TechTalk: Dynamics 365 automated regression testing with Leapwork
As businesses continue to accelerate their digital transformation, regression testing becomes an essential part of the software development lifecycle. In the world of Dynamics 365, where frequent updates and new features are continuously rolled out, automated regression testing ensures that existing functionalities remain stable and reliable even after introducing new changes. There are several tools you can use for automating these tests. A popular example is Leapwork, which simplifies the testing process and integrates seamlessly with Dynamics 365.
We based this article on a TechTalk that you can find online in the Dynamics 365 channel on YouTube.
The importance of regression testing in Dynamics 365
Regression testing is crucial for ensuring that software performs as expected after changes such as new features, bug fixes, or system updates are implemented. Regression testing is especially important in Dynamics 365, where businesses rely on the platform for their daily operations. Regression testing helps to identify new bugs, preserve current functionality, and maintain overall system quality. It offers users the confidence that their solution remains stable, reliable, and user-friendly across various environments.
With Microsoft's One Version strategy, which brings environments to the latest available versions of Dynamics 365, automated regression testing is even more critical. One Version allows for predictable updates, continuous deployment of new features, and backward compatibility. However, with these frequent updates comes the risk of disrupting existing workflows. Automated regression testing helps mitigate these risks by catching potential issues early, ensuring the integrity of the system is maintained.
Automation is the key to efficient regression testing
While manual regression testing remains effective, it can be time-consuming and labor-intensive, often leading to human error or skipped tests due to time constraints. Automated regression testing addresses these challenges by providing faster test execution, greater coverage, and repeatability.
The following image displays an infographic emphasizing the importance of automation in testing within Microsoft environments.
Automated regression testing facilitates faster and more reliable product updates and enhancements. As a result, you optimize the operational efficiency and reduce errors.
When an organization integrates automated regression testing as part of continuous integration and deployment environments, they can accelerate their release cycles and reduce the time spent on testing new releases. Automated testing ensures that all test cases are executed efficiently, eliminating the possibility of missed test cases or prioritization issues. The initial investment in creating automated test scripts might require some planning, but it quickly pays off by reducing maintenance costs and enabling teams to focus on more critical tasks.
Leapwork is a solution for automated regression testing
Leapwork is a low-code/no-code automation tool that simplifies the process of creating, managing, and executing automated tests across multiple platforms, including Dynamics 365. It offers an intuitive, graphical user interface that allows users to automate their tests without needing extensive technical knowledge. With the visual editor in Leapwork, testers can create automated test flows by performing the steps they would typically carry out in the application.
The following image illustrates support for automated testing across a wide range of software platforms that might be part of a business solution.
One of Leapwork's standout features is its ability to support a wide range of platforms, not just limited to Dynamics 365 but also covering other Microsoft products and non-Microsoft applications. This flexibility makes it an ideal choice for businesses that operate across various systems and need a comprehensive regression testing solution.
Architecture and integration
Leapwork's architecture consists of several components:
- Agents
- Controllers
- Leapwork Studio
Agents are responsible for executing the automation flows, while the controller manages the assets related to testing, such as recorded videos, screenshots, and test scripts. The Studio is where users interact with the system, record flows, and review test results. Leapwork also offers robust integration capabilities with tools such as Azure DevOps, Jenkins, Jira, and TeamCity, allowing for seamless incorporation into existing DevOps pipelines.
This architecture ensures that automated tests are stored, executed, and managed in an organized and efficient manner. The tool also provides video evidence of each test execution, making it easier to troubleshoot when a test case fails.
Cross-platform testing
A significant challenge in many organizations is ensuring that their automated tests work across multiple platforms. Leapwork supports automated tests that span different Microsoft applications and non-Microsoft systems. For example, in a typical Dynamics 365 environment, a test might start in the Finance area and then transition to customer service, or other integrated systems. Leapwork enables seamless recording and execution of these cross-product tests, ensuring that data and processes flow correctly between different platforms.
Integration with DevOps pipelines
Automated regression testing with Leapwork can be integrated into existing DevOps pipelines, enabling continuous testing as part of the release process. When a team incorporates automated tests as a quality gate in the pipeline, they can prevent releases from progressing to production environments if tests fail, thus avoiding potential disruptions to users. This automated quality gate ensures that code is thoroughly tested before being deployed to production environments.
Customization and scalability
Leapwork supports customizations within Dynamics 365, ensuring that even tailored solutions can be effectively tested using the tool. Customizations in the Dynamics environment, such as custom workflows or modules, can be recorded and included in automated tests, providing full coverage across the system.
Leapwork also offers scalability through its ability to run tests in parallel across multiple agents, allowing for faster execution of large test suites. With integrations into cloud-based testing platforms like Browserstack and SauceLabs, Leapwork can scale up quickly to meet the demands of large-scale testing.
Conclusion
Automated regression testing is a vital component of any modern Dynamics 365 implementation, and Leapwork provides a comprehensive solution to meet the needs of businesses with complex systems and frequent updates. Its ease of use, broad platform support, and integration capabilities make it an ideal choice for companies looking to improve their testing processes and reduce the time spent on manual testing.
For businesses aiming to accelerate their release cycles and ensure the stability of their Dynamics 365 systems, Leapwork offers a powerful and flexible tool that can integrate seamlessly into existing workflows. To learn more about Leapwork and its capabilities, visit their official documentation and explore how it can transform your approach to automated testing.
For further guidance on testing strategies and implementing Dynamics 365 successfully, Microsoft's FastTrack Implementation Guide offers comprehensive best practices.
Related resources
You can use the following resources to learn more about Dynamics 365.