DevOps Testing: Concepts, Best Practices & Tools

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. Let’s discuss DevOps Testing aspects here.

What is DevOps Testing?

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. Manual testing 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.

Check here – Devops Test Automation

Features of Testing in a DevOps Environment

Organizations are swiftly moving to DevOps for Agile teams. Both approaches focus on the automation of testing activity.

Let’s understand the features of DevOps testing

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

Who is Involved in DevOps Testing?

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.

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

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

• Source Control (using Git, Bitbucket, AzureDevOps, etc)
• Continuous Integration (using Jenkins, Bamboo, AzureDevOps)
• Deployment Automation & Orchestration (using Jenkins, AzureDevOps, Octopus Deploy)
• Container Concepts (Kubernetes, Docker)
• Cloud (using AWS, Azure, GoogleCloud, etc)

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

Finding the Right DevOps Testing Strategy

Crafting the right DevOps testing strategy is pivotal for the success of any organization’s software development and delivery efforts. It involves tailoring your testing practices to align with your specific needs and objectives. Here are some key steps and considerations to help you find the right DevOps testing strategy:

Understand Your Goals

Begin by clearly defining your software development goals and objectives. What are you trying to achieve with DevOps? Are you aiming for faster releases, improved quality, enhanced security, or all of the above? Understanding your goals will guide your testing strategy.

Assess Your Current State

Evaluate your existing testing processes, tools, and infrastructure. Identify bottlenecks, pain points, and areas where testing can be improved. This assessment serves as a baseline for measuring progress.

Involve Stakeholders

Engage with all relevant stakeholders, including developers, testers, operations teams, and business representatives. Collaborative discussions ensure that everyone’s needs and concerns are considered in the testing strategy.

Select Appropriate Tools

Choose the right testing tools and frameworks that align with your development stack and testing requirements. These may include test automation frameworks, performance testing tools, security testing scanners, and more.

Define Test Objectives

Clearly define what you want to test at each stage of the development pipeline. For example, determine the types of tests needed for code commits (e.g., unit tests), integration tests, and production-ready testing.

Implement Shift-Left Testing

As mentioned earlier, shift-left testing is crucial. Encourage developers to take ownership of writing and running tests early in the development process. Provide training and support for this cultural shift.

Automate Where Possible

Automate as many testing processes as feasible. Automating unit tests, integration tests, and regression tests is essential for enabling continuous integration and deployment.

Establish Clear Test Criteria

Define clear pass/fail criteria for your tests. Determine what constitutes a successful test run and under what conditions a build should be rejected.

Prioritize Testing Types

Prioritize testing types based on your application’s characteristics. For instance, e-commerce sites may prioritize performance and security testing, while content-focused websites might emphasize usability and compatibility.

Implement Continuous Feedback

Develop mechanisms for collecting and analyzing feedback from testing activities. Use this feedback to make improvements to your testing strategy continually.

Measure and Iterate

Implement metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of your testing strategy. Regularly review and analyze these metrics to identify areas for improvement and iterate on your strategy accordingly.

Security as a Priority

Given the increasing importance of security, make security testing an integral part of your strategy. Integrate security scans and tests into your CI/CD pipeline to identify and address vulnerabilities early.

Documentation and Training

Ensure that your testing strategy is well-documented and that team members are adequately trained on the processes and tools. Clear documentation aids in knowledge sharing and onboarding new team members.

Stay Agile

Keep your testing strategy flexible and adaptable. Be open to changes as your organization evolves, and technology advances. Embrace an agile mindset that values continuous improvement.

All in all, finding the right DevOps testing strategy is a dynamic and iterative process that involves aligning testing practices with your organization’s unique goals and needs. By following these steps and considering these key factors, you can develop a customized DevOps testing strategy that enhances the quality, reliability, and speed of your software delivery pipeline.

The Right DevOps Testing Strategy

DevOps testing streamlines the software delivery pipeline, reducing bottlenecks and enabling faster releases, which is essential in today’s fast-paced market. They help ensure that software is developed, tested, and delivered efficiently, meeting quality standards and user expectations. Rigorous testing at every stage of development improves software quality, minimizing defects in production, enhancing user satisfaction, and protecting brand reputation.

Here are the 4 golden points that you need to understand to figure out the trick to formulate the right DevOps testing strategy tailoring your needs.

Sinking in the Testing Mindset in the DevOps World

A successful DevOps testing strategy hinges on fostering a culture of testing within the organization. It means ensuring that quality assurance is not just the responsibility of a dedicated testing team but is embraced by everyone involved in the software development and operations processes. Developers, operations engineers, and testers should all be aligned with a shared commitment to ensuring high-quality software.

• Education and Training: Conduct sessions to educate the team on the importance of testing in DevOps and its impact on software quality.
• Shared Responsibility: Emphasize that quality assurance is a shared responsibility among all DevOps team members.
• Collaboration: Foster collaboration between developers, testers, and operations personnel to promote a culture of shared quality ownership.
• Feedback and Recognition: Encourage feedback mechanisms and recognize contributions to quality assurance efforts to reinforce the testing mindset.

Example: Developers are encouraged to take ownership of the quality of their code by writing unit tests, conducting peer reviews, and integrating automated testing into their daily workflow. Operations teams collaborate with developers to define infrastructure and deployment tests, ensuring that the entire stack is rigorously tested.

Standardizing Automation and Orchestration

Standardization in test automation tools and processes is vital to a smooth testing strategy within the DevOps framework. When automation tools and practices are standardized, it becomes easier to create, execute, and maintain test scripts consistently across projects and teams. This consistency minimizes friction and reduces the learning curve for team members.

