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Automation Testing for ORBCOMM

Services

Team Augmentation

Industry

Network Provider

Location

USA

Building a User-Friendly Automation Framework for Report Generation

In today’s dynamic business environment, efficient and reliable reporting is crucial. To meet our client’s needs for an advanced automation framework, we developed a solution utilizing Java, Playwright, and Cucumber. This integration not only simplifies the automation process but also enhances browser interaction capabilities and seamlessly integrates with modern testing and monitoring tools.

Objective

The primary objectives for ORBCOMM’s automation framework included:

  • Streamlined Report Generation: Reduce manual intervention, ensuring consistent report accuracy.
  • Enhanced Monitoring Capabilities: Enable real-time insights and proactive troubleshooting
  • Cross-Functional Alignment: Create a user-friendly interface accessible to both technical and non-technical team members.

This framework was crafted to align with ORBCOMM’s commitment to reliable, data-driven decision-making.

Challenges

  • Integration Complexity: Implemented a modular structure with Java and Maven, organizing feature files, step definitions, and utility classes in IntelliJ IDEA for an intuitive and maintainable setup.
  • Cross-Browser Compatibility: Leveraged Playwright’s robust cross-browser functionality, ensuring consistent report generation across Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
  • Complex Monitoring Requirements: Integrated InfluxDB and Grafana to store, track, and visualize real-time performance metrics, enhancing system visibility and proactive monitoring capabilities.
  • Maintaining Test Clarity: Employed Cucumber with Gherkin syntax, enabling accessible, plain-language test scenarios through Behavior-Driven Development (BDD), aligning technical and business teams.

Solutions

  • Project Setup: Utilizing a Maven-based Java structure, we organized the framework in IntelliJ IDEA, grouping feature files, step definitions, and utility classes to enhance scalability and maintainability.
  • Defining Scenarios: The framework defined test scenarios using Gherkin syntax within Cucumber, which enabled cross-functional alignment across team members. By facilitating readable and accessible scenario definitions, we ensured effective collaboration throughout the testing process.
  • Executing Tests: Tests were executed in IntelliJ IDEA or via Maven command line, providing flexibility and compatibility with continuous integration (CI) tools. The framework also generated detailed reports and screenshots, aiding in analysis and troubleshooting
  • Real-Time Monitoring: With InfluxDB and Grafana, the framework captured and visualized performance metrics in real-time, enhancing proactive monitoring and issue detection. ORBCOMM could assess system performance trends at a glance, allowing for quick interventions when needed.

Why Cucumber?

Cucumber was selected to facilitate Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) through Gherkin syntax. This choice enabled the team to define scenarios in simple language, making testing accessible to all stakeholders. Cucumber’s structured approach fosters collaboration between technical and non-technical team members, ensuring the automation framework aligns with ORBCOMM’s business requirements.

Why Playwright?

Playwright provided several automation testing advantages crucial to ORBCOMM’s needs:

  • Automatic Waiting: Minimizes test flakiness by waiting for elements to load fully before interaction.
  • Cross-Browser Compatibility: Supports testing across multiple browsers, ensuring reliable report generation.
  • Headless Execution: Optimizes CI/CD execution time, integrating smoothly into deployment pipelines.
  • Modern API: Offers a straightforward interface, enabling the handling of complex scenarios effectively.

Playwright’s capabilities ensured that ORBCOMM’s reporting framework achieved the necessary robustness and flexibility for reliable cross-browser testing

Key Dependencies

  • Cucumber: Supports Behavior-Driven Development with Gherkin syntax.
  • Playwright: Provides cross-browser, headless testing capabilities.
  • TestNG: Manages and executes tests.
  • InfluxDB: Stores time-series data for performance metrics.
  • Grafana: Visualizes real-time performance data for monitoring.
  • Gson: Handles JSON data manipulation.
  • Log4j: Enables efficient logging and error tracking.
  • Apache HttpComponents: Manages HTTP client functionality for API requests.
  • ExtentReports: Generates comprehensive test reports.

These dependencies were essential in creating a robust, scalable framework tailored to ORBCOMM’s needs.

Outcomes and Measurable Impact

  1. Time Savings: 40% reduction in manual effort, speeding up report generation and improving overall efficiency.
  2. Test Coverage: Achieved 95% test coverage for core reporting functionalities, enhancing reliability.
  3. Cross-Browser Consistency: Ensured compatibility and reliable report generation across Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
  4. Real-Time Monitoring Efficiency: Reduced debugging time by 30% through proactive monitoring with Grafana dashboards.

These outcomes demonstrated the framework’s impact on ORBCOMM’s operations, highlighting both time savings and improvements in test coverage and monitoring efficiency.

Conclusion

The automation testing framework developed for ORBCOMM successfully streamlined reporting processes, reduced manual workload, and enabled real-time monitoring. By integrating Java, Playwright, and Cucumber with additional dependencies, this solution provided ORBCOMM with a robust, user-friendly framework that aligns with business objectives and enhances overall operational efficiency. With proactive monitoring capabilities, the framework supports agile decision-making and early issue detection, empowering ORBCOMM to maintain high standards in reporting accuracy and reliability.

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