Microservices testing combines a few key QA activities to make sure that the performance and functioning of microservices is stable. A test automation architect, manual and
test automation engineers and a QA manager are the key players involved in
developing a well-defined microservices testing strategy and then executing it
accordingly. In this article, you will get to know the strategies and tools
required for carrying out the testing process of microservices effectively.
What is microservices testing?
Itis a testing method wherein the performance and functionality of individual
services are verified within a microservices architecture. Each service is
treated as an isolated unit and then independently tested to assess their
reliability, functionality and seamless integration with other services.
Thereliability and robustness of applications that are developed using a
microservices architecture are properly maintained through the microservices
testing approach.
What is Microservices testing strategy?
It is a specific process through which the application is broken down into independent, smaller services and then each service is tested separately. Communication among these microservices and APIs is tested to make sure they integrate properly. End-to-end testing, contract testing and unit testing can also be taken into consideration.
Following are a few strategies that can be leveraged to incorporate automation in microservices testing:
1.Testing in a small setup should be avoided: Limitingresources should be avoided by managers for microservices testing. Resources are dynamically allocated by leveraging cloud-based testing and then once the testing is completed, it is released.
2. The application's different functional aspects should be tested:Once the application's key functional elements have been identified, then they have to be tested accordingly. The test automation platform is leveraged, so that test scripts are rapidly created, which can in turn be run each time the microservices gets refreshed.
3. Each service should be tested individually: Discretemicroservices can be tested by a test automation tool. A simple test harness is easy to create that calls the service continually and then a known set of inputs is compared against expected output. The time of the testing team is freed up so that they can focus on other key tasks.
4. Different setups can be used for testing: Multipleenvironments should be used to test code, like using cross-browser testing for web applications. Code needs to be exposed to any minor variations in aspects like underlying hardware, library versions etc. One of the ways to do this is by leveraging staging environments.
A test environment can be created by utilizing Kubernetes and then it can be populated with data from a known code and finally, tests can be run. The working of automation testing should be known to the team.
Microservicestesting tools:
1. Pact: It is a microservices testing tool throughwhich the interactions between microservices are defined by creating consumer-driven contracts. In order to make sure that each of these microservices is working correctly or not, contracts are used.
2. WireMock: HTTP services are simulated by this tool. Mockservices can be created so that the functionality of the microservices can be mimicked. The microservices can be easily tested in isolation without worrying about dependencies on other services.
3. Jest: It is a microservices testing tool written inNode.js. It can be easily configured and has an intuitive and simple API. It has a community and also provides extensive documentation. Tests can be easily run in the watch mode so that once changes are made to the code, the impact can be easily witnessed.
Conclusion: Microservices testing provides a platform wherein testing is carried out independently, which, in turn, makes the process of finding and fixing bugs faster. For a
detailed overview from an implementation standpoint, the team can always get
connected with a professional software testing services company.