• Tool Selection: Choose a standardized container orchestration tool such as Kubernetes, Docker Swarm, etc. that suits your organization’s requirements and technology stack. Choose an automated testing tool like Testsigma that can integrate with your CI/CD.

Integrate your automated testing seamlessly with your CI CD pipeline, with Testsigma

• Template and Configuration Standardization: Develop standardized templates and configurations for containerized applications and infrastructure. Utilize tools like Helm charts or Docker Compose files to define containerized application configurations in a consistent manner.

• Continuous Integration and Deployment (CI/CD) Integration: Use testing tools like Testsigma so that it can integrate with your existing CI/CD pipelines. The workflow should be such that as soon as a new piece of code is merged into your repository, Testsigma test suites get automatically triggered.

• Documentation and Training: Document best practices for container orchestration, including deployment strategies, scaling approaches, and monitoring configurations. Define a set of test cases that are a must to execute before a new code is pushed to production.

Example: Adopting a standardized test automation framework such as Testsigma for web applications and mobile apps across the organization ensures that all teams use a common set of tools and best practices for test automation. This simplifies the process of creating and maintaining test scripts, making it more efficient and scalable.

Continuous Monitoring

Continuous monitoring is a cornerstone of DevOps testing. It involves the ongoing observation of applications and infrastructure to gain real-time insights into their performance and health. Continuous monitoring helps detect issues as they arise, allowing for swift remediation and preventing potential disruptions.

Example: Organizations use tools like Testsigma to generate and monitor drill-down test reports and report bugs. They employ tools like Prometheus and Grafana to continuously monitor key performance metrics, server resource utilization, and error rates in their applications. This real-time data is visualized through dashboards, enabling teams to proactively identify and address performance bottlenecks, outages, or anomalies.

Find the Right Tool for Test Automation

Selecting the appropriate test automation tool is a pivotal decision in crafting an effective DevOps testing strategy. The chosen tool should align seamlessly with the organization’s technology stack, testing requirements, and the skill set of the testing team.

Benefits of DevOps Testing

The right DevOps testing strategy plays a pivotal role in helping organizations achieve several key objectives and benefits of devops testing:

• Faster Time to Market: An effective DevOps testing strategy facilitates the rapid delivery of software updates and new features. By automating testing processes and catching issues early, teams can release code more frequently, responding to market demands and user feedback with agility.

• Improved Software Quality: DevOps testing ensures that code changes are thoroughly tested for functionality, performance, security, and compatibility. This leads to higher software quality as defects are detected and addressed earlier in the development cycle, reducing the risk of critical issues in production.

• Enhanced Reliability: Continuous testing and monitoring in DevOps help identify and address potential issues in real-time. This proactive approach enhances system reliability, reducing downtime and service disruptions.

• Cost Efficiency: Identifying and fixing defects early in the development process is significantly more cost-effective than addressing them in production. Automation and efficient testing practices also reduce manual testing efforts, saving time and resources.

• Continuous Feedback: DevOps testing strategies incorporate feedback loops that provide valuable insights into the quality of the software and the effectiveness of the development process. This feedback informs improvements and optimizations, fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptation.

• Greater Security: Security testing integrated into the DevOps pipeline helps identify vulnerabilities early in the development process. Addressing security issues proactively enhances the overall security posture of the software, protecting both the organization and its users.

• Streamlined Collaboration: DevOps testing encourages collaboration between development, testing, and operations teams. It breaks down silos and promotes shared responsibility for quality, leading to better communication and cooperation.

• Risk Mitigation: Rigorous testing and monitoring reduce the risk of unexpected failures and security breaches in production. This risk mitigation is especially crucial in industries where downtime or security breaches can have severe consequences.

• Competitive Advantage: Organizations with an effective DevOps testing strategy can deliver features and updates to their users faster, gaining a competitive edge in rapidly evolving markets.

• Adaptation to Change: DevOps testing strategies are flexible and adaptable, allowing organizations to quickly adjust to changing requirements, technologies, and market conditions.

The right DevOps testing strategy aligns testing practices with the principles of DevOps, driving innovation, and enabling organizations to stay competitive and responsive to the ever-changing demands of their users and markets.

Testing Types in DevOps

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 Continous Testing(CT)

Let’s take a look at different types of DevOps testing.

Unit Testing

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.

Component Test

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.

Integration Test

As the application is built with components, two or more components are integrated into the product. These Integrated components are tested using the DevOps testing tools. It may or may not involve database calls.

API Testing

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.

Functional Testing

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.

Performance/Stress Testing

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. Performance testing can be scripted and automated. Tools such as JMeter, Blazemeter, K6, etc can be used for stress testing.

DevOps Testing in Testsigma

Let’s understand how Testsigma can help you in DevOps testing.

Step 1: Log in with Testsigma

Step 2: Go to the “Test Plan” page

Step 3: Click on your test plan (Example: My Sample Test Plan)

Step 4: Choose CI/CD Integrations

Step 5: Choose your respective CI tool such as AzureDevOps, Jenkins, CircleCI, etc, and follow the on-screen instruction to configure.

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.

DevOps Testing Best Practices

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.

Some of the DevOps best practices are given below.

Leverage test automation

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 end-to-end testing. 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.

Identify test automation engineers

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.

Select the right testing tools

Choose the right testing tools after careful analysis. “There is no best automation tool in the market but there is the best automation tool for your organization”. 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,  type of application, domain, etc. Remember, once you start the automation testing it is difficult to look back so make this decision carefully.

Track performance with metrics

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

• No. of test cases automated
• No. of bugs discovered
• Time taken for application testing
• Occurrence of false failures in the automation suites.

Maintain proper documentation

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’s a perpetual and collaborative effort.

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.

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.