What Is the CI/CD Pipeline, and How Does It Impact QA?

In this blog post, we will learn everything there is to know about the concept of a CI/CD pipeline, the different stages of a CI/CD pipeline, the importance of quality assurance in a CI/CD pipes, the various techniques used to perform test automation via CI/CD pipeline, the varieties of tools used to integrate test automation with CI/CD pipeline and the benefits of performing test automation through a CI/CD pipeline. 

Concept of CI/CD Pipeline 

• The combined practices of continuous integration and continuous delivery are referred together as CI/CD pipeline. Basically, it is a deployment pipeline integrated with automation tools and enhanced workflow. If done correctly, it will reduce human mistakes and improve feedback loops across the SDLC, enabling teams to deliver smaller releases in less time. 

• Software deployment is automated through a CI/CD pipeline. It helps with the development of code, testing, and the secure release of updated software. Through the use of a CI/CD pipeline, continuous monitoring and automation are introduced. It covers the delivery and deployment phases as well as the integration and testing phases. 

Different Stages of CI/CD Pipeline 

A CI/CD pipeline is a set of executable instructions that any developer may follow to release a new version of any software product. A notification is sent through email, slack, or other messaging services when any stage is failed.  

The following are some important CI/CD Pipeline stages:

• Source Stage – A code repository initiates the CI/CD pipeline at the source stage. Any modification to the software sends an alert to the CI/CD tool that manages a comparable pipeline.  

• Build Stage – The build stage is the second step in a CI/CD pipeline, where we integrate the source code and its dependencies. The basic goal is to create a software version that can be run and possibly delivered to the end user. 
• Test Stage – During the Test Stage, automated tests are run to ensure that the software is functioning properly and that the code is accurate. Simple-to-reproduce bugs are kept out of the clients’ hands at this stage. The task of creating automated tests falls on developers. 

• Deploy Stage – The software product becomes online at this stage, which is called the deploy stage. When the build has successfully completed all of the necessary test cases, it is prepared for deployment to a live server. 

Importance of Quality Assurance for CI/CD Pipeline 

On the automated technologies that support them, reliable its’ main focus is quality assurance. These provide consistent delivery and reliable integration. To get the most out of CI/CD pipeline, simplification of these components is essential. 

It shouldn’t be difficult to integrate QA test automation into a CI/CD process. However, it may be reduced to only a few essential aspects:

• Make the appropriate CI/CD tool selections for your projects. 

• Document the components of your CI/CD workflow. 

• Use technologies for test automation to create a productive testing process. 

• The processes that CAN and SHOULD be automated must be determined. 

• Update processes and find the weak spots that causes crash down of the software product or application. 

• Encourage interaction between both developers and testers. 

Techniques To Perform QA Test Automation Through CI/CD Pipeline 

Any CI/CD pipeline must include test automation. It is impossible to reap the rewards of CI/CD if there is little automated testing and little test coverage. All layers of automated testing, including unit testing, integration testing and system testing must be carried out by QA professionals.

• Unit Tests – Code units like methods, classes, and API services are covered by unit tests. Effective unit testing considerably boosts the system’s overall test coverage. 

• Integration Tests – Verify that the system’s components and modules function properly together. 

• System Tests – These tests are performed on the complete system to simulate active users. The test environment ought to resemble the production environment as closely as feasible. 

• Additionally, QA professionals must use automated testing for a variety of testing categories, including functionality, usability, performance, load, stress, and security. 

CI/CD Pipeline Tools 

The following are some of the most important and popularly used CI/CD pipeline tools to integrate test automation:

• Jenkins – The core build and continuous integration processes are carried out using the open-source Jenkins automation server. Jenkins helps the creation, deployment, and automation of software development projects using its vast library of plugins. 

• CircleCI – A CI/CD tool known as CircleCI, promotes quick software development and publication. The user’s workflow may be automated using CircleCI, from code development through testing and deployment. 

• Bamboo – Bamboo is a continuous integration server that streamlines software release management, resulting in a continuous delivery pipeline. Building, functional testing, assigning versions, categorizing releases, deploying, and activating fresh versions on live systems are all covered by Bamboo. 

Benefits of QA Test Automation Through CI/CD

Here are some of the benefits of performing QA test automation via CI/CD pipeline:

• Reliability of the software product or application can be increased through QA test automation via CI/CD pipeline. 
• Project managers can publish push application components to services like web services, database services, API services, etc. 

• It makes simpler for project leaders to setup for the target environment and maintain environment variables. 

• As a result, there is less possibility that bugs will enter the production process since programmers may validate code modifications before they move forward. 

Conclusion

Hence, we can say to conclude that, QA test automation using a CI/CD pipeline is one of the best practices since it may address the disconnect between developers and the testing team. In order to improve overall stability, developers may deploy updates and new features to software products and applications more often when automation is included. 

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