Streamlining Test Planning with Azure DevOps Test Management

Almost 56% of organizations use Azure for several technologies, such as – test and data management, ML, AI, etc.

The Microsoft Azure DevOps test management module offers an integrated development environment for development and testing capabilities for individuals and teams. It has 7 features to access Azure DevOps for software testing. The features are – assignment, version control, libraries, parameterization, libraries, retesting, results aggregation, configuration, and releases.  Here, we will emphasize on Azure test management.

What is Test Planning in Azure?

Test planning is the first stage of the software testing life cycle. It contains the test objectives, strategies, estimation, resources, schedule, and deadline for your project. The QA team performs and executes test cases based on this document. Moreover, a test plan is a dynamic document and reference that can be changed as your test progresses.

What are Azure DevOps Test Plans?

Azure DevOps provides a test management component to manage test plans, suites, and cases. This component is known as the Azure Test Plans. Everyone involved in the software development process can use this component. You can use the Azure test plans for both manual and automation testing. It also includes browser extensions for exploratory testing and collecting shareholder feedback.

How do Azure Test Plans Work?

The Azure Test Plans contain and configure test suites and individual test cases. Test suites are the collection of test cases. So, when you create a test plan, you must create test suites within it. 

Now you can create three types of test suites:

• Requirement based: These test suites are the basic test suites. They pull all the test cases for a given requirement.
• Query based: these test suites pull a group of test cases from your project as per the requirement.
• Static-based: You can use these test cases to group out other test suites or test cases.

You can create any kind of test suite for your testing requirements. Then you need to gather the test cases within it. After that, you can execute and run your entire test suite.

Overview of Azure DevOps Test Management 

Organizing test suites for Azure DevOps Test Plans

Before organizing your test suites, you should create a test plan. Then you have to add the test suite and run the tests. 

Here is how you can do this:

1. Go to the Test Plan tab from the left panel of Azure DevOps UI. Select the ‘+ New Test Plan’ and create your test plan. Give a name for this test plan.
2. Now, adding a requirement-based test suite is better, as you have to cover all the test requirements. So, create a requirement-based test suite and pull the existing test cases for the test requirement. Then ‘Run Query’ to build your pull or grouping for test cases in the suite.
3. Click ‘Create Suites’ to complete your test suite creation. It will show the number of test cases it contains.
4. Now run your test suites by right-clicking on the test cases. Click ‘Run for web application’. The Azure will navigate you to a new window for the test run. From this window, you can check the individual test steps, statuses, record the screen, etc.
5. Finally, clicking the ‘Test Run’ tab, you will find the ‘Test Results’ tab. You will find your test status from this tab – passed or failed.

Setting up Azure DevOps Test Management Tool

You should create the test plan, test suite, and test cases to set up the Azure test management tool.

1. Test Plan: First, you should create a test plan. It occupies your test suite and test cases.
2. Test Suite: Then create the test suite. It searches the test scenarios and helps to gather your test cases accordingly.
3. Test Case: Test cases are structured steps that validate your app’s coding. They make your code work properly and fulfill the business requirement. You can create a test case within a test suite or a test plan.

Test Planning with Azure DevOps 

Creating and Managing Test Plans 

1. Log in to the Azure DevOps account and select your project.Source

2. Click on ‘Test Plans’ and then select ‘New Test Plan’.

3. Enter your test plan name.

4. Then select ‘Area Path’ and ‘Iteration’.

5. Finally, click ‘Create’.

6. Now, you have created a test plan. Then you can create a test suite within it.

To rename a test plan –

1. Select ‘Test Plans’ and find your test plans.
2. Select ‘More Actions’ > ‘Edit’ beside your test plan name.
3. Change the test plan name. Then click ‘Save & Close’.

To delete a test plan –

1. Select ‘Test Plans’ and find your test plans.
2. Select ‘More Actions’ > ‘Delete’ beside your test plan name.
3. You will see the ‘Permanently delete test artifacts’. Then select ‘Permanently delete’.

