DevOps: How to Integrate Manual Testing Into Your Automation Processes

Testing is an important part of every process, specially DevOps. Every movement and step forward should be properly tested. Test everything!

Cloud Testing — meaning&necessity

Cloud Testing means available hardware, software, etc testing. In such a case it can be also determined “as a service”. For cloud solutions, it’s very important to ensure that the service/product works well according to both functional and non-functional requirements. The strategy of Cloud Testing is essential in the terms of big choice of the cloud apps.

Manual vs Automation tests in DevOps is always excellent ground for heated discussions in this sphere. Currently we are living in a wonderful time of technology development. But I would say, a human role in any automation process still stays essential.

Our wish to automate everything in any possible process is absolutely reasonable. Repeated tasks can be fulfilled by a machine and in such a way release time for more important tasks. This results in faster processes and production.

At the same time, in spite of all automation process advantages, we should understand that there always will be an important role of manual testing. And unfortunately or fortunately, we still need manual testing to reveal more complex and sudden bugs.

What is manual testing?

This an approach implemented by the specialists aimed at approving the operation by writing special test cases. This approach usually requires time and appropriate skills and, sometimes, patience. Sometimes it happens that too high trust in automation can result in missing some vital pitfalls. Let’s see where the manual testing can be specially beneficial and effective for DevOps:

• Small or short-term projects — usually automation process development can require a huge slot of time and it is efficient only in long-term projects. Otherwise, a manual approach will be more beneficial from the time-consuming side.
• Exploratory testing approach that requires personal experience of a tester for developing testing cases. You can not succeed here with the help of machines.

Manual Testing Types

Below I just want to share a list and brief description of the most popular ones:

1. Ad-hoc testing is relatively informal and random that means no exact plan and no step-by-step guide.
2. Acceptance testing is usually done at the end of the manual testing process and before the software release. Mainly it’s conducted by end-users or clients, when they confirm that the app meets the business and users needs.
3. API testing is held to ensure that the software performs within various systems. When the API layer is broken, the app will not work.
4. Localization testing is held to ensure that the app features of geolocation are working properly. This is specially important if the target audience is global.
5. Integration testing is automated in most cases. But there are different manual testing approaches that help to ensure all app components integrated are working in a right way.
6. Compatibility testing is aimed at discovering what changes should be made to unlock cross-platform compatibility.
7. End-to-end testing is implemented for checking the connection and order of every system component. In other words, to ensure the whole software performs according to the requirements and every dependency works effectively.
8. Graphical user interface (GUI) testing is aimed to make sure that users will have the best possible interaction and experience (e.g. color palette, windows, buttons, etc).
9. Functional testing is aimed to detect errors in software or an app through checking its each function and comparing it to the requirements.

But what about cloud testing?

Cloud testing: Scenarios&cases

Performance Testing

1. The sole malfunction caused by one user on the cloud shouldn’t influence the performance of other users
2. There shouldn’t be any failure during both manual and automatic scaling
3. Equally good app performance on all devices types
4. Supplier overbooking shouldn’t interrupt the app operation

Security Testing

1. Data access is only for a verified customer
2. Good data encryption
3. Complete delete of any unused info
4. No access to insufficient encryption data
5. Exclude vendor administration access the clients’ data
6. Different security preferences check (firewall, VPN, Anti-virus etc.)

Functional testing

1. Current entry should provide the necessary results
2. Correct service integration with other apps
3. Successful login to the cloud demonstrates the client account type
4. Active service automatic close at the moment, when a client close it to switch

Load and Stress Testing

1. Services examine in the moment of multiple users access
2. Detect the failure resulted in hardware or environment malfunction
3. Discover the connection between increasing load and system failure
4. Discover how a sort of load influence a system some time later

Network Testing

1. Test protocol accountable for cloud connection
2. Check how data transfer influence its solidity
3. Examine proper connection of network
4. Check if packets are being dropped by a firewall on both sides

Interoperability & Compatibility Testing

1. Examine the app compatibility requirements under test system
2. Examine browser compatibility in a cloud
3. Detect the fault that might appear during the cloud connection
4. Examine whether the data transferred from the cloud is complete
5. Examine whether the app operates across a various cloud platforms
6. Test app on the own environment before its deployment on a cloud environment

Now a few words about Popular and the most Useful Types of Cloud Testing

• Stress Test is used to specify effectiveness of an app operating beyond breakdown point. Such testing is quite important for any app to operate regardless excessive stress and stay stable. It can be made by creating maximum loads with the help of simulators. You should be aware of the huge expenses related to the creation of such scripts. Fortunately, there are a lot of reasonable and scalable testing options in the cloud.
• Load testing of an app includes creation of intensive user traffic, while discovering the reaction. You should align the operation of any app according to specific standards. There are a number of tools that can be used for this. Revealing of thresholds, narrow places and restrictions is a part of performance testing. A special load needed to be created. With the help of cloud testing it is easy to create such a condition and change the traffic conditions on-demand. As a result lower cost and shorter time through imitating plenty of geographically targeted users based on geographical position.
• Functional testing of online and offline apps is possible thanks to cloud testing. The verification process regarding specifications or system tech criteria can be held in the cloud and no need in local software testing.
• Compatibility testing with the help of cloud nature, the variety of Operating Systems examples can be easily produced upon the request with no efforts.
• Browser performance testing is aimed at checking an app’s support for various types of browser and operation in each of it can be easily fulfilled.
• Latency testing is aimed at survey of latency amid the activity process and the respective answer for any app after its deployment on cloud.

What are the benefits of the cloud testing?

One of its main benefits is saving resources and development cycles. Just recently I read an article about cloud testing that included an interesting example about this advantage based on comparison with real life situation. Imagine you have a choice whether to go to a restaurant for a meal or to have it at home. Restaurant will take care of everything — you just need to come, order and receive your meal. Home cooking means you are responsible for buying ingredients, cooking, serving etc. So the cloud testing is like a visit to a restaurant. What do you prefer?

Moreover, there are plenty of other great cloud testing advantages, among which are:

• Dynamic testing environment means that users can easily replicate a customer environment and find defects at early levels.
• Low cost means no need in license renewal expenses of own hard/software infrastructure. Instead users can commission appliances as and when they want, and in such a way saving huge costs.
• Easy to customize means to emulate an end-user centric nature by customizing it as per the usage thereby, reducing cost and time. Test teams can easily perform load and performance testing scripts in various permutations and combinations like — various OSes, browsers, configurations, etc.
• The cloud provides scalability means that the computing resources can be increased or decreased anytime when it is necessary. It is quite popular in situations where the business requirements change frequently.

SauceLabs, Browserstack, AWS Device Cloud and Firebase Test Lab cloud services offer testing with respect to multi-nature, browsers, mobile with no need to keep any hardware.

Cloud testing instruments enable to pick up speed test environments by adding various configurations and data.

Just to summarize, both manual and automotive approaches have its advantages&diadvantages in the process of testing. I’m sure, creativity is an important component of each process, DevOps is no exception. Thus manual approach will still have a right to take its place in the testing process. The secret of success here is to find the right balance, where automation is better and where manual approach will be more beneficial and effective.

I also advise you to read our article telling more about DevOps Pipeline.

In any case, if you still have questions or need assistance, our team is always ready to help, so just contact us.