A Streamlined Process for Self-Service Test Data Provisioning
As the technology leader in synthetic test data generation, GenRocket has created a new paradigm for Test Data Management (TDM) to meet the need for speed when testing in Agile and DevOps environments. Traditional TDM requires modernization. Copying, masking and subsetting production data is simply too time-consuming and cumbersome for the age of Agile.
GenRocket has reimagined TDM as a simpler, more streamlined and scalable process. The greater efficiencies of Test Data Automation (TDA) have been incorporated into a streamlined and consistent process for self-service test data provisioning. We call this process the GenRocket Methodology.
Provisioning Test Data On-Demand
TDA allows testers to generate their own test data whenever they need it with a self-service platform that’s easier and faster than hunting for test data in a production database. TDA eliminates the need for manually building a spreadsheet to get the many data variations needed for testing. This ushers in a new way of thinking – test data can be now be designed during each Agile sprint to meet the needs of each test case, provisioned on-demand and generated in real-time during each automated test run.
GenRocket’s TDA platform generates real-time synthetic data that is infinitely more controllable and always secure. And because there’s no reliance on production data, there’s no need to worry about data refresh or data masking.
With TDA, testers no longer wait for copied, masked and subsetted data. Instead they design the precise data they need and generate secure, controlled synthetic test data on-demand.
A Proven Formula for Test Data Automation Success
The GenRocket Methodology is an easy and repeatable formula that allows testers to quickly design the test data required for any test case. It’s a four-step process that fully leverages the power and speed of the GenRocket Test Data Automation platform. Following is a brief description of each step of the methodology.
Step 1: MODEL the Data Environment
Import the data model (i.e., metadata) for any source and target database or data feed involved in the test. GenRocket provides 10 different ways to import a data model into the TDA platform. An easy-to-use wizard verifies referential integrity between parent,child and sibling data tables.
GenRocket holds the only patent for synthetic test data generation with referential integrity.
Step 2: DESIGN a Test Data Case, Story or Epic
Design a Test Data Case which controls how GenRocket will generate synthetic data for each test case. Test Data Cases can be very basic, or they can be combined into highly complex stories and epics that follow the integration of code during the Agile SDLC. Each automated test can have its own automated test data.
Intelligent data generators are used to produce test data in patterns, permutations, and combinations for positive, negative and edge case testing. The volume of data can vary from just a few rows (for unit testing) to millions or billions of rows (for testing Big Data applications).
Step 3: DEPLOY Your Test Data Design Into a Test Automation Framework
Once test data is designed it’s ready for delivery and execution. GenRocket offers a collection of more than 70 Receivers that control how the data is formatted and delivered; directly into a SQL or NoSQL database, or over a Web service like REST or SOAP, or perhaps as an XML or JSON file or even an EDI transaction set.
When a Test Data Case, Story or Epic is deployed into your test automation framework (e.g., Jenkins) it can be automatically triggered to run and test data is generated and delivered in real time into your automation framework. GenRocket can be used with virtually any test automation tool (e.g., Selenium, JMeter). And if you are using a Test Environment Management (TEM) system, GenRocket can be seamlessly integrated with these platforms as well.
Step 4: MANAGE a Shared Repository of Test Data Designs
All test data designs are stored in a shared repository where they are subject to access control and version control by an authorized system administrator or team member. Adminstrators and team members have reporting dashboards that show project setup and test data activity across the organization.
With GenRocket, it’s easy to work in teams securely and remotely to collaborate on test data projects to support unit, integration and system testing throughout the SDLC.
Once developed, Test Data Cases can be repurposed for a variety of test categories, like load and performance testing, compatibility testing, security testing and regression testing. With GenRocket, it’s possible to define synthetic test data for complex distributed applications that interact with multiple data feeds and databases.
Together, these four steps guide the tester through the process of generating synthetic test data with full control over data variety, velocity and validity. They are the building blocks for a simple and streamlined approach to self-service that any tester and utilize. With GenRocket’s self-service portal for test data provisioning, designing the exact test data needed for each category of testing is now a possibility.
Following the GenRocket Methodology during the implementation of TDA technology is a better and more efficient approach for today’s accelerated development cycles. This new paradigm for test data provisioning allows testers to generate real-time synthetic test data that maximizes test coverage and ensures the highest level of software quality.
