Sunday, May 3, 2009

SAP TESTING

Automated testing can be used in an environment with multiple SAP Applications, Ex. R/3, SAP SA, SAP FI, EBP, BW, etc. It also covers the usages and requirements which are critical to deploy an Automated Testing solution. This article will help Consultants alike gain insight in the application of Automated Testing in an SAP Environment and help to bring the best return on investment.








QuickTest Professional for Business Process Testing

Business Process Testing is a role-based testing model. It enables Automation Engineers and Subject Matter Experts to work together to test an application's business processes during the application's development life cycle.

Automation Engineers are experts in automated testing. They use QuickTest to define the resources and settings needed to create components, which are the building blocks of business process tests.

Subject Matter Experts understand the various parts of the application being tested, as well as the business processes that need to be tested, however they may not necessarily have the programming knowledge needed to create automated tests. They use the Business Components and Test Plan modules in Quality Center to create keyword-driven business process tests.




Understanding Business Process Testing

Business Process Testing is a role-based testing model that enables Subject Matter Experts—who understand the various parts of the application being tested—to create business process tests in Quality Center. Automation Engineers—who are experts in QuickTest and automated testing—use QuickTest to define all of the resources and settings required to create business process tests. Integration between QuickTest and Quality Center enables the Automation Engineer to effectively maintain the resources and settings, while enabling Subject Matter Experts to implement business process tests.

Business Process Testing uses a keyword-driven methodology for testing, based on the creation and implementation of business components and business process tests. A business component is an easily-maintained, reusable unit comprising one or more steps that perform a specific task within an application. A business process test comprises a series of business components, which together test a specific scenario or business process. For example, for a Web-based application, a business process test might contain five components—one for logging on to the application, another for navigating to specific pages, a third for entering data and selecting options in each of these pages, a fourth for submitting a form, and a fifth component for logging off of the application. Business components and business process tests are generally created in Quality Center by Subject Matter Experts, although Automation Engineers can also create business components in QuickTest.



Components in QuickTest Professional

QuickTest enables you to create and modify two types of components: business components and scripted components. A business component is an easily-maintained, reusable unit comprising one or more steps that perform a specific task. A scripted component is an automated component that can contain programming logic. Scripted components share functionality with both test actions and business components.

Automation Engineer. The Automation Engineer is an expert in using an automated testing tool, such as QuickTest Professional. The Automation Engineer works with the Subject Matter Expert to identify the resources that are needed for the various business process tests.

The Automation Engineer then prepares the resources and settings required for testing the features associated with each specific component, and stores them in an application area within the same Quality Center project used by the Subject Matter Experts who create and run the business process tests for the specific application.

Each application area serves as a single entity in which to store all of the resources and settings required for a component, providing a single point of maintenance for all elements associated with the testing of a specific part of an application. Application areas generally include one or more shared object repositories, a list of keywords that are available for use with a component, function libraries containing automated functions (operations), recovery scenarios for failed steps, and other resources and settings that are needed for a component to run correctly. Components are linked to the resources and settings in the application area. Therefore, when changes are made in the application area, all associated components are automatically updated.

The Automation Engineer uses QuickTest features and functionality to create these resources from within QuickTest. For example, in QuickTest, the Automation Engineer can create and populate various object repositories with test objects that represent the different objects in the application being tested, even before the application is fully developed. The Automation Engineer can then add repository parameters, and so forth, as needed. The Automation Engineer can manage the various object repositories using the Object Repository Manager, and merge repositories using the Object Repository Merge Tool. Automation Engineers can also use QuickTest to create and debug function libraries containing functions that use programming logic to encapsulate the steps needed

Business Process Testing Terminology

Application Area. A collection of resources and settings that are used for the creation and implementation of business components. These include function libraries, shared object repositories, keywords, testing preferences, and other testing resources, such as recovery scenarios. An application area provides a single point of maintenance for all elements associated with the testing of a specific part of your application. You can define separate application areas for each part of your application and then associate your components with the appropriate application areas.

Business Component (or Component). An easily-maintained, reusable unit comprising one or more steps that perform a specific task. Business components may require input values from an external source or from other components, and they can return output values to other components.

Also known as Keyword-Driven Component.

Manual Component. A non-automated business component created in Quality Center. In QuickTest, you can view and work with manual components only after converting them to automated business components.

Scripted Component. An automated component that can contain programming logic and can be edited in QuickTest using the Keyword View, the Expert View, and other QuickTest tools and options.

Keyword View. A spreadsheet-like view that enables tests and components to be created, viewed, and debugged using a keyword-driven, modular, table format.

Function Library. A document containing VBScript functions, subroutines, modules, and so forth. These functions can be used as operations (keywords) in components. You can create and debug function library documents using the QuickTest function library editor.

Business Process Test. A scenario comprising a serial flow of business components, designed to test a specific business process of an application.

Component Input Parameters. Variable values that a business component can receive and use as the values for specific, parameterized steps in the component.

Component Output Parameters. Values that a business component can return. These values can be viewed in the business process test results and can also be used as input for a component that is used later in the test.

Local Input Parameters. Variable values defined within a component. These values can be received and used by a later parameterized step in the same component.

Local Output Parameters. Values that an operation or a component step can return for use within the same component. These values can be viewed in the business process test results and can also be used as input for a later step in the component.

Roles. The various types of users who are involved in Business Process Testing.

Automation Engineer. An expert in QuickTest Professional automated testing. The Automation Engineer defines and manages the resources that are needed to create and work with business components. The Automation Engineer creates application areas that specify all of the resources and settings needed to enable Subject Matter Experts to create business components and business process tests in Quality Center. The Automation Engineer can create and modify function libraries, and populate a shared object repository with test objects that represent the different objects in the application being tested. The Automation Engineer can also create and debug business components in QuickTest.

Subject Matter Expert. A person who has specific knowledge of the application logic, a high-level understanding of the entire system, and a detailed understanding of the individual elements and tasks that are fundamental to the application being tested. The Subject Matter Expert uses Quality Center to create and run components and business process tests.





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