The Essentials of DevOps Testing Explained

According to numerous surveys, more and more companies around the world are adopting DevOps. While DevOps has received a lot of attention in recent times, its definition is still skewed. Let’s get to know what DevOps is.

DevOps at its core is a methodology for software development which aims to combine development and operations. The integration of development and operations processes places great need for improved coordination within software development stakeholders such as Development, Operations and Quality Assurance (QA).

Testing, in particular, is the key to DevOps adoptions being successful, with an increased use of automation testing tools being a norm in the typical DevOps cycle.

The following are some of the fundamental tips to remember for DevOps testers.

Effective Communication across Levels

Prior to the adoption of DevOps, very rarely were the development teams, operations teams, and QA on the same page. Communication was extremely difficult, with each task being particularly time consuming for this reason. However, things have changed for the better with DevOps having integrated the development and operations teams. Such large scale collaborations need people to stay on the same wavelength.

For successful collaboration and testing, the test management tool comes in handy. This tool handles tasks such as execution and scheduling of tests, prioritizing tasks and receiving updates regarding possible defects. This tool aids the entire group, ranging from personnel in development to those in QA and operations, to be on the same wavelength. It also contributes to decreased response time, leading to quicker solutions.

Automate, and then Automate some more

Development environments are becoming increasingly fast-paced and there is increased pressure on testers to weed out imperfections within the given deadline. But with the help of automation testing tools, DevOps testers can produce results faster. Tests can be scheduled and executed without manual interactions. With the repetitive scripts running as per requirements, DevOps testers can be assured of results that ensure quality.

Unit tests take a long time to be created. However, if they are not created, even more time has to be spent by testers on fixing various bugs that come up. So in the long run, unit tests help testers to save a lot of time.

Adaptation to Newer Demands

With more and more companies adopting DevOps values, the roles of both developer and tester are significantly changing. People in both positions now have greater responsibilities. In the past, the development team would simply be responsible for creating the code. The review work would then be done by QA. Almost all members of a DevOps team need to contribute to deployment, execution of unit tests, and monitoring outcomes.

Industry experts are also recommending testers to step away from manual testing methods, with ever-increasing requirements and shorter deadline periods. Manual testing in a situation where new builds have to be tested almost every day is not the way to go forward.

There have been numerous changes in the approach to ensuresoftware quality as well. In the past, most of the focus used to be around code consistency and functionality. But nowadays, DevOps teams need to make sure that any software or application is received positively by the end-user. This places even more emphasis on having testers, as testers generally work with an orientation towards the end-user.

Certification

Aspiring DevOps engineers should apply for DevOps training courses. These courses are bound to help future DevOps developers and testers know more about DevOps framework and also gain certification, which can lead to great openings in DevOps based companies around the world.

DevOps trainees are expected to be well versed with the fundamentals of Linux & Networking.