><a href="#Limitations_in_accessibility_and_security_features"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">5.5</span> Limitations in accessibility and security features</a></li><li><a href="#Limited_support_for_olderniche_browsers_dependence_on_updates"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">5.6</span> Limited support for older/niche browsers &amp; dependence on updates</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#How_to_use_a_browser_emulator_online"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">6</span> How to use a browser emulator online</a></li><li><a href="#Can_testers_depend_on_browser_emulators_for_100_accurate_test_results"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">7</span> Can testers depend on browser emulators for 100% accurate test results?</a></li><li><a href="#Instead_of_browser_emulators_test_on_real_devices_on_the_cloud"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">8</span> Instead of browser emulators, test on real devices on the cloud</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="what-is-a-browser-emulator"><span id="What_is_a_browser_emulator">What is a browser emulator?</span></h2>



<p>A browser emulator is an application or environment that replicates the functions, design, and user-facing behavior of an actual web browser. For example, an online browser emulator can replicate the MacOS on a Windows machine, letting you test apps on Safari without having to get a MacBook.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Emulators are used by analysts, devs, and testers to run applications for usage, testing, and debugging. They don’t need the actual browser, just the emulator.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Testing on a browser emulator is not a replacement for testing on real browsers, devices, and OSes. But it is perfect for testing sites at the early stages of development.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 id="common-features-of-the-browser-emulators"><span id="Common_features_of_the_Browser_Emulators">Common features of the Browser Emulators</span></h2>



<ul><li>Replicates different browsers on different platforms (with some reduced functions).&nbsp;</li><li>Simulates web page rendering with JavaScript, CSS, and DOM manipulation support.&nbsp;</li><li>Automates user actions like clicking, form inputs, moving between pages, and so on.&nbsp;</li><li>Allows adjustments in screen dimensions, device orientation, network conditions, location, etc.&nbsp;</li><li>Emulates browser APIs for geolocation, local storage, session storage, etc.&nbsp;</li><li>Allows for programmatically crawling and scraping web pages with visible browser interaction.&nbsp;</li></ul>



<h2 id="the-role-of-browser-emulators-in-quality-engineering"><span id="The_role_of_browser_emulators_in_Quality_Engineering">The role of browser emulators in Quality Engineering</span></h2>



<p>At the early stages of software development, browser emulators can take on a set of roles that help push code with some testing. Browser emulators can be used for&nbsp;</p>



<ul><li>Cross browser testing</li><li>Functional testing</li><li>Performance testing</li><li>Responsive design testing</li></ul>



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<p>However, it is always recommended to run security tests, accessibility tests, regression tests, and all pre-production tests on real devices.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 id="benefits-of-testing-on-browser-emulators"><span id="Benefits_of_testing_on_browser_emulators">Benefits of testing on browser emulators</span></h2>



<h3 id="cost-effective-testing"><span id="Cost-effective_testing">Cost-effective testing</span></h3>



<p>When you test on a web browser emulator, you don’t need immediate access to real browsers, devices, and OS. A single browser emulator can replicate multiple environments, cutting down the need for real device access from the first stage of development.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Test your mobile apps and websites on real devices on the cloud &#8211; <a href="https://testsigma.com/online-android-emulator">Try for Free</a></p>



<h3 id="support-for-responsive-testing"><span id="Support_for_responsive_testing">Support for responsive testing</span></h3>



<p>Emulators are useful for checking how the site renders on browsers load on different device sizes. For example, what would your site look like on Safari mobile vs Safari desktop? What about its functionality when Safari is running on different iPhones? These are questions the browser emulators can answer.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 id="early-stage-debugging"><span id="Early-stage_debugging">Early-stage debugging</span></h3>



<p>Testing on browser emulators can help QA engineers identify JavaScript errors, layout anomalies, and console warnings. It works fairly well for DOM inspection, network monitoring, and performance profiling.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 id="easy-and-quick-scaling"><span id="Easy_and_quick_scaling">Easy and quick scaling</span></h3>



