What is Batch Testing: A Tutorial

Batch testing groups test cases and execute them together so that testing teams can reduce repetition, save time, and spot bugs early in the release cycle. Configuring batch testing in CI/CD pipelines improves testing agility.

In this guide, learn in detail about batch testing, when and how to execute it, the different types of batch testing, how it differs from other testing types, and more.

What is Batch Testing in Software Testing?

Batch testing is a type of testing wherein many test cases are executed together with no manual input. It automates the execution of tests so that testing takes less time and minimizes the possibility of human errors. For this purpose, testers usually put together such test cases in one batch file or script. When triggered, the system will perform all tests.

This procedure is beneficial for simultaneously verifying multiple parts of a software system. It suits continuous testing environments where uniformity and speed are of prime importance. Furthermore, batch testing is compatible with both functional testing and regression testing, thereby extending its usability for agile and DevOps environments.

Importance of Batch Testing

Here are the reasons that make batch testing important:

• Speeding Up Testing: Batch testing enables the teams to run numerous tests simultaneously and, therefore, shortens the time needed to check for issues. It is especially useful when working on large systems or when there are new changes or updates within very short time spans.
• Ensures Consistency: Every time the same batch runs, it follows the same steps. This makes it easier to track changes and fix problems. It also removes the guesswork from manual testing.
• Catches Integration Issues Early: When parts of the software work together, bugs can show up when there is a mismatch. Batch testing captures these early because it checks how the various components behave as a group.
• Better Regression Coverage: Once changes occur, the teams must ensure that nothing else breaks. Since batch testing combines a large set of test cases, you can verify that no new code changes have broken the existing functionality at scale.

When to Perform Batch Testing?

Batch testing is especially useful in automated environments and large-scale projects where manual testing would be inefficient or impractical. Here are common scenarios where batch testing is ideal:

• During Regression Testing: While ensuring that the latest code modifications have not destroyed the functionality already implemented, batch testing enables you to run a group of regression tests efficiently.
• Pre-release to Major Releases: Before rolling out a fresh version of the software, batch testing helps ensure all important features function as intended across various modules.
• In (CI/CD) Pipelines: Batch testing is fully compatible with CI/CD pipelines, allowing automated testing whenever new code is checked in, thereby ensuring code quality.
• For Repetitive Test Scenarios: If some test cases have to be run repeatedly, like nightly builds or periodic checks, batch testing automates the process, saving manual effort.
• When Testing Across Multiple Environments: Batch testing is useful when the same tests must be executed on different environments (e.g., development, staging, production) to maintain consistency.
• To Validate Large Data Sets: In cases where there is a lot of data validation, batch testing can handle large amounts of data effectively, maintaining data integrity and accuracy.
• When Time Constraints Exist: Batch testing speeds up the testing process, making it ideal when there are time constraints or narrow testing windows.

Types of Testing where Batch Testing is Applied

Batch testing can be used in all types of testing, each of which has a particular purpose. The following are the major types of batch testing:

1. Regression Testing

Batch testing is applied regularly in regression testing to verify that recent changes to the code have not impacted previous functionalities negatively. The execution of a set of test cases run before confirms that the software still responds as desired after maintenance or corrective measures.

2. Functional Testing

In functional testing, batch testing ensures that individual functions or features of the application function as per defined requirements. In this approach, a set of functional test cases are run together automatically, usually as part of nightly builds or scheduled test runs.

It ensures that every function produces the expected output for a specific input, upholding the integrity of the software.

3. Performance Testing

Batch testing is employed in performance testing to measure the responsiveness and stability of the application under different scenarios. It detects performance bottlenecks by concurrently mimicking multiple users or transactions.

4. Integration Testing

Through batch testing in integration testing, various modules or services in the application are confirmed to interact properly by running a set of integration test cases in a batch. It checks whether combined elements work together as expected and indicates any data flow or control-related problems between units.