Creating and Managing Test Suites 

1. To create a test suite for a test plan, you must select ‘More options’.
2. select ‘New Suite’ > ‘Requirement based suite’.
3. Add one or multiple clauses for filtering your work items in the ‘Create requirement-based suites’.
4. Click ‘Run query’ to view the matching backlog items.
5. The query returns your work items. Then you have to select the backlog items for your existing sprint.
6. click ‘Create suites’ to create your requirement test suite.

Mapping Test Cases to Requirements 

1. Go to the results section under the ‘Tests’ tab of a build summary.
2. Select a test for linking it to requirements. Then, choose ‘Link’.
3. Next, choose a work item to link with your test(s). You can do it by choosing a work item from the list, specifying a work ID, or searching for a work item according to the title.
4. Configure a ‘Requirement quality’ widget to summarize the view of the requirements.
5. Finally, ‘Save’ it.

Advanced Test Planning Techniques with Azure DevOps 

1. Customizing Test Plans and Suites 

The Azure Test Plans support customized test plans and suites for manual and exploratory testing, automated testing, traceability, reporting, and analytics. You can create manual, exploratory testing with the help of Test plans, Parameters, and Configuration. Again, you can perform exploratory testing with the Test & Feedback extension.

2. Automating Test Planning 

You can automate your test planning using any test automation framework in Azure DevOps. So, you must create a test suite that works with the automation framework and related technologies, such as – Selenium, TestNG, Java, and Maven. First, you have to create a new Selenium project in Azure. 

Then, create a pipeline to link it with your test code repository. So, store this repository in a version control system –GitHub, Azure Repos, etc. Here, you need to link the VCS to your Azure DevOps account. Finally, configure your pipeline (Maven) and run it.

Best Practices for Test Management 

• Begin your testing activities at the early stages of the SDLC. Try to write some test cases from the basic software requirements.
• Repeat your software testing tasks as much as possible. It will reduce the risk of bugs in the later stages of the software development process.
• Try to adopt a requirement-based testing approach. It ensures validation for your application.
• Ensure strong communication between the testing and development teams to achieve the desired quality of a product. Also, share all data and status with your teams and the stakeholders to make your project successful.

How BrowserStack helps in test management?

BrowserStack Test Management helps to create test cases for manual and automated testing effortlessly. You can add test results and link issues to your test cases. Also, you can easily sort and filter your test cases with predetermined parameters. You will find several integrations of CI/CD tools like- Azure Pipelines, Jenkins, etc., from the test Management.

Conclusion

BrowserStack cloud supports manual and automation testing with 3000+ real devices and browsers. You don’t need to set up a costly test environment for it. With BrowserStack Test Management and Test Observability, you can easily manage and run your Azure DevOps automation testing. Moreover, BrowserStack Automate supports Selenium and Appium tests with Azure Pipeline.

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FAQs

1. How do I organize test cases in Azure DevOps?

You can organize test cases within a test suite or a test plan in Azure DevOps.

2. How is testing done in Azure DevOps?

You must select a test suite from the Azure Test Plans and run the test suites.

3. Which is better, Jira or Azure DevOps?

Both Jira and Azure DevOps have good test management capabilities for testing activities. Now, you should choose one as per your testing requirements.

4. Does Azure DevOps have a test management tool?

Yes, it has a test management tool, named Azure Test Plans.

5. What is Azure DevOps for testing?

Azure DevOps seamlessly plans, creates, executes, and tracks your test suites. Also, it provides end-to-end traceability to achieve the quality of your software.

6. Which tool is used for Azure DevOps?

GitHub is a widely used tool in Azure DevOps.

7. How is testing done in Azure DevOps?

You can perform testing with the Azure Test Plans.

8. Which are the three main types of test management artifacts in Azure?

Azure’s three test management artifacts are the test plan, test suite, and test case.

9. What is Azure DevOps test management?

It’s a test management module within Azure DevOps that helps to manage your test activities.

10. Is Azure a testing tool?

No, Azure is a cloud technology service from Microsoft. It provides an Azure DevOps test management tool.