Test Orchestration in Automation Testing

Hari Mahesh

Every organization now aims to release high-quality products and services. To achieve this, the QA team should be dynamic and faster in execution. Automation testing plays a significant role in achieving this testing speed without compromising on quality.

With automation, the QA team can save time from performing repeated tasks manually. Automation also helps to increase automation coverage and achieve faster execution results. But simply creating automation scripts and executing them won’t be enough. And that’s where ‘Test Orchestration‘ comes into the picture.

Test orchestration means facilitating the effective management and execution of automated tests. In this article, we will learn more about orchestration, its significance, challenges, and best practices.

Understanding Test Orchestration

Test orchestration means setting up a series of automation tasks that you execute in a linear order. With test orchestration, you can decide the order of execution and also execute these tests consecutively. Its main aim is to achieve comprehensive test coverage.

Using test orchestration, you can integrate multiple testing tools, frameworks and environments to create a well-defined testing pipeline. Which is helpful in testing complex systems where there are multiple components, services and layers that need to be tested in a balanced manner.

The Importance of Test Orchestration

Test orchestration is important for several reasons:

• Efficiency: Test Orchestration helps to execute different types of automated tests in a sequential order. This makes the testing faster and more efficient, thereby reducing the overall time needed for the testing phase.
• Consistency: Automated tests provide consistent results, unlike manual testing, there won’t be any human error factor. This helps to gain more trust in automation testing.
• Scalability: The tests that we execute need to run on different environments, browsers, and platforms. So based on the requirement, the execution needs to be scalable. Test orchestration supports scalability with ease. Test orchestration helps to manage and execute a large of tests seamlessly. Know more about Test Scalability.
• Feedback: Continuous feedback is an essential factor in agile methodologies. With continuous feedback, developers will know how stable the application is. Using test orchestration, we can provide continuous feedback for each block in the pipeline. Here is a Roadmap to Better Agile Testing.
• Integration: We can integrate different testing tools and frameworks into the test orchestration pipeline. This helps to create a dynamic testing environment that helps to handle different types of tests and data sources. Know Continuous Integration and Testing: Best Practices.

Key Components of Test Orchestration

Let us review the key components of test orchestration:

Test Planning and Design

Test planning and design are the foundational steps in test orchestration. They involve identifying the test objectives, defining the test scope, and creating detailed test plans and test cases. Read Test Planning – a Complete Guide.

Test orchestration tools help manage these plans and ensure that they are aligned with the overall testing strategy.

Test Execution

It is the process of running the automated tests on the application. Test orchestration tools coordinate the execution of tests across different environments, platforms, and devices. They ensure that tests are executed in the right sequence and manage dependencies between different test cases.

Test Data Management

Managing test data is a critical aspect of test orchestration. Test orchestration tools handle the creation, management, and provisioning of test data required for various test cases. They ensure that the right data is available at the right time, reducing the risk of test failures due to data issues. Know about Optimizing Software Testing with Effective Test Data Management Tools.

Test Environment Management

Test environments are crucial for executing tests that mimic real-world scenarios. Test orchestration involves setting up, configuring, and managing these environments to ensure consistency and reliability. This includes managing virtual machines, containers, and cloud-based environments. Learn Managing Your Test Environment.

Test Reporting and Analytics

Effective test orchestration involves comprehensive reporting and analytics. Test orchestration tools provide detailed reports on test execution, highlighting pass/fail rates, defect density, and other key metrics. These insights help in identifying areas of improvement and making informed decisions. Know about Test Reports and Test Logs.

Benefits of Test Orchestration

Here are the main benefits of test orchestration:

• Faster Testing: Test orchestration automates repetitive tasks, reducing the manual effort required for test execution. This leads to faster testing cycles and quicker feedback on application quality.
• Enhanced Test Coverage: Test orchestration integrates various testing tools and frameworks to ensure comprehensive test coverage across different functionalities, platforms, and environments.
• Consistency and Reliability: Automated test orchestration ensures that tests are executed consistently across different test runs, reducing the risk of human errors and increasing the reliability of test results.
• Scalability: Test orchestration allows for the scalable execution of tests, accommodating the growing complexity and size of applications. It enables parallel execution of tests, leveraging cloud resources to scale testing efforts. Read: Parallel Testing: A Quick Guide to Speed in Testing.
• Improved Collaboration: Test orchestration fosters collaboration between development, testing, and operations teams by providing a unified platform for managing and executing tests. This promotes better communication and alignment of testing efforts.

