The rapid acceptance and evolution of DevOps as a practice has raised numerous questions and doubts. The subject under consideration puts multiple aspects into perspective that deserve a well-fed discussion and focussed consideration. DevOps has substantially changed the software development and testing scenario both for testers as well as developers. Role of DevOps within Quality Assurance has been potentially discussed and questioned as well. The question is, will DevOps define the new phase in Software Testing or will it stagnate further growth for Quality Assurance and Testing?<\/p>\n
Liat Palace<\/a>, a JAX London speaker has mentioned in \u2018The DevOps cookbook\u2019, \u2018One of the major challenges facing every significant change or transformation is how to start. This is especially true in the case of DevOps implementation. There are many definitions of DevOps. From my experience, for example, if you ask for a definition from ten different people you will get ten different answers. Moreover, every implementation is considerably different from all others, and so is the focus and need of the relevant organization.\u2019<\/p>\n According to a recent news<\/a> update, \u2018Car manufacturer Audi was forced to delay the release of its first electric SUV four weeks later than planned due to a software development issue.\u2019 The article further states, \u2018The rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) and more technology being embedded into cars, software is now a critical part of the auto business as well. Especially, considering the many cybersecurity concerns that car software can present, automakers like Audi must ensure that they are taking all necessary steps in the software development process, including building in security measures from the start.\u2019<\/p>\n Incidents and software glitches such as these, emphasize the growing significance of Quality Assurance and Software Testing. They further highlight the fact that QA needs to follow a protocol to ensure that the software or application at hand doesn\u2019t slip away under unforeseen circumstances and meets the necessary regulatory requirements. Traditionally, QA and Testing would take a particular course, where it would test the build once it is shared with them by the development teams.<\/p>\n DevOps enables teams to break this course and get right at the beginning of the Testing activity. The practices and protocols defined by DevOps are enabling development and testing teams to deliver applications and software with minimal glitches and practically, the capability to deal with unforeseen situations in real time. This kind of protocol is needed when manufacturers and businesses have to embed new and emerging technologies.<\/p>\n If DevOps is the chosen methodology, it is important for every development and testing element to fit into the DevOps cycle. Practically, all the efforts towards testing must align itself with DevOps practices and conduct. The underlying idea and objective is to not only bring speed, but also ensure agility in the testing process. Additionally, DevOps involves Continuous Testing, Continuous Development, and Continuous Integration. This is impossible to achieve without automation of tests. QA has to ensure that along with speed even the quality is kept intact.<\/p>\n Hence, QA implements specialized automation testing tools and continuous integration tools to achieve the continuous integration objectives defined by DevOps. Teams are able to confirm that the test cases are automated and the code coverage is almost 100%. At the same time, the environment has to be standardized and deployment on the QA boxes is automated. Even the pre\/pro-testing tasks are being automated and synced in with the Continuous Integration cycle.<\/p>\n All these activities need rigorous coordination efforts across various functions within the development and delivery cycle. This brings in more coordination and collaboration amongst team members and all the functions. The process motivates everyone to work together and take responsibility for their actions. For instance, the deployment engineers can add test cases to the QA repository and QA engineers can build automation test cases within the DevOps course of action.<\/p>\n Whether or not a crucial landmark for QA, DevOps is needed for ensuring continuous improvement and continuous integration. It takes the QA process to the next level that encourages collective contribution and collaboration. The testing process could involve numerous tasks such as UAT, Compatibility Testing, or Performance Testing. DevOps makes it more inclusive and faster. In terms of automation, QA draws line as to where and how much automation is needed for the activity.<\/p>\nBreaking the \u2018Testing Course\u2019 with DevOps<\/h2>\n
How Quality Assurance fits within the DevOps Build?<\/h2>\n
Is DevOps a defining moment for QA?<\/h2>\n