<p>The low cost and high efficiency of emulators make them a great option to scale tests quickly. For example, if you’d like to run a new feature through a preliminary set of tests, a robust browser emulator works perfectly. Set up a series of emulated browsers for the initial round of checks.&nbsp;</p>



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<h2 id="drawbacks-of-browser-emulators"><span id="Drawbacks_of_browser_emulators">Drawbacks of browser emulators<gwmw style="display:none;"></span></h2>



<h3 id="gaps-inaccuracy"><span id="Gaps_inaccuracy">Gaps inaccuracy<gwmw style="display:none;"></span></h3>



<p>No browser emulator can replace the real browser. If it could, no one would bother using or upgrading the actual browser.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Often, visual elements and animations do not render on emulators the way they do on real devices. This leads to overlooking UI bugs that tarnish end-user experience.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In particular, emulators are unsuitable for monitoring website behavior for complex scenarios and edge cases. Browser emulators leave too many real-world variables uncertain because they simply cannot replicate them. Instead, you can choose to run your tests on a cloud-based <a href="https://testsigma.com/test-lab" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">test lab</a> to test your apps and websites on real devices and browsers.<gwmw style="display:none;"></p>



<h3 id="incomplete-hardware-emulation"><span id="Incomplete_hardware_emulation">Incomplete hardware emulation</span></h3>



<p>Online Browser emulators cannot completely recreate hardware behaviors like CPU performance variations, multi-touch gestures, device-specific bugs, and touchscreen sensitivity. It certainly cannot support advanced features like gyroscopes, fingerprint scanners, or accelerometers.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 id="network-discrepancies"><span id="Network_discrepancies">Network discrepancies</span></h3>



<p>Conditions like high or low latency or packet loss are not always accurately simulated by browser emulators. If the emulator in question runs on high-resource developer machines, it may not work properly on lower-end devices.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 id="gaps-in-browser-specific-features"><span id="Gaps_in_browser-specific_features">Gaps in browser-specific features</span></h3>



<p>Most browser emulators cannot support plugins and extensions, leaving gaps in tests. Proprietary APIs and experimental features are also impossible to emulate for most accessible emulators.&nbsp;</p>



<p>This takes away from the accuracy of test results, leaving emulator-tested websites riddled with bugs that users will find.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 id="limitations-in-accessibility-and-security-features"><span id="Limitations_in_accessibility_and_security_features">Limitations in accessibility and security features</span></h3>



<p>Emulators can mimic a few accessibility settings but are reportedly not great at fully replicating screen readers, braille displays, and voice-to-text conversions.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Additionally, emulators are not recommended for security testing as they cannot recreate the browser backend—browser-specific exploits, cookies, and session management. Security tests verify the mechanisms that will safeguard sensitive information, but this cannot be accomplished on a tool that can’t replicate all real-world scenarios, such as cross-origin attacks.&nbsp;</p>



<h3 id="limited-support-for-older-niche-browsers-dependence-on-updates"><span id="Limited_support_for_olderniche_browsers_dependence_on_updates">Limited support for older/niche browsers &amp; dependence on updates</span></h3>



<p>Many emulators cannot accurately recreate older browser version environments. They face similar issues when emulating browsers with unique rendering engines. You may not be able to replicate browsers for niche operating systems or device specifications.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Emulators also have to keep being updated regularly; if they aren’t, they will lag in real-world scenarios. Similarly, truly effective emulators for newer browsers take time to release, and depending on them delays your entire test pipeline.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 id="how-to-use-a-browser-emulator-online"><span id="How_to_use_a_browser_emulator_online">How to use a browser emulator online</span></h2>



<p>Browser emulators do not let users mimic real-world scenarios with 100% accuracy. It is best to choose a test automation platform that supports real device testing for automating browser tests. Testsigma is a codeless GenAI-powered test automation platform that offers a real device cloud for testing on actual devices and not emulators.&nbsp;</p>



<p>With Testsigma, you can achieve maximum device coverage and ship apps that are responsive, compatible, and functional on all browser combinations. It allows QA to automate web, mobile, desktop, API, SAP, and Salesforce tests across 3000+ real devices and browsers.</p>



