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【Introduction to Azure】Overview and benefits of Azure Test Plans - PrismScaler

1. Introduction

Hello! We are a writer team from Definer Inc. Azure Test Plans is a comprehensive testing solution offered by Microsoft Azure DevOps Services. It is designed to facilitate software testing and quality assurance in the context of software development projects. Azure Test Plans provides a set of tools and features that enable teams to plan, track, and execute test cases, ensuring the delivery of high-quality software products. In this issue, you are wondering about the use of Azure Test Plans and its benefits. Let's take a look at the actual screens and resources to explain in detail.

2. Purpose/Use Cases

The purpose of Azure Test Plans is to empower development teams to efficiently manage their testing efforts and ensure the reliability, functionality, and performance of their applications. It serves as an integral part of the DevOps process, aligning testing activities with continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines. Key Benefits of Azure Test Plans:
  1. Comprehensive Test Management
  2. End-to-End Traceability
  3. Test Planning and Execution
  4. Integration with Azure DevOps
  5. Test Data Management
  6. Test Results and Reporting
  7. Test Coverage Analytics
  8. Integration with CI/CD Pipelines

3. What are Azure Test Plans?

Azure Test Plans is a service that supports testing in system development. It supports both desktop and web applications and allows you to assess quality throughout the development cycle.   Azure Test Plans enables exploratory testing, where test cases are created by manipulating the application without creating test cases, and the creation and sharing of test procedures. This is expected to improve testing quality and efficiency.   The features of Azure Test Plans include the following. ・All members of the team can report bugs and provide feedback to improve the quality of the application. ・Browser support includes Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, etc.

4. Components of Azure Test Plans

In an efficient development test environment, test information is managed by several key components in Azure Test Plans. These components are designed to streamline and optimize the testing process, ensuring that software applications are thoroughly tested and meet the desired quality standards. Let's explore each of these components in more detail:
  1. Test Plans:
    • Test Plans serve as the backbone of test management in Azure Test Plans. They provide a way to organize and classify tests based on version and release information. Test Plans support agile development methodologies, allowing teams to plan and execute tests in sprints and iterations.
    • Within a Test Plan, teams can define test suites, test configurations, and test environments. Test Plans enable better collaboration between development and testing teams, as everyone can access and work on the same test artifacts.
  2. Test Case:
    • Each individual test is managed as a Test Case in Azure Test Plans. A Test Case represents a specific scenario, functionality, or use case that needs to be validated. It defines the steps and expected outcomes for the test. Test Cases are stored as test procedures, making it easy for testers to execute and record results for each test scenario.
    • Test Cases play a crucial role in maintaining test consistency and repeatability. When a test case is executed, testers can follow the defined steps, record observations, and track the pass/fail status of the test. Test Cases can be reused across different test suites, ensuring efficient test management and execution.
  3. Test Suite:
    • A Test Suite is a grouping unit in Azure Test Plans that brings together related Test Cases. Test Suites help improve test quality and management efficiency by allowing teams to organize tests based on scenarios or functionalities. For example, a Test Suite might group all the tests related to user authentication, API testing, or performance testing.
    • Test Suites can be created based on different criteria, such as business requirements, functional areas, or user stories. By organizing Test Cases into logical groups, Test Suites make it easier for testers to focus on specific aspects of the application and ensure thorough test coverage.
Azure Test Plans, with its Test Plans, Test Cases, and Test Suites components, provides a comprehensive test management solution for development teams. By leveraging these components, teams can efficiently plan, execute, and track their testing efforts, leading to faster defect identification and resolution. The ability to manage test information in a structured and organized manner enhances collaboration between developers and testers and fosters a culture of continuous testing and improvement.   Azure Test Plans provides robust support for various types of testing, catering to the diverse needs of development teams. Let's explore the different types of testing supported by Azure Test Plans in more detail:
  1. Manual Testing:
    • Azure Test Plans offers extensive support for manual testing. Test cases created by developers and testers can be managed and executed within the Test Plans. Each test case defines a specific scenario or functionality to be validated, along with step-by-step instructions and expected outcomes.
    • To streamline test management and improve organization, multiple test procedures can be grouped together and saved as a Test Suite. Test Suites allow teams to categorize and group related test cases based on scenarios or functionalities. Test Suites can be easily duplicated, and their execution results can be tracked and saved for analysis and reporting.
  2. User Acceptance Testing (UAT):
    • UAT is a crucial phase in the software development lifecycle where end-users or stakeholders validate the application to ensure it meets their requirements and expectations. In Azure Test Plans, manual tests can be shared with actual users as user acceptance tests.
    • Stakeholders can execute the assigned UAT tests and provide feedback on the application's usability and functionality. Bugs and feedback identified during UAT can be reported and tracked in Azure Test Plans, enabling development teams to address issues and make necessary improvements.
  3. Exploratory Testing:
    • Exploratory testing is a dynamic and ad-hoc testing approach where testers explore the application without predefined test cases. Instead, testers operate the application to uncover defects, assess usability, and explore various use cases in real-time.
    • Azure Test Plans provides support tools for exploratory testing, empowering testers to effectively record their actions, observations, and findings during the exploratory sessions. This allows unanticipated test results to be captured and reviewed, helping to identify potential issues and improve the application's quality.
Azure Test Plans' support for manual testing, UAT, and exploratory testing ensures that development teams have the flexibility and capabilities needed to validate their applications thoroughly. The solution fosters collaboration between developers, testers, and end-users, promoting a culture of continuous testing and feedback-driven development. By integrating testing seamlessly into the development process, Azure Test Plans contributes to the delivery of high-quality, reliable, and user-centric software applications.   The visualization of the above is as follows (What are Microsoft Azure Test Plans?)

5. Cited/Referenced Articles

6. About the proprietary solution "PrismScaler"

・PrismScaler is a web service that enables the construction of multi-cloud infrastructures such as AWS, Azure, and GCP in just three steps, without requiring development and operation. ・PrismScaler is a web service that enables multi-cloud infrastructure construction such as AWS, Azure, GCP, etc. in just 3 steps without development and operation. ・The solution is designed for a wide range of usage scenarios such as cloud infrastructure construction/cloud migration, cloud maintenance and operation, and cost optimization, and can easily realize more than several hundred high-quality general-purpose cloud infrastructures by appropriately combining IaaS and PaaS.  

7. Contact us

This article provides useful introductory information free of charge. For consultation and inquiries, please contact "Definer Inc".

8. Regarding Definer

・Definer Inc. provides one-stop solutions from upstream to downstream of IT. ・We are committed to providing integrated support for advanced IT technologies such as AI and cloud IT infrastructure, from consulting to requirement definition/design development/implementation, and maintenance and operation. ・We are committed to providing integrated support for advanced IT technologies such as AI and cloud IT infrastructure, from consulting to requirement definition, design development, implementation, maintenance, and operation. ・PrismScaler is a high-quality, rapid, "auto-configuration," "auto-monitoring," "problem detection," and "configuration visualization" for multi-cloud/IT infrastructure such as AWS, Azure, and GCP.