Shift Left Performance Testing

 Performance testing is a non-functional testing to identify performance bottlenecks and to find any possible conditions that may lead to potential crashes when the software is subjected to extreme testing conditions in a production-like environment.

There is a misconception that it is good to test the software as a whole for performance. This leads to placing performance testing at the end of the development cycle. What if the application’s performance is not up to the mark? In that case, tracing back the origin of the issue adds to the debugging time and efforts, thus reducing the overall development velocity, and increasing the cost.

It is high time to include performance testing from the very onset of the project, and not as an afterthought. Tracing and fixing performance issues just before deployment is an expensive exercise. With shorter delivery cycles, it is prudent to check every deliverable, however small, for performance. Integrating performance tests in the continuous testing process is a great way of ensuring that every deliverable is tested thoroughly for functionality as well as performance.

Shift left testing has been gaining importance recently. As a norm, including performance testing early in the development cycle proves beneficial for everyone, i.e. developers, testers, and business. Read further to understand how we can achieve it.

Introduce cultural shift in the work process

• Make developers responsible for testing their code for performance along with the unit tests. This will not only help in maintaining the sanctity of agile philosophy but also add value to the whole development process.
• Shifting left of performance testing means increased collaboration between the testers and the developers. With both teams working together, it will be easy to identify what all needs to be tested for the performance earlier in the development cycle. Defining clear communication protocols will reduce the time needed in the overall testing, debugging, and re-testing cycle.

Identify KPI’s at module/submodule level 

Usually, KPI’s for performance are defined at the application level. But, defining them for modules and sub-modules will aid in improving the efficiency and performance of the smaller units. Thus, rendering better performance for the application as a whole. Initial time investment is done to identify these KPI’s will reap benefits in the long run.

Mandatory for business-critical changes

Business-critical changes call for thorough scrutiny and testing at a functional level as well as non-functional level. It will be a costly affair to make changes at such unit level for performance and then test them, but it is worth it if we look at the larger picture.

Automate performance tests

Shifting left the performance test means testing the same code numerous times, thus it will be a good idea to automate the tests to avoid errors associated with human fatigue and monotony

Introduce performance test at build check-in level

Smoke testing the builds for shift left performance testing, with moderate loads in the testing environment, at the time of check-in, can serve as indicators in case of any performance-related issues.

Centralized test result sharing to enable quick feedback

Sharing the test results across the board is the quickest way of solving any problem. It not only saves a lot of time but also the cumulative efforts, resulting in reduced costs.

Selecting the right tool 

What good will it serve by chalking out a process, and not having the right tool at your disposal to implement it? Having the right testing and reporting tool can be a game changer. That is where Webomates CQ can help you.

Webomates has optimized testing by combining our patented multi-channel functional testing with performance testing where the same functional tests can be used for load testing.

Codeless and effortless load testing

Our tool seamlessly integrates into your CI/CD pipeline and has a facility for a complete package for functional and performance tests. It provides codeless and effortless load testing, which is completely on-demand and can be invoked as and when needed.

Webomates CQ can effortlessly convert functional test scripts for performance testing just by enabling a “performance check” for that particular test case. It not only saves the time and effort needed for writing the scripts but also saves the cost of hiring a performance testing expert.

Performance scripts are updated and maintained to reflect any changes in functional tests.

Seamless test execution

Performance tests can be executed with Webomates CQ on demand along with functional regression. It provides a complete picture of functional as well non-functional aspects of the module under test. And all this is just a click away.

Centralized dashboard for results and defect triaging

The performance report provides a detailed analysis of latency, response time and errors encountered during peak load.

A comprehensive testing report and informational video are generated for all functional as well as performance/load tests. It aids the CQ users in having a holistic view of the testing results of their application. The testing and development team can access these reports at any point in time for analysis and quick resolutions.

Apart from server-side load testing, Webomates also provides client-side latency data that gives a complete snapshot of the browser developer console view, highlighting the error and most expensive calls.

Our defect triaging speeds up defect reporting, analysis, and rectification time.If this has piqued your interest regarding Webomates’ CQ service and you want to know more, then please click here and schedule a demo, or reach out to us at info@webomates.com. If you like this blog series please like/follow us Webomates or Aseem.