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<h2 id="can-testers-depend-on-browser-emulators-for-100-accurate-test-results"><span id="Can_testers_depend_on_browser_emulators_for_100_accurate_test_results">Can testers depend on browser emulators for 100% accurate test results?</span></h2>



<p>No.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Browser emulators can do a great deal to verify a website’s compatibility, functionality, and performance. However, as the previous section on “Drawbacks” reveals, there are too many gaps in production-level accuracy for emulator tests to reflect real-world conditions.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Emulators miss out on hardware-based features, cannot faithfully replicate real-world user activity loads, and don’t support many browser APIs, plugins, or experimental features. They also cannot mimic the strained network connectivity users often have to deal with in their actual lives.&nbsp;</p>



<p>All these factors make browser emulators unsuitable for pre-release testing. Real devices must come into play, and tests must be designed to test the website in practical user scenarios.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 id="instead-of-browser-emulators-test-on-real-devices-on-the-cloud"><span id="Instead_of_browser_emulators_test_on_real_devices_on_the_cloud">Instead of browser emulators, test on real devices on the cloud</span></h2>



<p>It is certainly not possible for every QA team to buy, maintain, and upgrade a vast repository of devices. The financial and human resources required to set up and manage such an in-house device lab would be too much for most businesses.&nbsp;</p>



<p>The solution is to run all software tests on a cloud hosting real desktop and mobile devices—a cloud very much like the one offered by Testsigma. Create, execute, and manage tests entirely on the cloud, and get rid of all your infrastructure overhead.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Here are some features that make Testsigma the ideal solution for testing teams across industries:</p>



<ul><li>Testsigma Copilot is a GenAI assistant that provides automated test cases and scenario suggestions within seconds.</li><li>Build automated tests in plain English. No coding is involved, manual testers can transition faster to automation tests, and with much less effort.&nbsp;</li><li>Test multiple application types—web, mobile (Android and iOS), API, SAP, Salesforce, and desktop applications—from a single platform.&nbsp;</li><li>Tests self-heal, i.e., adjust in response to any changes in the application’s source code.&nbsp;</li><li>Create test cases by simply interacting with elements on the website. The steps are recorded and can be placed in sequence to create the test case.&nbsp;</li><li>Club test cases into test plans for easier management and execution.&nbsp;</li><li>Enhanced test data management via dynamic test data generation and integration of data from external sources (CSV, Excel, databases).&nbsp;</li><li>AI-enabled test maintenance: finds and fixes broken tests automatically to manage changes to the application.&nbsp;</li><li>Detailed and real-time analytics: pass/fail status, screenshots, logs, and other pre-determined performance metrics.&nbsp;</li><li>Create reusable tests that work across multiple test cases.</li><li>Real-time, built-in version control and shared test artifacts for easier collaboration.&nbsp;</li><li>Combine functional and UI tests and automate user actions for faster and leaner execution.</li><li>Add new users to testing projects with a couple of clicks.&nbsp;</li></ul>


<p>The best way to gauge Testsigma’s value is to just use it. <a href="https://testsigma.com/signup" data-wplink-edit="true">Sign up for Testsigma</a> and try the tool for free. Build tests in plain English and manage them from a single dashboard. Run tests on multiple device clouds and get detailed results that break issues down to the test step. </p>


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<p>After that, if you’re ready to 10X the accuracy and efficiency of your test cycles, <a href="https://testsigma.com/contactus">let’s talk </a>about magnifying your ROI. </p>


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Browser Emulator: What It Is & How Efficient Is It to Test Website?


