Study of a test automation introduced to a database solution. Two different but complementary approaches have been used throughout the project. Presentation will cover both single functionality test automation plus end to end approach, which proved to be a vital part of the QA effort. Pros and cons will be discussed, together with relevant examples. Other areas that will be covered consist of: data independence, environment independence, dynamic SQL, reusability, continuous integration and how such automation fits into agile methodology.

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Paweł Gutowski
Test Automation
for Database Solutions
2015-09-04

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Agenda
• Acxiom
• Why 2 complementary approaches to test automation?
• Single functionality testing
• End 2 End testing
• Continuous integration
• Questions

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Acxiom
Why does data matter?

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Why 2 complementary approaches to test
automation?
Solution that needed test coverage (dummy below is much smaller but should give an idea what is our product)

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Single Functionality Test Automation

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Single Functionality Test Automation
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Single Functionality Test Automation
Audits:
Check if there is any difference between tables (actual vs expected result)
Example: Full outer join on 2 tables checking if any field is different between them
Check if created table has correct columns (or check any other characteristic)
Example: Run query against system views (or catalogue views etc) that verify the structure
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Single Functionality Test Automation

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End 2 End Test Automation

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End 2 End Test Automation

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End 2 End Test Automation

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End 2 End Test Automation
Example 1
Check if there are any records in BUSINESS TABLE1 that would have Country Code null.
Example 2
Check that if record in BUSINESS TABLE1 has been marked as high quality, it must have
consumer link associated with it in BUSINESS TABLE2
Example 3
Check that values in name_hash field are created the same way for all the records, by applying
concatenation on 3 fields coming directly from source file and hashing the result.
Example 4
Check that all IDs from BUSINESS TABLE1 can be found in BUSINESS TABLE2 as well. The
reverse should happen as well, but only if rehygiene process has not be run.
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End 2 End Test Automation
Example5
Field in BUSINESS TABLE1 should be mapped using 3rd party response (if not null)
Otherwise it should be taken from BUSINESS TABLE2 (if not null)
Otherwise, „DEFAULT” value should be set
SELECT COUNT(1) FROM (
<?perl
... Use oracle system view to get list of all 3rd party response tables
... Union them all together
?>)
JOIN -> 2 business tables
WHERE -> business condition is broken
Expected result = 0
Example 6
Verify that if data comes again for existing record but with better priority, it will update existing records. But lower priority should not make
an update
SELECT COUNT(1) FROM
JOIN -> 3 tables („before”, „incoming data”, „after”)
WHERE -> tested condition
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End 2 End Test Automation
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Continuous integration
Almost there 
• Nightly: End 2 End
• Commit based: Single Functionality (as an addition to unit tests)

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