Webomates has optimized testing by combining our patented multi-channel functional testing with performance testing where the same functional tests can be used for load testing.

Codeless and effortless load testing

Our tool seamlessly integrates into your CI/CD pipeline and has a facility for a complete package for functional and performance tests. It provides codeless and effortless load testing, which is completely on-demand and can be invoked as and when needed.

Webomates CQ can effortlessly convert functional test scripts for performance testing just by enabling a “performance check” for that particular test case. It not only saves the time and effort needed for writing the scripts but also saves the cost of hiring a performance testing expert.

Performance scripts are updated and maintained to reflect any changes in functional tests.

Seamless test execution

Performance tests can be executed with Webomates CQ on demand along with functional regression. It provides a complete picture of functional as well non-functional aspects of the module under test. And all this is just a click away.

Centralized dashboard for results and defect triaging

The performance report provides a detailed analysis of latency, response time and errors encountered during peak load.

A comprehensive testing report and informational video are generated for all functional as well as performance/load tests. It aids the CQ users in having a holistic view of the testing results of their application. The testing and development team can access these reports at any point in time for analysis and quick resolutions.

Apart from server-side load testing, Webomates also provides client-side latency data that gives a complete snapshot of the browser developer console view, highlighting the error and most expensive calls.

Our defect triaging speeds up defect reporting, analysis, and rectification time.If this has piqued your interest regarding Webomates’ CQ service and you want to know more, then please click here and schedule a demo, or reach out to us at info@webomates.com. If you like this blog series please like/follow us Webomates or Aseem.

OTT Testing: A Holistic Testing approach for Streaming Quality Content

The changing trends of the media landscape

Did you know that half a second delay can cause you a 20% drop in traffic? That’s what Google found out about the importance of speed, the user experience, and user satisfaction. This is the New Media Age. A world without Netflix is similar to a world without electricity — The stone age in a digital world. Traditional media is transforming and we are stepping into a world of OTT.

What is Media Testing and why is it so Important

An over-the-top OTT media testing service is a streaming media service offered directly to digital viewers via the internet bypassing traditional platforms of cable, broadcast, and satellite television.

Users want access to high-quality streaming at any device, any place, any time, and any location. Your service/product is judged by the user. OTT takes the user-centric approach by ensuring a seamless viewing experience through multi-device, multi-browser capability leading to an awesome user experience.

According to a report by Allied Market Research, the global OTT market size was valued at $121.61 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach $1,039.03 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 29.4% from 2020 to 2027

Challenges of Media Testing

In today’s digitized world, there is content on streaming devices. One major challenge of testing the streaming applications is creating an automated and scalable testing platform that includes a holistic approach due to the multiple stakeholders that are involved: broadcasters, content providers, and service providers.

Based on the preference, the user can view and also download the content that includes movies and TV services, and is delivered directly over the internet to connected devices such as PCs, tablets, smartphones, and consoles. These multimedia devices contain several technologies like audio, video, and wireless protocols. Various factors like Streaming statistics, buffering, latency, Network, etc. also need to be considered to create a flawless streaming experience.

Netflix, Youtube, Amazon, etc provide seamless streaming of many web series, movies, etc. However, it is dependent on factors like:

1. Where the content is running (region)
2. What STB (Set-Top Box) setup is available

If the STB is of good quality, then whether it supports the right streaming settings (Video and Audio) that it can stream quality media i.e. (all quality video with proper Audio). In case the streaming settings are not good, there will be Audio and Video Packet loss, giving a bad experience to a user who is using the application.

TV devices that include but are not limited to Roku, FireTV stick, Xbox, Android, and Apple TV create additional testing complexity like:

• Cross-platform, cross-browser Compatibility issues: Different platforms and browsers can bring in different design issues. You need to ensure flawless content steaming across all platforms and browsers.
• Resolution issues: Users can use the streaming platform from any kind of device. TV has a particular resolution and freezes while Smart TVs do not support pixel CSS. Hence, you need to ensure there are no resolution issues.
• Network Issues involving freezing app issues, etc.
• Some platforms like Roku do not provide emulators and some existing emulators of platforms do not support testing of all necessary functionalities such as video streaming or network checking

A Holistic Approach to Media Testing

With such a steep increase in the production and consumption of streaming content, various issues walk hand-in-hand while working on an OTT platform.