<p>DevOps is all about streamlining and automating your software delivery life cycle. When you enable DevOps in your organization, all the development and operation activity needs to be automated.&nbsp;Let’s discuss DevOps Testing aspects here.</p>



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets"><p class="toc_title">Table Of Contents</p><ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#What_is_DevOps_Testing"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">1</span> What is DevOps Testing?</a></li><li><a href="#Features_of_Testing_in_a_DevOps_Environment"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">2</span> Features of Testing in a DevOps Environment</a></li><li><a href="#Who_is_Involved_in_DevOps_Testing"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">3</span> Who is Involved in DevOps Testing?</a></li><li><a href="#Testing_Types_in_DevOps"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">4</span> Testing Types in DevOps</a></li><li><a href="#DevOps_Testing_in_Testsigma"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">5</span> DevOps Testing in Testsigma </a></li><li><a href="#DevOps_Testing_Best_Practices"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_1">6</span> DevOps Testing Best Practices</a><ul><li><a href="#Leverage_test_automation"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">6.1</span> Leverage test automation</a></li><li><a href="#Identify_test_automation_engineers"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">6.2</span> Identify test automation engineers</a></li><li><a href="#Select_the_right_testing_tools"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">6.3</span> Select the right testing tools</a></li><li><a href="#Track_performance_with_metrics"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">6.4</span> Track performance with metrics</a></li><li><a href="#Maintain_proper_documentation"><span class="toc_number toc_depth_2">6.5</span> Maintain proper documentation</a></li></ul></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="h-what-is-devops-testing"><span id="What_is_DevOps_Testing"><strong>What is DevOps Testing?</strong></span></h2>



<p>DevOps Testing is the continuous and automated process of software testing that enables continuous and faster delivery of software. The legacy approach of testing is performed manually. <a href="https://testsigma.com/guides/manual-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Manual testing</a> involves more human activity, is more prone to error, and is more time-consuming. As DevOps focuses on automating processes, testing can fit into DevOps with the help of the right test automation tools.</p>



<p>Check here &#8211; <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/where-does-qa-and-test-automation-fit-in-devops/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Devops Test Automation</a></p>



<h2 id="h-features-of-testing-in-a-devops-environment"><span id="Features_of_Testing_in_a_DevOps_Environment"><strong>Features of Testing in a DevOps Environment</strong></span></h2>



<p>Organizations are swiftly moving to <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/devops-for-agile-teams/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DevOps for Agile teams</a>. Both approaches focus on the automation of testing activity.</p>



<p>Let&#8217;s understand the features of DevOps testing</p>



<ul><li>Testing is automated, and it is continuous.</li><li>Testing is carried out at different stages of SDLC.</li><li>Easy to roll back and detect errors in the code as results/reports will be instant.</li><li>Testing becomes a shared responsibility. Each team member is responsible for quality.</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-who-is-involved-in-devops-testing"><span id="Who_is_Involved_in_DevOps_Testing"><strong>Who is Involved in DevOps Testing?</strong></span></h2>



<p>In DevOps Teams, everyone is equally responsible for the quality of the product. That means testing is done by the whole team. So no more blame game on the testing team. Designated testing team member will have expertise and skill set in the DevOps testing and he will drive the testing. Testing team member helps to choose the right tool, build the automation framework, automation code review, integrate testing activity with pipelines, etc. On the other hand, all team members will contribute to developing the automation scripts.</p>



<p>In DevOps testing, the tester needs to have a broad understanding of development, testing, and tools.</p>



<p>Some of the Key areas that DevOps QA members should focus on are given below.</p>



<ul><li>Source Control (using Git, Bitbucket, AzureDevOps, etc)</li><li><a href="https://testsigma.com/continuous-integration" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Continuous Integration</a> (using Jenkins, Bamboo, AzureDevOps)</li><li>Deployment Automation &amp; Orchestration (using Jenkins, AzureDevOps, Octopus Deploy)</li><li>Container Concepts (Kubernetes, Docker)</li><li>Cloud (using AWS, Azure, GoogleCloud, etc)</li></ul>



<p>Apart from above knowledge, tester may also need to write code in specific languages such as Java, Javascript, Python, C#, etc.</p>



<p>Read more &#8211; <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/devops-test-strategy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DevOps Testing Strategy</a></p>



<h2 id="h-testing-types-in-devops"><span id="Testing_Types_in_DevOps"><strong>Testing Types in DevOps</strong></span></h2>



