Brian Yoss, McAfee
How do you know which build to use for testing? Where do you look on the network once you know which build to use? Do you use the debug or release version? What install options do you use? How long is this going to take you to get your testing environment up and running? These are all questions that can easily be answered with the help of free scripting tool called AutoIt. This paper will provide you with an understanding of how AutoIt can be used to build an automated GUI utility to help QA acquire the correct build for testing and to get it installed in their environment with a few clicks of the mouse.
On my team at McAfee, it has been a challenge for QA to stay on top of builds delivered from our configuration management system. Depending on the environment, builds could be delivered hourly, daily, weekly, etc. Once QA determines what build they need to use, they need to find it, copy it to their local testing environment, unzip it, and then install it. The actual install process can be daunting and require multiple steps. This can add up to time lost actually testing the product due to the entire build and installation management overhead.
This paper describes possible ideas and processes to be considered when developing an automated utility to produce a streamlined QA testing environment. Further, this type of automation can create testing efficiency for a routine but necessary step, thereby reducing the overall cost to your organization.
Brian Yoss, 2012 Technical Paper, Abstract, Paper