Hence, it is of utmost importance to have an effective QA testing strategy for your OTT platform that covers various scenarios and major functionalities across the network, infrastructure, and application components including:

1. Application basic functionality working like launching, search, menu options, links verification, recommendations, etc.
2. Playback scenarios like Play, Pause, Forward, etc.
3. Audio, Video performance metrics scenarios like lip sync, Buffering, Latency, Resolution (high definition, Standard definition, low, etc.) for different categories like Audio, Video, News, Gaming, Lifestyle applications.

Media Testing KPIs/Real video performance metrics

With radical shifts in the media and communications industry and this being a highly-fragmented market, organizations need to focus on the three important indicators that elevate customer experience to another level.

Webomates cloud-based Testing Strategy: Putting your OTT platform to the Test

Webomates cloud-based QA strategy ensures test coverage for the entire OTT pipeline. The state-of-the-art Media Testing services span Audio Testing, Video Testing, Over the Top (OTT), and STB testing.

Apart from the conventional feature/functional testing for OTT services, these 7 focus areas are considered while devising a comprehensive OTT Testing strategy. Each area enhances user experience with our intelligent automation and Next-Gen Media testing solutions.

What do we Test?

1. Graphics, UI, and UX testing — Is the User Interface simple and consistent across devices?
2. Usability Testing — Is the app experience flawless from the end-user perspective
3. Stream Testing — Is the content that is being delivered robust enough?
4. Interoperability — Is the content multi-browser, multi Platform, and multi-device compatible?
5. Security — Is the content secure to stream on different devices with security and DRM flags enabled?
6. Network — How does the service behave in low bandwidth, high bandwidth, network latency conditions?
7. Load and Performance Testing — How does your OTT network server react when it takes the load of millions of stream requests from around the globe?

Key advantages

Conclusion

With upcoming technological advancements in achieving higher bandwidth networks like 4G and 5G, one can only expect the OTT Video streaming world to explode with on-demand video consumption.

Howard Homonoff said in Forbes: “To succeed in this brave new video world, you need an alchemy of attractive content, an appealing user experience, the opportunity for personalization, and integration of data and technology, and some early credibility in the existing business ecosystem.”

Considering these challenges and user expectations, Webomates provides an end-to-end streaming platform to test all your streaming needs. When defects are identified at an earlier stage, there is reduced development and issue resolution overhead resulting in faster time-to-market and quality content delivery.

We believe in delivering the streaming products with care and in being a trusted partner in transforming the digital experience and giving users a great escapade experience.

#apitestingservices | #apiloadtesting | #apiautomationtestingservices #OTTPlatformTesting #apitestingserviceprovidercompanyapiautomation

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9 Reasons why Requirements traceability is important in Agile

 

Requirements traceability is the ability to describe and follow the life of a business/technical requirement in both, forward and backward, directions (i.e., from its origins, through its development and specification, to its subsequent deployment and use, and through periods of ongoing refinement and iteration in any of these phases) – Source Wikipedia

Requirements traceability provides a context to the development team and sets expectations & goals for the testing team.

Requirements tracing is bi-directional. 

• Forward tracing: Requirements are traced forward to test cases, test execution, and test results
• Back tracing: Features/functions are traced back to their source, typically a business requirement

What is the need for Requirements traceability?

