How to Test a Hotfix? Advantages, Challenges, and Testing Strategies

Anushree Chatterjee

Imagine a critical bug crashing your production system at 3 AM. A hotfix is your lifeline. Hotfix is a critical patch deployed rapidly to address urgent production issues. While they are essential to maintaining system stability and user experience, how can you be sure they won’t introduce new problems?

That’s where hotfix testing comes in.

This guide will walk you through the hotfix meaning and a comprehensive testing strategy for hotfixes to ensure a smooth and safe deployment. From unit tests to system-level validation, we’ll cover the essential steps to protect your application and maintain user satisfaction.

What is a Hotfix?

A hotfix is like a quick patch for software. Imagine you have a small leak in a pipe. Instead of replacing the whole pipe, you just seal the leak to stop the water. That’s what a hotfix does for software – it’s a fast solution to fix a specific problem, like a bug or an error, without waiting for the next big update.

Hotfixes are usually used when something urgent happens, like a feature breaking or a security hole being discovered. The idea is to fix the problem as quickly as possible while minimizing disruption to the system or the users. Once the hotfix is ready, it’s applied directly to the live software, often with minimal downtime.

Characteristics of a Hotfix

Here are some primary characteristics of hotfixes:

• Urgent: A hotfix is applied quickly because it’s meant to solve a problem that can’t wait. For example, if your app crashes every time someone tries to log in, you need to fix it immediately.
• Focused: It targets one specific issue. A hotfix isn’t about adding new features or solving unrelated problems – it’s just about fixing the critical bug.
• Directly Applied: Hotfixes are often applied directly to the live (production) system where users interact. This makes it different from fixes tested over weeks before release.
• Minimal Changes: To avoid breaking other parts of the software, a hotfix involves the smallest possible change to solve the problem. It’s like putting a band-aid on the issue instead of performing surgery.
• High Risk: Because hotfixes are rushed and applied to live systems, there’s a risk of causing other problems if not handled carefully. That’s why quick but thorough testing is crucial.
• Temporary Solution: Sometimes, a hotfix is just a quick way to stabilize things. A more permanent or polished fix may be included in a future update.
• Collaborative Effort: It often involves close teamwork between developers, testers, and operations teams to ensure it’s done fast and correctly.

Hotfix vs. Coldfix vs. Bugfix vs. Patch

All of these are related to fixing bugs, but they come with certain differences. Here’s a simple way to understand the differences between hotfix, coldfix, patch, and bugfix:

Hotfix

• What it is: A quick, urgent fix for a problem in the live (production) environment.
• When it’s used: When something critical, like a security issue or a major bug, needs to be fixed right away without waiting for the next planned update.
• Example: Fixing a login issue that’s preventing users from accessing your app.

Coldfix

• What it is: A fix for a problem that’s prepared without immediate urgency and usually done in a controlled, non-live (staging or development) environment.
• When it’s used: When the issue is not critical and can wait until the next planned release or update.
• Example: Fixing a typo in a UI or a non-critical bug that doesn’t disrupt users.

Patch

• What it is: A collection of fixes or updates bundled together and applied to the software.
• When it’s used: To address multiple issues or provide improvements, typically in a planned way, like during a scheduled maintenance window.
• Example: A monthly security update that fixes vulnerabilities and improves performance.

Bugfix

• What it is: Any fix to resolve a specific bug or problem in the software.
• When it’s used: It’s the general term for fixing an issue, regardless of how or when it’s done.
• Example: Fixing a feature that crashes the app whenever a user clicks a specific button.

To summarize it,

• Hotfix: Urgent and applied to live systems.
• Coldfix: Not urgent, done in a controlled environment.
• Patch: A bundle of fixes or updates, often scheduled.
• Bugfix: The action of fixing a bug, whether urgent or not.

Think of it this way: all hotfixes and coldfixes are bugfixes, but not all bugfixes are hotfixes or coldfixes. Patches are like packages that might include many bugfixes, updates, or improvements.

Preparing for Hotfix Testing

Since hotfixes are targeted, you need to make your target testing accordingly so that it yields maximum results. Here’s how you can do this:

Understand the Problem

Start by figuring out what’s broken. Look at the issue report or bug details to understand:

• What’s not working?
• What’s causing the problem?
• How will the hotfix solve it?

Know What to Test

Define the scope of your hotfix testing:

• What parts of the app does the hotfix affect?
• Are there related areas you need to double-check to ensure nothing else breaks?

Get the Right Environment

Set up a staging environment (a copy of your live system) where you can test the hotfix safely.

Make sure this environment matches the real system as closely as possible to catch any hidden issues.

Gather Test Data

Collect the data you’ll need for testing, like:

• User scenarios (e.g., what users were doing when the issue happened).
• Test accounts or sample inputs that mimic real-world situations.

Prioritize Tests

Focus on the critical parts:

• First, ensure the hotfix actually solves the problem.
• Then, check that nothing else important (like login or payments) is accidentally broken.

Prepare Testing Tools

If you use tools for automation or tracking bugs, make sure they’re ready and up-to-date. This helps speed up the process while ensuring quality.

Communicate with the Team

Stay in touch with developers and other team members:

• Confirm what the fix does.
• Ask about any potential risks or things to watch out for during testing.