<p>DevOps Testing focuses on testing during every stage of the Software Development Lifecycle. It emphasizes automation testing. All different testing types are automated and hooked into the DevOps pipeline to achieve Continuous Integration(CI) and <a href="https://testsigma.com/continuous-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Continous Testing</a>(CT)</p>



<p>Let&#8217;s take a look at different types of DevOps testing.</p>



<p id="h-unit-testing"><strong>Unit Testing</strong></p>



<p>Unit Testing focuses on small objects. It is also called white box testing. It covers all different conditions and methods available at the class level. Mostly it is written in the unit testing framework such as JUnit, NUnit, Jest, Mocha, etc.</p>



<p id="h-component-test"><strong>Component Test</strong></p>



<p>Larger and more complex applications are segregated into multiple components as it makes development easier and faster. Each component might contain different classes and objects to deliver small functionality. These functionalities are tested using an automation framework while building the application.</p>



<p id="h-integration-test"><strong>Integration Test</strong></p>



<p>As the application is built with components, two or more components are integrated into the product. These Integrated components are tested using the <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/devops-automation-tools/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DevOps testing tools</a>. It may or may not involve database calls.</p>



<p id="h-api-testing"><strong>API Testing</strong></p>



<p>Microservice architecture is the most popular and mostly followed in the organization. In API testing, individual or interrelated microservices are tested together. Mostly API contracts, static data, and data types are tested using API automation tools.</p>



<p id="h-functional-testing"><strong>Functional Testing</strong></p>



<p>Functional Testing focuses on user workflows or end-user functionalities. Often called as end to end Testing. As it touches all the different components, databases, APIs, etc. This is the most critical type of testing. DevOps testing emphasizes incorporating automation tools for end-to-end testing as manual testing is the most time-consuming. Fortunately, tools like Testsigma, Selenium, and Playwright do this job without any hassle.</p>



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<p id="h-performance-stress-testing"><strong>Performance/Stress Testing</strong></p>



<p>Performance testing is important as the user experience is closely associated with it. Performance testing measures the overall application behavior under different loads, different network conditions, and infrastructure configurations. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_performance_testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Performance testing</a> can be scripted and automated. Tools such as JMeter, Blazemeter, K6, etc can be used for <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/software-stress-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stress testing</a>.</p>



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<h2 id="h-devops-testing-in-testsigma"><span id="DevOps_Testing_in_Testsigma"><strong>DevOps Testing in Testsigma </strong></span></h2>



<p>Let&#8217;s understand how Testsigma can help you in DevOps testing.</p>



<p><br>Step 1: Log in with Testsigma</p>



<p><p style="padding-bottom:30px">Step 2: Go to the “Test Plan” page</p></p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/waJ9ah_0VHLhmH2fD76NM3zoOmXb9o9XOO2VsIal7VVjSX_KmN7Bhp2Nqm4VgL-LoKuWIBo4y0ocfUrCQ09CpCitLB4gFkhFMvFeCqT-eQFDUmjHHNkE2y5rufr2Nf3E7LninfQef6rwh7YpNulJTg" alt="Test Plan"/></figure></div>



<p><p style="padding-top:30px">Step 3: Click on your test plan (Example: My Sample Test Plan)</p></p>



<p><p style="padding-bottom:30px">Step 4: Choose CI/CD Integrations</p></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/TebvSvT9GW9Cd7PWNbV-ga9jGqaXI0sFm7hPBXTReEDOZ5PZppVeTQvYV7e4haVRsbtnMp7JXR7A2kaWdi0s2VjwIppWE1OekrdQ6r-BilUlefMR0v8YPCFI75GFXKISTYH4USlsd5acicWV-fbMvQ" alt="sample devops test plan"/></figure>



<p><p style="padding-top:30px">Step 5: Choose your respective CI tool such as AzureDevOps, Jenkins, CircleCI, etc, and follow the on-screen instruction to configure.</p></p>



