Cloud Upgrade Testing Automation for Continuous Deployment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Software systems face challenges in ensuring continuous deployment and quick issue resolution in cloud environments, where testing cycles are accelerated, and disruptions to regular processes must be minimized, especially considering complex configurations and multiple use cases.

Innovation Solution

A custom upgrade testing system is implemented within a cloud environment, utilizing a test automation system with predefined automated test scripts that execute on actual customer data, ensuring end-to-end testing scenarios and maintaining customer-specific configurations during upgrades.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If testing is performed manually with complex configurations and multiple use cases, then testing quality is improved, but testing time and disruption to regular processes increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetesting qualityVSAvoidtesting time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service automated testing where the testing infrastructure automatically executes test scripts against upgraded cloud applications without requiring manual intervention. The automated testing framework independently manages test execution, result collection, and reporting, reducing both testing time and disruption to development processes while maintaining comprehensive test coverage for complex configurations and multiple use cases

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Manual testing processes are replaced with automated testing systems that use software agents to execute test scripts, validate configurations, and verify functionality. This substitution of mechanical human operations with automated computational processes dramatically reduces testing time while maintaining or improving testing quality through consistent, repeatable test execution across multiple scenarios

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If testing cycles are accelerated for cloud delivery, then productivity is improved, but testing thoroughness and quality commitment may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverelease cycle speedVSAvoidtesting thoroughness

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The automated testing system enables continuous testing cycles where test scripts execute automatically against each cloud application upgrade without interruption to the release pipeline. This continuous action allows multiple testing iterations to occur in parallel, maintaining thorough testing coverage while accelerating overall release velocity through non-blocking test execution and automated result processing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

Test scripts and testing configurations are prepared in advance before actual upgrades occur. The system pre-configures testing environments, loads test data, and validates test scenarios beforehand, allowing rapid execution during the actual release cycle. This preliminary preparation enables thorough testing to be completed quickly during accelerated release windows without compromising testing depth

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Speed

If automated test scripts are used for cloud upgrades, then testing speed is improved, but adaptability to customer-specific configurations may worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetesting speedVSAvoidconfiguration adaptability

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The automated testing system employs dynamic test script execution that adapts to customer-specific configurations through parameterized testing and runtime configuration detection. Test scripts automatically adjust their behavior based on the actual cloud application environment, customer settings, and deployed configurations, maintaining high testing speed while achieving full adaptability to diverse customer scenarios through flexible, context-aware test execution

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS10552305B2Custom upgrade testing system

Publication Date: 2020.02.04 SAP SE

AI summary

Upgrade is provided to a cloud application in a cloud environment of a customer. A task list for an upgrade testing for the cloud application is automatically triggered at a test cloud infrastructure. Execution processes of the cloud application are listed. Available test scripts for the processes are defined. Iterations over the test scripts are performed to determine relationships between scripts and processes. The iterations over the test scripts may be executed by a data mapping logic. For a process from the list, a corresponding test script and relevant data for the test script from a database of the cloud application are determined. The relevant data and actions from the test script are mapped. A test data variant is generated for execution based on the relevant data and actions of the test script. The test results are collected and analyzed.