DevOps Test Automation Tools & Best Practices

Aug 15, 2024 | Test Automation Insights

DevOps test automation tools like Ranorex Studio are essential for allowing developers to create high-quality products with relatively limited time and resources. These are our five recommended DevOps testing best practices, along with test automation tools that make automation even easier.

5 DevOps Testing Best Practices

While every DevOps team has a slightly different approach to the development process as a whole, there are several steps teams can take to optimize their testing practices. Here is what you can do to optimize your DevOps testing practices.

1. Use Agile Project Management Practices

In DevOps settings, Agile is the name of the game. This project management process breaks the project into phases called “sprints” and emphasizes collaboration and feedback across teams. 

There are several reasons why Agile is the preferred approach for many development teams—it’s more adaptive to changes in requirements and customer feedback and allows for continuous improvement. Sprints also allow teams to continuously test and integrate their work for a higher-quality final deliverable.

This is a departure from the more traditional Waterfall methodology. Waterfall emphasizes using a linear, sequential approach that is typically more rigid and predictable than Agile.

While Agile isn’t for everyone across every industry, DevOps teams can use it to better adjust to changing project requirements and take a proactive approach to client feedback.

2. Automate as Many Tests as Possible

While most teams can’t automate absolutely everything in their DevOps process, prioritizing automation allows your team to focus less on tedious tasks. In turn, they can allocate resources toward more complex facets of the project.

Automating your DevOps testing process wherever possible allows your team to have better control over the entire process. In turn, this has multiple benefits once you’ve automated your testing framework as much as possible:

  • Reduces the margin of human error
  • Allows you to audit your deliverables on your schedule
  • Detects more potential code issues
  • Enables easier prioritization for addressing problems
  • Reduces the required resources for fixing issues

3. Emphasize Transparency and Openness to Feedback

In DevOps, transparency should always be a top priority. Being open about the processes you use or how you correct mistakes or bugs allows everyone on your team to create better applications.

It’s also essential to be open to feedback, no matter your seniority level—this is true in practically any industry. Even if you’re in a managerial position, your most junior developer may be able to find and correct mistakes that could cause major concerns down the line.

Encouraging and fostering an environment of transparency and open communication enables your team to catch mistakes and prevent them from becoming costly or dangerous for your application’s users.

4. Process Documentation

This goes hand in hand with transparency. By documenting your processes in a universally accessible place, you enable everyone on your team to better understand them. That way, your developer who just started yesterday has access to the same tools and frameworks and can pick them up right away.

Documentation is one of the cornerstones of how the United States Marine Corps trains its aircraft mechanics so effectively—virtually anyone can come in and follow the documented steps to maintain helicopters and fighter jets with minimal training.

While you don’t necessarily have to break it down as much as the Marines do, process documentation is a resource your team can use to successfully test your code and applications every time.

5. Have the Right Tools in Your Toolbox

Using test automation software streamlines the test automation process. Instead of having to start from scratch—or worse, continue to only use manual testing—the right tools can make it easier to start using them quickly.

For example, tools like Ranorex Studio, Selocity, and DesignWise allow you to automate various software tests, making it easier for your software testing team to correct potential problems.

The Best Automated Software Testing Tools

Having test automation tools for DevOps in your arsenal makes it even easier to implement best practices your whole team can use. These are three of the best automated software testing tools your team can use.

Kiuwan

Kiuwan is an automated code review tool that enables DevOps teams to take a DevSecOps approach to developing and updating their applications. It offers a range of effective automated code review tools that allow you to create safer applications with fewer vulnerabilities in their source code.

The platform features both Static Application Security Testing (SAST) and Software Composition Analysis (SCA) programs that test your code to protect it against known vulnerabilities. Doing this makes it easier for developers and security professionals to address potential code security flaws before criminals and attackers can leverage them to steal user information and harm your business.

DesignWise

Ranorex DesignWise allows developers to create their own quality assurance tests quickly, ultimately creating a better user experience and allowing them to detect potential flaws or bugs more easily. These tests can be hyper-targeted and allow users to maximize variation within their testing environments.

It also has unmatched object recognition capabilities. Because of this, you can ensure more impactful, stable automated tests. DesignWise helps you reduce your test cycles, save money, and roll out deliverables faster. It also spares your team frustration during the testing process.

Ranorex Studio

Ranorex Studio is a suite of powerful testing tools that enables developers and testers to implement multiple types of tests across different devices, browser types, and coding languages. It also allows them to focus on creating the best possible product, detect and resolve bugs before software releases, and publish a higher-quality product even faster.

Ranorex Studio’s testing capabilities include:

  • Functional testing
  • Regression testing
  • Black box testing
  • Cross-browser testing
  • Keyword-driven testing
  • And more

Ranorex Studio also integrates with dozens of other programs, including JIRA, Jenkins, Azure DevOps, Bamboo, Selenium Grid, and much more.

Request Your Free Trial

Ranorex Studio and DesignWise’s automation capabilities allow your team to roll out better work faster than ever, with fewer headaches. Request your free trial of Ranorex Studio and DesignWise today.

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