About Automation:
Automation testing is an emerging
field that draws maximum benefits with minimum effort. The benefit of
automation testing is its ability to increase the efficiency of resources,
increase test coverage, and increase the quality and reliability of the
software.
Regression
testing is always being a key area during an implementation of SAP R/3. SAP
implementation will be generally multi year, multi phased, and multi location;
hence the Regression testing is a critical area. Key challenges here are
frequency of regression testing cycle, huge number of critical business
processes needs to be covered during regression and definitely cost involved in
it.
SAP Test Acceleration & Optimization:
The SAP Test Acceleration
and Optimization (SAP TAO) software streamlines the creation and maintenance of
ERP business process testing.
The SAP TAO Client
application runs on a Windows system. It performs three key functions:
inspecting transactions from a SAP server, exporting the transactions to HP
Quality Center, and consolidating components or scripts from HP Quality Center.
SAP TAO Features:
Inspection: Eliminates record/replay activities, significantly
reduces upfront development time, and greatly reduces ongoing maintenance due
to re-scanning capabilities and component concept
UI Scanner: Automatically scans the SAP metadata to generate
all necessary test components, and uploads in to HP Quality centre automatically.
Data-driven testing: This framework supports data-driven testing by
importing data from an external data sheet.
Conditional
checking: Conditional constructs
such as ‘if’ can be implemented using components and keywords to handle
different flows based on various conditions.
Calling
built in components and reusable BPT components: Common components or scripted components can be
triggered through consolidated script. This framework supports a functional
decomposition approach. This increases the reusability of components, which in
turn reduces the unnecessary repetition of steps.
Reports: SAP TAO log file can also be used to perform
effective analysis on execution reports. These reports can be customized to
display the pass or fail condition of any functionality, and can capture the
snapshot of the application.
Use
of variables: Variables can be
defined using scripted components and used across the generated test script.
This can be used to capture runtime values, which can be reused as input
elsewhere during test execution.
Exception
handling: In this framework we can
instruct QTP to execute the script on warning messages, information messages,
and information pop ups by incorporating if, else looping in the script. This
helps enhance script with various exceptional handling capabilities.
SAP TAO Features
Testing
Deployment: SAP TAO, in tandem with
HP Quality Center, dramatically reduces the amount of time required to build
and execute test scripts
Less
effort: The effort involved in
coding, recording and reviewing is minimized, the tester simply has to drag and
drop the built-in components, reducing the time required for development of
scenarios, Recording is also not required as the TAO Test Component Repository
is used.
Reuse: SAP TAO
eliminates the need to create new tests whenever a component changes. If one
component changes in a group of tests, just replace that component and then
re-consolidate the tests
No
scripting skills required by the end user: No coding skills required to automate and to review the business
scenarios. The scenarios are user friendly with good readability. Scripts can
be interpreted easily by a person who does not have complete knowledge of the
tool.
Maintenance: SAP TAO allows you to record component parameters.
SAP TAO provides a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to save parameters for reuse and
maintenance. You can also move components from HP Quality Center to SAP TAO for
additional backup possibilities
Robustness:
The SAP TAO Inspection process
ensures that SAP TAO tests are more robust during changes. Inspection examines
the data content within a component, not just the screen object behavior
Improved
Cycle Time: Accelerated
execution 20-25 times faster testing through built-in business components,
Lower overall development time due to reduced recalls and post-release fixes
Framework Architecture:
Architecture forms the foundation of any
software application. It should be robust enough to handle the desired
functions efficiently and effectively. In this approach, the goal is to develop
reusable business process test framework that can be used directly across any
SAP system without spending any extra time on it.
The SAP TAO Client
application runs on a Windows system. It performs three key functions:
inspecting transactions from a SAP server, exporting the transactions to HP
Quality Center, and consolidating components or scripts from HP Quality Center.
In order to make all the components of
the system work in sync, it is important to define the components, its functionalities,
as well as the binding relationship between them.
The Framework Architecture comprises of
the following components:
Framework
The framework consists of the following
sub-components, namely:
·
Consolidation
·
TAO Test Component
Repository
·
Common
functions
Driver Script / Test Cases:
The Consolidated Driver Script is the
combination of the individual Transaction Scripts along with the built in
components from TAO. The Data Management sheet is used to run the Transaction
scripts for different sets of Data.
Common Functions:
The common functions are the functions
that are reusable across all platforms. These functions are application
independent, and converted in to business components. Separating common
functions from the business components ensures maximum utilization of reusable
scenarios, and in turn reduces the maintenance effort of scripts.
Common functions include conditional
functions, loop functions, etc.
Data Load Components:
Data flow control is determined via a
worksheet in cooperation with the Initialize Script component.
Data Management Solution:
Data Management solution allows for easy
data maintenance, iteration control and increased flexibility. This is achieved
through standard Microsoft Excel work sheet.