Plan for Quick Deployment

Be ready to test and give feedback quickly, since hotfixes are urgent. Have a clear process for approving the hotfix once it passes the tests.

Developing a Testing Strategy

Here’s how to develop a simple testing strategy for hotfix testing:

Prioritize Based on Risk

• Focus on what’s most likely to break or cause problems.
• Start with the part the hotfix directly fixes.
• Then, test anything connected to it that might be affected.

Use Risk-Based Testing

• Spend your time where the stakes are highest.
• If the issue affects money transactions or security, those tests get priority.
• For less risky areas, quick checks might be enough.

Plan for Regression Testing

• Make sure the hotfix didn’t break anything else.
• Test critical features like login, navigation, or payments, even if they seem unrelated.
• Run automated regression tests (if you have them) to speed things up.

Include Exploratory Testing

• Think like a user and explore areas around the fix.
• Try edge cases (unexpected inputs or extreme scenarios) to see if anything else goes wrong.
• Example: If the fix is for login, what happens with wrong passwords or special characters?

Keep It Focused

• Don’t try to test the entire app. It’s about speed and accuracy.
• Stick to testing the hotfix and its surrounding areas.
• Leave unrelated features for the next scheduled update.

Automate When Possible

Use automated tests for repetitive checks, like verifying basic functionality or running regression tests. This saves time and reduces human error.

Define Clear Testing Steps

• Write down a step-by-step plan.
• What will you test first, second, and so on?
• How will you confirm the hotfix works as expected?

Prepare for Quick Feedback

• Share your testing results with the team right away.
• If something’s broken, report it immediately.
• If everything looks good, let them know so the fix can move forward.

Test for Speed and Stability

• Run performance tests if needed.
• Does the fix slow down the app?
• Does it cause crashes or glitches?

Plan for Post-Deployment Monitoring

• After the fix goes live, watch for real-world issues.
• Set up alerts or logs to catch any new problems quickly.

Challenges With Hotfix Testing

Hotfix testing comes with its own set of challenges because it’s all about fixing something fast without breaking anything else. Here are the common challenges you might encounter along with solutions when doing hotfix testing:

Tight Deadlines

• The problem: Hotfixes are urgent. You don’t have the luxury of weeks or even days for testing. The pressure to deliver quickly can lead to rushed decisions or overlooked issues. It’s easy to miss something important when time is short.
• Solution: Focus on critical areas (risk-based testing) and use automation for quick regression checks.

Limited Information

• The problem: You might not get a full picture of the problem or the fix. Sometimes, the bug report or the developer’s explanation isn’t detailed enough. Without clarity, you could miss key test scenarios or misunderstand the fix.
• Solution: Ask questions! Talk to developers or stakeholders to get as much context as possible.

Testing in Live Environments

• The problem: Hotfixes often target production systems. Testing in live environments can be risky, as any mistake could impact real users. You need to test carefully while ensuring minimal disruption to users.
• Solution: Use staging environments whenever possible or perform quick, focused tests in production.

Resource Constraints

• The problem: You might not have all the tools, environments, or team members available at short notice. Testing becomes harder without the right resources, and things might slip through the cracks.
• Solution: Keep a streamlined testing process and reusable scripts ready for emergencies.

Difficulty in Reproducing the Issue

• The problem: Sometimes, the original issue is hard to replicate in a test environment, especially if it’s data-specific or user-specific. If you can’t recreate the bug, it’s hard to confirm the fix works.
• Solution: Use logs, user reports, and production data (if safe) to simulate the issue as closely as possible.

Automating Hotfix Testing

While there might be some cases that you might have to manually test during hotfix testing, there can be many more that can be covered via automated testing. For example, if there was a hotfix to correct the checkout button operation, then you can run related regression tests. But imagine if you could quickly automate the exact scenario that needs to be tested after the hotfix. You can do this by using test automation tools that let you create test cases quickly like testRigor.

testRigor doesn’t rely on any programming language or complex toolchain that requires you to boot different systems. You can create plain English-based test cases in a jiffy either manually or through other methods like the record and playback or generative AI feature. This means that anyone on the team, be it a business analyst, a manual tester, or a developer, can create a couple of test cases to verify the hotfix quickly and run them after the hotfix is deployed.

This AI-powered tool is capable of not just making test automation simple but also effective. It reduces test maintenance to a bare minimum by bypassing the need to rely on implementation details of UI elements. Thus, you won’t have to waste time on faulty results during hotfix testing.

Since testRigor integrates with multiple tools and platforms, you can integrate your test cases into your CI/CD pipelines for continuous testing. Use this powerful tool to automate different types of testing like regression, end-to-end, functional, UI, API, exploratory, accessibility, and user acceptance test cases across different platforms and browsers.

Conclusion

A hotfix is like an emergency repair to fix something critical without waiting for a bigger, more planned update. While this approach can fix your problems temporarily, there’s always a risk of something else breaking. Hence, you need a solid test plan to tackle hotfixes. By adhering to these hotfix testing best practices, you can minimize risks and maximize the benefits of hotfix deployments.

“We spent so much time on maintenance when using Selenium, and we spend nearly zero time with maintenance using testRigor.”

Keith Powe VP Of Engineering - IDT