Implementing Test Orchestration

It requires a systematic approach involving the selection of appropriate tools, defining clear processes, and ensuring seamless integration with existing systems. Here are the key steps involved in implementing test orchestration:

Tool Selection

Choosing the right tools is critical for successful test orchestration. Organizations should evaluate different test orchestration tools based on their features, compatibility with existing systems, ease of use, and scalability. Popular test orchestration tools include Jenkins, Bamboo, TeamCity, and Azure DevOps.

Integration with CI/CD Pipelines

Test orchestration should be integrated with Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines to ensure that tests are automatically triggered as part of the development and deployment processes. This enables continuous testing and provides rapid feedback to developers. Here are the Top 7 CI/CD Tools to Explore in 2024.

Defining Test Automation Strategy

A well-defined test automation strategy is essential for effective test orchestration. This involves identifying the types of tests to be automated (unit tests, integration tests, end-to-end tests), selecting the appropriate test frameworks, and defining test automation guidelines and best practices.

Creating Test Automation Frameworks

Test automation frameworks provide a structured approach to creating and executing automated tests. These frameworks should be modular, reusable, and scalable, allowing for easy maintenance and extension of test scripts. Read How to Build a Test Automation Framework.

Configuring Test Environments

Proper configuration and management of test environments are crucial for test orchestration. This includes setting up virtual machines, containers, and cloud environments and ensuring that they are consistent and reliable.

Implementing Test Data Management

Test data management involves creating, managing, and provisioning test data required for various test cases. This includes handling data dependencies, ensuring data privacy and security, and maintaining data consistency.

Setting Up Monitoring and Reporting

Monitoring and reporting are essential for tracking the progress and outcomes of test orchestration. This involves setting up dashboards, generating reports, and analyzing test results to identify trends, patterns, and areas of improvement. Read more on Test Monitoring and Test Control.

Tools for Test Orchestration

There are several tools available that facilitate test orchestration in automation testing. Some of the most popular ones include:

• Jenkins: An open-source automation server that supports building, deploying, and automating any project. Jenkins is widely used for CI/CD and provides numerous plugins to integrate with various testing tools.
• testRigor: An innovative codeless automation tool with integrated AI features that can support different types of testing like web, mobile app (native, hybrid), desktop, API, etc. We will discuss testRigor more later in this article.
• JUnit: Testing frameworks for Java applications that provide annotations and assertions to design and execute unit tests. They can be integrated with build tools like Maven and Gradle for test orchestration.
• Appium: An open-source tool for automating mobile applications. Appium supports iOS and Android and can be integrated with CI/CD pipelines for test orchestration. There are many limitations with Appium. Learn more about an intelligent Appium Alternative.

Test Orchestration in CI/CD

In a CI/CD pipeline, test orchestration plays a crucial role in ensuring that code changes are continuously tested and integrated. The CI/CD process typically involves the following steps:

• Code Commit: Developers commit code changes to the version control system (e.g., Git).
• Build: The CI server (e.g., Jenkins) triggers a build process that compiles the code and runs unit tests.
• Automated Tests: After a successful build, automated tests (e.g., integration, functional, performance) are executed. Test orchestration ensures that these tests are run in the correct sequence and environment.
• Deployment: If the tests pass, the application is deployed to a staging or production environment.
• Monitoring: The deployed application is monitored for any issues, and feedback is provided to the development team.

Test orchestration ensures that each step in the CI/CD pipeline is executed efficiently and that any issues are identified and addressed promptly.

Best Practices for Test Orchestration

To overcome the challenges and maximize the benefits of test orchestration, organizations should follow these best practices:

• Start Small and Scale Gradually: Begin with a small subset of tests and gradually scale up the test orchestration efforts. This allows for the identification and resolution of issues early in the process and ensures a smoother transition to full-scale test orchestration.
• Prioritize High-Value Tests: Focus on automating high-value tests that provide significant coverage and impact. This includes critical business workflows, integration points, and areas with a high risk of defects. Here is more on Risk-based Testing: A Strategic Approach to QA.
• Implement Modular Test Automation Frameworks: Use modular and reusable test automation frameworks to ensure easy maintenance and scalability. This allows for the creation of test scripts that can be easily extended and modified as needed.
• Leverage Cloud Resources: Utilize cloud-based resources for test orchestration to achieve scalability and flexibility. Cloud environments provide the ability to scale test execution on-demand and reduce the need for extensive on-premises infrastructure.
• Foster Collaboration: Promote collaboration between development, testing, and operations teams to ensure alignment of testing efforts. Use collaboration tools and platforms to facilitate communication and coordination.
• Continuously Monitor and Optimize: Continuously monitor the performance and outcomes of test orchestration efforts and make necessary optimizations. Use analytics and reporting tools to identify trends, patterns, and areas of improvement.