External test data is given as inputs to
the test scripts to perform the same operations on the application using
different set of data. This spreadsheet holds multiple combinations of inputs
to be fed to test the application. The best practice here is to keep the data
sheet in a common place, preferably in the SAP TAO root folder.
Reporting:
After execution of the test script, it
is necessary to get the results of the execution. Apart from the test execution
report generated by the QTP tool, SAP TAO creates a detail test logs which
contains screen shots, debug files, and test results file with step by step
information.
Testers can customize SAP TAO log file
using common function components, these log files provide details for which
business component have failed or passed while running a test suite. This helps
in performing effective analysis on the execution report.
Component Folder Structure:
The
BPT methodology utilizes Business Components to build tests. These components
act as reusable building blocks that can be combined and recombined to meet
business process testing needs.
Components
found within the Business Components module of Quality Center
§
SAP Transaction
Components
§
SAP Common
Functions
§
SAP Buttons
SAP Transaction Components:
The
SAP Components have been separated into transactions identified by their SAP
T-Code. These transaction-specific components can be found under the SAP R3 – Transactions folder. The contents of this folder are further
organized into subfolders based on T-code.
These components are large enough to stay manageable, but also small
enough so that if branching functionality needs to be tested within these
transactions, it can be done without having to create additional component
variations.
SAP Common Functions:
Components
within the SAP R3 – Common Functions
folder are usable across the entire SAP application. In this section such operations as navigating
between transactions, pressing the keyboard Enter key, or logging off have been
coded and parameterized to facilitate ease of use. This folder is divided into separate
subfolders denoting the different types of common functions:
§
Actions
§
GUI Functions
§
Verifications
Each
component within this section has been created to perform a specific operation,
yet at the same time they are written in a generic fashion to be usable
regardless of transaction.
Actions:
The
Actions folder contains components
for operations that are frequently performed throughout the SAP
application. Besides Login and Logout,
other such components include Launch_SAP_Connection, Goto_Transaction, and
Save_Record.
GUI Functions:
The
SAP graphic user interface (GUI) can essentially be broken down into a collection
of text boxes, combo boxes, check boxes, etc.
Components used to access and perform basic operations on these generic
elements can be found within the GUI
Functions folder.
Verification's:
Tests
are created primarily to verify the functionality of an application, and
consequently, components are provided to handle this specific task. The Verifications
folder contains all such components and provides a wide array of verification
checks, ranging from whether a text box contains the valid data to whether a
button click has navigated the user to the correct transaction.
Steps for Script Development:
Executable component are
developed using SAP TAO. The following steps are taken into consideration to
build the test case:
- In the SAP TAO Client, use the Inspector/UI
Scanner to specify the transactions that you need to create a test script.
Add other transactions as needed.
- Open HP Quality Center to view the list of your
selected components.
- Drag and drop the transactions in the order
that they occur in the business process.
- HP Quality Center includes a list of common
screen commands, such as Open, Enter, and Exit. Move the screen commands
using drag and drop as needed.
- Parameterize the data in the Excel spreadsheet
or the HP Quality Center database.
- On SAP TAO, consolidate the data into a single
component that consists of the transaction code and screen operations.
- In the HP Quality Center, create a second
business process script using the single component.
- Execute the test script and review it for any
discrepancies.
Save the components in a
directory that you can easily access when you need to update a screen or a
transaction
SAP TAO Best Practices Recommendations:
Even though creating
Business Processes Test Script using TAO might seem like a simple task, there
are multiple factors and caveats that need to be taken into account
The initial Components
base might prove complete for some BP’s, but there will surely be the need to
create new components in order to complete all the scripts.
Though the UI Scanner
will automatically generate the required components, it might be required to
manually modify the QTP code, or even to manually create a whole component.
VB Script knowledge is
welcomed, since sometimes, there might even be the need to create new functions
in the libraries, or modify the existing ones.
Make sure you always use
the most up to date versions of the SAP TAO.
Before starting the
scripting, try to manually navigate the Business Process, so every step
involved is clear and complete
Testing starts at the applet level
and works outwards towards total integration of the SAP application
Develop a thorough data model to
test the application and by the various user roles.
Develop test cases for reuse.
Develop different test types
throughout the testing process (i.e., unit, system, positive, negative, etc.).
Design more functional test cases
to cover all views and business objects.
Clearly identify the expected
results for each test case.
Develop a traceability matrix to
understand the test case coverage with the requirements.
Best Practices for Customizing:
Initialize_Script component is the first component for every test
case. Ensure you have the correct shared network path to each applicable data
table.
Include the Screen shot function after every verification point
and / or when the system generates any return values (i.e., Sales order
number).
Develop m0odular based components for repeatable processes to
optimize the maintenance phase.
Never use a Transaction Code as a parameter.
Use test statuses (i.e., pass, fail, run required, etc.)
appropriately within Quality
Center
Create custom component templates for users to add details to
automated test scripts.
Create Excel templates with login information to support external
data.
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