<p>Once you complete the integration, the Testsigma tests will be triggered automatically, as part of your development code pipeline, and no manual intervention is needed. Testsigma makes all DevOps testing integration much easier. Many organizations put Testsigma on a top tool list while enabling DevOps.</p>



<h2 id="h-devops-testing-best-practices"><span id="DevOps_Testing_Best_Practices"><strong>DevOps Testing Best Practices</strong></span></h2>



<p>You cannot learn everything from failures or trial and error methods as it costs a lot. Following the best practices is the smartest way to enable DevOps testing in your organization.<br><br>Some of the DevOps best practices are given below.</p>



<h3 id="h-leverage-test-automation"><span id="Leverage_test_automation"><strong>Leverage test automation</strong></span></h3>



<p>In a DevOps ecosystem, developers frequently commit the code to the repository. This may include a subset of features. It is difficult to perform testing every time the developer commits the code. The best approach is to make testing automated. As discussed there are different types of testing such as unit, component, API, integration, and <a href="https://testsigma.com/end-to-end-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">end-to-end testing</a>. Use test automation tools for different types of testing. Automation tools help to reduce the manual intervention of the testing. Also, swift feedback helps developers to revert the code if it is causing any errors.</p>



<h3 id="h-identify-test-automation-engineers"><span id="Identify_test_automation_engineers"><strong>Identify test automation engineers</strong></span></h3>



<p>In DevOps testing, everyone is responsible for the quality. This may not work exactly as you expected. As team members are having different skill sets. Identifying the test automation engineers is more important. While others are responsible for the quality, test automation engineers drive the DevOps testing. This way everyone is aligned with the whole testing process. The person who has an expertise in manual and automation is the best as they understand both product features and automation frameworks.</p>



<h3 id="h-select-the-right-testing-tools"><span id="Select_the_right_testing_tools"><strong>Select the right testing tools</strong></span></h3>



<p>Choose the right testing tools after careful analysis. <em>&#8220;There is no best automation tool in the market but there is the best automation tool for your organization&#8221;.</em> While choosing the test automation tool consider cost, skillsets, infrastructure needed, upskill effort, etc. Furthermore, you need to perform a detailed analysis of the application architecture,&nbsp; type of application, domain, etc. Remember, once you start the automation testing it is difficult to look back so make this decision carefully.</p>



<h3 id="h-track-performance-with-metrics"><span id="Track_performance_with_metrics"><strong>Track performance with metrics</strong></span></h3>



<p>Like Agile, DevOps also focuses on continuous improvement. The metrics can help to identify the testing gaps or improvement areas. Furthermore, metrics can also be used to measure success. Some of the helpful metrics are</p>



<ul><li>No. of test cases automated</li><li>No. of bugs discovered</li><li>Time taken for application testing</li><li>Occurrence of false failures in the automation suites.</li></ul>



<h3 id="h-maintain-proper-documentation"><span id="Maintain_proper_documentation"><strong>Maintain proper documentation</strong></span></h3>



<p>The documentation may be time-consuming initially, but it makes the testing process organized and transparent. Documentation should include tool sets, installation, test reports, summary reports, test cases, regression reports, etc. Well-structured documentation also helps any new members to start their own. In DevOps, documentation is not a one-time effort. It&#8217;s a perpetual and collaborative effort.</p>



<p>Following the DevOps process and best practices may be challenging during the initial days however if you bring the habit to the organization it becomes the way to work. DevOps Testing focuses more on automation tools, in turn, it demands stable lower-level environments (QA, staging, pre-prod, etc). Many organizations spend less on lower environments to save the cost but it may not work in a DevOps ecosystem. There are many test automation tools that are DevOps ready, choosing the right automation tool can help in reducing the effort and cost.</p>



What tool is used for testing in DevOps?
Testing is broad terminology. It involves different types of testing such as unit testing, component testing, API Testing, end-to-end testing, etc. There are many testing tools to support these testing types. Selenium, Testsigma, Cypress, and Postman are a few names.


Is DevOps required for testing?
Testing can be done with or without DevOps however, if you adopt DevOps practices into your organization it is recommended to make testing a part of it.



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