Use Case: Test Orchestration in a Large-scale Project

Consider a large-scale e-commerce project with multiple teams working on different modules (e.g., user management, product catalog, order processing). The project follows an agile methodology with frequent releases and relies on a CI/CD pipeline for continuous integration and deployment.

Test Planning

The test planning phase involves defining the testing strategy, identifying the types of tests to be automated (unit, integration, functional, performance), and selecting the tools to be used (e.g., Jenkins for CI/CD, Selenium for web testing, JUnit for unit testing).

Test Design

The test design phase involves creating detailed test cases and scripts for each module. For example, the user management team designs tests for user registration, login, and profile updates, while the product catalog team designs tests for product search, filtering, and details.

Test Execution

The test orchestration process manages the execution of tests across different modules. Jenkins is used to trigger test runs whenever code changes are committed. Tests are executed in parallel to reduce execution time, with Selenium handling web tests and JUnit managing unit tests.

Test Monitoring and Reporting

Jenkins provides a dashboard that shows the status of test runs, including passed, failed, and skipped tests. Detailed reports are generated, highlighting any issues and providing insights into the root causes of failures.

Test Management

The test management process involves coordinating among different teams to ensure that tests are executed in the correct sequence and environment. For example, integration tests for the order processing module are run only after the user management and product catalog tests have passed.

Know Why Companies Switch to testRigor for E-Commerce Testing?

Role of testRigor in Test Orchestration

Test orchestration is a complex process that requires efficient management and coordination of various testing activities. testRigor offers several features and capabilities that streamline test orchestration and enhance the overall testing process. Here’s how testRigor helps in test orchestration:

• Codeless Test Automation: testRigor stands out by enabling users to write test scripts in parsed plain English, eliminating the need for coding expertise. This empowers a broader range of team members, including manual QA testers, management, business analysts, and stakeholders, to contribute to automated test creation, thereby reducing the complexity of test orchestration. Also, this codeless approach simplifies the creation, maintenance, and execution of automated tests, which is crucial for effective test orchestration. Know about a Test Automation Tool For Manual Testers.
• Cloud-hosted: testRigor eliminates the need for companies to invest in setting up and maintaining their own test automation infrastructure and device cloud, resulting in significant savings in time, effort, and cost. Once teams are signed in and subscribed, they can start testing immediately, making it easier to integrate testRigor into the test orchestration pipeline. Read: How to Save Budget on QA.
• Stable Element Locators: Unlike traditional tools that rely on specific element identifiers, testRigor uses a unique approach for element locators. You simply describe elements by the text you see on the screen, leveraging the power of AI to find them automatically. This means your tests adapt to changes in the application’s UI, eliminating the need to update fragile selectors constantly. This helps the team focus more on creating new use cases than fixing the flaky XPaths.
  Here is an example where you identify elements with the text you see for them on the screen.

  click "cart"
  click on the button "Delete" below "Section Name"

• Parallel Execution: testRigor supports the execution of test cases in parallel. With parallel execution, we can execute large set of test cases in less time duration. To know how to do parallel execution in testRigor, read the blog – How to execute test cases in parallel in testRigor?
• One Tool For All Testing Types: testRigor performs more than just web automation. It can be used for:
  • Web and Mobile browser testing
  • Mobile app testing
  • Desktop app testing
  • API testing
  • Visual testing
  • Accessibility testing

You don’t have to install different tools for different types of testing; testRigor takes care of all your testing needs singlehandedly.

login as customer //reusable rule
click "Accounts"
click "Manage Accounts."
click "Enable International Transactions"
enter stored value "daily limit value" into "Daily Limit"
click "Save"
click "Account Balance" roughly to the left of "Debit Cards"
Check the page contains "Account Balance"

Here, you can go through the powerful features of testRigor and its simple documentation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Environment management ensures consistent and isolated test environments, avoiding conflicts and ensuring reliable test results. Containerization tools like Docker are often used to create and manage these environments.

Shift-left testing emphasizes early testing in the development lifecycle, requiring test orchestration tools to support early and frequent test execution within developers’ workflows. This approach helps catch issues earlier and improve quality.

By using cloud-based testing solutions, parallel testing, and efficient resource management, test orchestration can be scaled to handle large projects and increased loads. These strategies ensure robust and scalable testing processes.

Challenges include managing complexity, integrating different tools, maintaining tests, resource management, and scalability. Overcoming these challenges requires careful planning and the use of robust orchestration tools.

“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