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End-to-End Testing with SAP Cloud ALM - Overview

elena_braunagel
Advisor
Advisor
‎2024 Nov 29 10:50 AM
7,607

Introduction:

End-to-end testing with SAP Cloud ALM (Application Lifecycle Management) focuses on the execution of end-to-end tests within SAP landscapes, integrating both SAP solutions and third-party systems using the tools and services provided by SAP Cloud ALM for testing. This platform offers a modern and comprehensive solution for design, implementation, test, deploy and traceability of business processes. In this blog post, I present an overview of the functions available in SAP Cloud ALM for end-to-end testing and their benefits.

Before I start describing the functionalities, I would like to define SAP Cloud ALM for Implementation and E2E testing.

What is SAP Cloud ALM for Implementation?

SAP Cloud ALM for Implementation is a cloud-based Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) solution designed to streamline and manage the implementation of SAP cloud solutions. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools and methodologies to support the entire implementation lifecycle, ensuring efficient project execution and alignment with business objectives. It supports the ‘Requirement to-Deploy’ process which SAP Cloud ALM follows.

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For end-to-end testing (E2E), the SAP Cloud ALM ensures integration with SAP systems and processes, including interfaces to non-SAP systems.

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What is End-to-end testing (E2E)?

End-to-End (E2E) Integration Testing according to ISTQB is a testing methodology aimed at validating the complete flow of a system, ensuring that all integrated components or systems work together as expected. This type of testing focuses on the full business process and goes beyond individual interfaces or module-level integration. This is a test procedure in which complete business processes are tested from start to finish to ensure that all systems and components work together smoothly. The aim is to ensure that the application works as expected and that changes do not cause unexpected errors.

 

Features of end-to-end testing (E2E) with SAP Cloud ALM:

SAP Cloud ALM provides comprehensive end-to-end testing functionalities, which will also be continuously enhanced. Currently, not all functions required for seamless E2E testing are available. It is currently manageable through workarounds, but each new feature and the planned enhancements will continue to improve the process significantly. According to the SAP roadmap, the following current and planned features support end-to-end testing:

1. Test Planning and Orchestration

  • Test Planning: Plan and structure test execution and enable organization and management of test cases across different test cycles. (Recommendation: Use a proper naming convention for the test plans as well as for test cases (e.g. an ID for a project) to be able to find and filter/sort them in a useful way for E2E testing)
  • Tester assignment and report for test plans: Assigning of testers to test cases and monitoring of test execution based on test plans

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Benefits:

  • Simplifies planning and execution of complex testing scenarios
  • Enables structured testing for better test coverage

 2. Testing

  • Test execution: Execution and documentation of test results with the option to add comments and screenshots as well as for Defect Management in test execution

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  • Tags: Tagging of test cases allows users to assign tags to test cases for better organization and categorization as well as enabling to filter and search based on tags to easily locate relevant test cases

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  • Relating of test cases to the process hierarchy: Assign your test cases to the process hierarchy nodes
  • Reference links for test cases: Adding reference links to test cases (e.g. to provide test data sheets)
  • Integration of test cases in processes: A planned feature for the creation of test cases within processes and linking existing test cases to processes (link to Roadmap - Integration of test cases in processes)
  • Document-based test cases: A planned feature for directly creating and managing test cases based on documents. (link to Roadmap - Document-based test cases)
  • Test evidence: A planned feature to mark a test action as ‘Evidence required’ to guide testers during test execution (link to Roadmap - Test evidence)

Benefits:

  • Ensures traceability and alignment with business processes
  • Facilitates detailed documentation for auditing and compliance
  • Improves visibility into the entire testing lifecycle

3. Test Automation

  • Integration with Automation Tools and TTA (Tricentis Test Automation): Support for cloud-based test automation tools like Tricentis for SAP S/4HANA Cloud.
  • Test Variants: Management of test variants in both preparation and execution phases.

Benefits:

  • Reduces manual effort and speeds up in testing outcomes

4. Traceability and Analytics

  • Traceability: Linking requirements, user stories and test cases to ensure comprehensive test coverage.
  • Analytics: Providing reports and insights into test execution and defect tracking.

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Benefits:

  • Ensures full test coverage and compliance
  • Improves visibility int the entire testing cycle
  • Facilitates data-driven decisions through detailed reporting

 

These features aim to make the testing process for E2E-testing in SAP Cloud ALM more efficient and transparent by supporting both manual and automated methods and seamlessly integrating them into the application lifecycle.

Some other interesting functionalities planned for testing include Mass upload of test cases, Mass editing of test cases and Test plan copy. Besides this, we also have one function marked as product visions for the future: API for test cases for uploading of partner and customer-owned test cases. Further functionalities planned or marked as a product vision are listed in the Road Map Explorer with the upcoming releases.

Conclusion:

End-to-end testing with SAP ALM Cloud is an efficient way to ensure the quality and stability of business processes. With integrated features for process documentation, test management, automation as well as reporting, SAP ALM Cloud helps companies to manage their SAP landscapes efficiently and implement changes securely. With the planned functions, SAP Cloud ALM offers even more benefits and exciting features for E2E testing in the future. Stay curious!

Thank you for reading and I am happy to receive your feedback, questions, or suggestions!

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