Why	Description
To ensure compliance	All specified requirements have been met and final deliverables can be traced back to a business need. It also makes sure that every requirement is accounted for.
Helpful in analysis and design	Requirements traceability ensures that each business need has been translated to a requirement, which further transforms into technical specifications, and then resulting in a deliverable.
Change impact analysis	In case of any requirement changes, traceability helps in finding the affected workflow, design, and impacted test cases.
Ensures comprehensive test coverage	Requirement traceability ensures that the right test cases, which are mapped to the requirement under test, are executed. This further improves the test coverage since all the test cases are accounted for.
Helps in optimizing the testing process	Not all test cases that have been generated need to be executed in case there are any changes. Traceability aids in identifying impacted parts and relevant test cases can then be executed, thus resulting in an optimal test process.
Aids in keeping track of project progress	Analysis of the requirements and the test results, and tracing it back to origins, helps in keeping track of how far the project has progressed. It also helps in keeping tabs on reality check whether the timelines will be practically met or not.
Decision making and analysis	Any changes in the business need have a direct impact on requirements, which further propagates to the development and testing process. Requirement traceability helps in isolating the impacted requirements, thus identifying and updating the test cases associated with them. It makes it easier for the teams to analyze the impact of the change across the board.
Faster time to market	Requirements traceability accelerates the overall development process, thus speeding up the release cycles. The number of defects is inversely proportional to requirements traceability. As the traceability increases, the defect rate goes down, simply because it becomes easier for the development team to understand and relate, and for the testing team to understand the context and scope of testing.
Increased customer confidence	Requirements traceability helps in gaining and maintaining customer’s trust and confidence by increased transparency. Customers can be assured in the knowledge that all their business needs have been accounted for and are traceable to a fully functional and high-quality end product

What is a typical Requirements traceability life cycle?

What is the Requirements Traceability Matrix?

Requirement traceability matrix tools is a testing artifact that keeps track of all the user requirements and the details of the test cases mapped to each of those requirements. It serves as a documented proof that all the requirements have been accounted for and validated to achieve their end purpose.

Contents of a typical RTM are

Requirements Traceability in DevOps and its challenges

It is quite evident from the previous sections that requirements tracing has a plethora of benefits, but does it work perfectly in the DevOps scenario?

In agile environments, keeping track of the requirements for every sprint and release can be a herculean task since the requirements keep evolving. One may tend to think whether all these efforts are worth it, without compromising on the release timeline and overall quality. 

Two common challenges faced while striving for end-to-end requirements traceability are collaboration and maintenance.

Collaboration: Many cross-functional teams are involved when it comes to development and testing in DevOps. It calls for better collaboration for ensuring that all the requirements are effectively realized, without compromising on quality. Requirements keep evolving with every sprint and keeping traceability up to date in synchronization with various teams is a daunting task.

Maintenance: With the frequent changes of software artifacts in a DevOps environment, managing traceability for those artifacts consistently throughout the software development is extremely difficult. Therefore, traceability maintenance to cope with the continuous artifact changes becomes tough. The next section will explore how the benefits of traceability can be integrated into DevOps to handle the above-mentioned issues in order to maximize the benefits.

Achieving Requirements tracing and validation intelligently with Webomates

Faster time to market a quality product is the essence of DevOps, hence it calls for adopting an approach that does not create testing bottlenecks in order to incorporate traceability. 

Automation and Shift-Left approach are two pillars of many which render support to DevOps setup. Both of these can also be leveraged upon to incorporate traceability effectively, at the same time addressing the challenge of collaboration and traceability maintenance.

Automation: In case of the projects that are large in size, keeping track of requirements and their realization is a colossal task. That’s when automation helps by having an integrated requirements traceability and management system for end-to-end tracking. 

Continuous testing and Continuous integration call for automated traceability checks. Every time, there is a change, the concerned stakeholders should be notified about it so that the change can be traced to the requirement and appropriate action can be taken. 

Automation also helps in 

• Change and version management of requirements
• Status tracking of requirements

Shift-Left Approach: It is a good idea to introduce traceability as early as possible, instead of waiting for testing results. The developer and the designing team should be notified on a priority basis, as soon as a code check-in triggers the continuous integration process.

Organizations can reap maximum benefits from traceability by integrating it within existing tools to leverage the power of automated checks.

Webomates provides services to this effect. It addresses the following areas:

• Comprehensive test case coverage for an epic/story
• Is coverage level suitable as per the complexity of requirement under test?
• Audits the coverage level for new stories 
• Keeps track of most affected features: either due to requirement changes or defect rectifications.
• Analyzes the reasons for defects
• Checks why a requirement/feature is breaking – Is it due to outdated test cases?

Our tool provides a continuous feedback loop which ensures that requirement changes are traced at every level and updated accordingly.

If this has piqued your interest and you want to know more, then please click here and schedule a demo, or reach out to us at info@webomates.com. We have more exciting articles coming up in the next few days about requirement traceability. Stay tuned and like/follow us Webomates or Aseem.