Shift-Left Strategy to Enhance QA Processes

In today's Agile environments, teams need to operate more swiftly. Consequently, the client emphasized the importance of adopting a shift-left testing approach in the software development life cycle (SDLC) and the integration of versatile team members capable of quickly adapting to new roles to cover for other departmental needs.

 

To effectively scale the team, all new hires underwent a thorough knowledge transfer process. Selecting the right candidates required each to undergo an interview with the client's QA manager.

 

Throughout the service delivery, Anbosoft’s QA engineers worked in tandem with the client’s DevOps teams to resolve any issues promptly and guarantee the timely delivery of functionalities.

 

In the transition to a new system version, Anbosoft’s engineers undertook several QA tasks aimed at delivering error-free software.

 

Functional & GUI Testing

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Initially, the engineers developed test scenarios using an Xray plug-in.

 

Functional testing covered both the front-end user interface and the back-office aspects of the portal. The QA team applied smoke tests to each new build in the front end to confirm that the basic functionalities met all specified requirements.

 

Back-office QA tasks involved verifying the capability to add new features/products in the catalogs, ensuring that all fields contained accurate content, and confirming that specially designed items included all necessary fields.

 

GUI testing aimed to guarantee that the portal’s appearance closely matched the provided design mock-ups.

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Mobile Testing

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Given the availability of a mobile version, mobile QA became essential and was conducted as outlined in the test documentation to assure compliance with all functional requirements and correct performance.

 

Before actual testing, the engineers collaborated with the client to identify the most popular devices and operating systems used across various regions, based on analytical data.

 

Quality assurance focused on the front-end regression testing of the subscription portal and was carried out using real devices exclusively from Anbosoft’s corporate lab. Before each new release, engineers rotated the devices to perform the tests sequentially.

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Performance Testing

 

At Anbosoft, the QA engineers adopted a user behavior simulation approach to mirror the activities of end-users. Utilizing Apache JMeter, the team crafted scripts that reflected real user interactions based on data from Google Analytics, and they moved forward with comprehensive testing.

 

Anbosoft's performance testing included both client-side and server-side assessments (server-side including serverless technologies).

 

On the client-side, testing involved continuous monitoring to assess the time it took to load web pages and to track all related workflow activities. The data collected was then analyzed and converted into actionable statistics.

 

Server-side testing focused on several key areas:

 

1. Stress Test: This test identified the system's maximum capacity, which reached up to 1,200 simultaneous users, whereas the DevOps team's statistics indicated average usage was around 100 users. Testing occurred on a setup mirroring the production environment.

2. Load Test: Aimed at understanding system behavior under sustained load. Besides a standard 8-hour test, it included a 48-hour soak test at minimal load per the DevOps team’s request.

3. Volume Test: The QA team populated Amazon DynamoDB to observe any performance alterations. Despite the database holding over a million records, system performance remained unaffected.

4. Configuration Test: Engineers tested system configurations during scaling operations to see how software reacted to changes in server numbers and to ensure all settings were correct for serverless interactions.

5. Scalability Test: This measured how well the system handled an increase in the number of servers or their output.

 

Additionally, system evaluations were conducted following backend modifications. Initially, after every release, the QA team set up client-side monitoring, swiftly identifying and addressing any issues, such as increased response times. To enhance efficiency, performance monitoring was later automated.

 

Furthermore, post-major releases, as defined by the client’s management and developers, the QA team retested the server-side using the same server configurations, comparing performance metrics from before and after updates.

 

In serverless testing, the team utilized a comprehensive AWS stack (including SQS, SNS, DynamoDB, Lambda, API Gateway) to validate user account functionality and determine the peak number of active users simultaneously.

 

One of the primary challenges faced by the Anbosoft team involved implementing MQTT over WebSockets, a protocol supported by Apache JMeter. The engineers successfully tailored this by developing a custom plugin.

 

This strategic approach in delivering performance testing services enabled Anbosoft to uncover the full potential of the system, identify critical issues, and suggest improvements, all detailed within a comprehensive report.
 

Integration Testing

 

Anbosoft implemented a robust solution equipped with a wide range of business functions that enable end users to engage in various activities. These include creating product catalogs, subscribing to services, tracking invoices, and automating payment-related events.

 

The enhanced capability was supported by integrating with essential third-party systems: Salesforce for customer relationship management and Zuora for subscription management in SaaS.

 

Throughout the integration process, the Anbosoft QA team ensured:

 

• All business processes were accurately established according to the specifications provided.

• Seamless integration was achieved through an enterprise service bus, ensuring efficient communication between systems.

• User Interface (UI) layouts were effectively configured to display all necessary details for the entities.

 

As the project progressed, Anbosoft introduced automated end-to-end (E2E) scenarios to streamline the regression testing phase, reducing the overall time required.

 

Migration Testing

 

Aiming to transition from QSS to a more advanced system, Anbosoft conducted comprehensive migration testing to ensure a flawless transfer of data.

 

The challenge was significant, given the vast database containing records of millions of users and the interaction with numerous integrated systems, each holding specific user information. Anbosoft’s engineering team meticulously sorted this data, ensuring each record was correctly attributed to its respective system.

 

Following this, the QA team re-engaged with the main system to verify the order placements from newly migrated users, confirming the data consistency across various systems.

 

Test Automation

 

To enhance the efficiency of testing processes, Anbosoft initiated an automation strategy focusing on the subscription portal and private user accounts.

 

In the subscription portal, backend tests were crafted to create items assimilated into user journeys. The frontend tests involved navigating these journeys and validating the accuracy of subscription submissions.

 

For the private user accounts, tests were designed to check the display accuracy of user data, the ability to modify information, and the correctness of link navigation.

 

Anbosoft’s test automation team developed scripts for UI and API validations using C# and JavaScript. They also migrated the C# package to .NET Core, enabling test execution on Linux platforms alongside Windows, which provided cost benefits through the use of free Linux software.

 

QA Consulting
 

More than just fulfilling standard QA service roles, Anbosoft positioned itself as a proactive and dependable business ally, deeply invested in its client's operational success.

 

During the project, Anbosoft conducted an internal QA audit to eliminate bottlenecks and enhance testing strategies by:

 

• Analyzing and bolstering the existing testing approaches.

• Evaluating the effectiveness of the implemented test automation.

• Identifying additional testing methods to maintain high-quality deliverables.

 

The strategic enhancements were highly regarded, facilitating the timely introduction of performance testing services.