5. Smoke Testing

Batch testing is utilized during smoke testing to conduct an initial test of the basic functionalities of the application. A predefined set of smoke test cases are grouped and executed together as a batch. This confirms whether the software build is stable for subsequent testing by verifying the key features.

6. Compatibility Testing

Batch testing in compatibility testing means executing the same test cases on different sets of devices, operating systems, and browsers. Instead of manual testing on each configuration, batch testing automates the process by bundling tests that verify performance, layout, and functionality.

7. Security Testing

Batch testing in security testing refers to executing a complete set of security tests all at once. This may include vulnerability testing, making sure data is encrypted properly, testing user permissions, and testing login mechanisms.

How to Implement Batch Testing in Your Software Development Cycle

To implement batch testing in your software development cycle:

1. Select Test Cases: Choose related or frequently run test cases for grouping.
2. Prepare Environments: Set up environments that mimic production settings.
3. Automate Execution: Use automation tools or frameworks to run grouped tests.
4. Integrate with CI/CD: Add batch testing to your CI/CD pipeline for automatic execution.
5. Monitor Results: Check test outcomes, analyze logs, and resolve issues.
6. Update Test Suites: Regularly update test cases to maintain testing effectiveness.

How to Do Manual and Automated Batch Testing

Executing a set of tests in conjunction can be achieved manually or automatically based on the application and test requirements. The following is how both methods function:

Manual Batch Testing

Manual batch testing is the process of manually performing a set of related test cases one after the other. Testers organize these cases into batches and execute them against various environments or configurations to find defects. It is best applied when automation is impossible or where human judgment is needed for testing.  Here are the steps:

1. Test Case Selection: The first step is choosing a specific set of test cases that need to be executed as a batch. These test cases are usually selected based on priority, risk, or coverage criteria. The batch should focus on critical functionalities, core business processes, or high-risk areas.
2. Test Data Preparation: Gather and create all necessary data inputs, configurations, and environment settings needed for executing the batch. Testers must ensure that the test environment mirrors the production environment as closely as possible, including hardware, software, network conditions, and database states.
3. Test Execution: Manually run each selected test case, following the predefined steps exactly. Testers must document the actual results and compare them with the expected outcomes for each case. Any deviations, unexpected behaviour, or system crashes must be recorded immediately. Testers often use checklists or execution logs to track completed and pending test cases during the batch.
4. Defect Reporting: Defect reporting is triggered when a tester encounters any unexpected behaviour, system error, or mismatch between expected and actual results. Each defect must be logged with comprehensive details Defects should be prioritised based on severity and impact, and tracked through a defect management system to monitor their lifecycle until closure.
5. Regression Testing: Regression testing takes place after developers fix the reported defects or implement changes. Testers rerun the original batch of test cases to confirm that the fixes work as intended and that no new issues have been introduced elsewhere in the application. Testers might also expand the batch slightly if related areas of the system could have been impacted by the recent changes.

Automated Batch Testing

Batch testing using automation simplifies the process through tools by running multiple test cases at a time. This approach improves efficiency and consistency, particularly in large-scale testing. For example, BrowserStack enables batch testing across different browsers and devices in the cloud.

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By setting test scripts with desired capabilities, teams can automate tests on different environments, ensuring end-to-end coverage and quick feedback. Here are the steps:

1. Test Case Development: Begin by developing and structuring your test cases within the automated tool. Each test case should be well-defined with distinct steps, expected results, and validations. Where feasible, parameterisation can be applied to enable a single test case to execute using several data sets. Properly structured and reusable test cases enable better handling of large batches.
2. Test Data Setup: Most automation tools support data-driven testing, allowing testers to feed multiple data sets into a single test case. Test data can be sourced from internal datasets, external files like spreadsheets, databases, or APIs. Proper test data setup ensures thorough coverage across various input conditions, boundary cases, and negative scenarios.
3. Test Suite Creation: Cluster similar test cases into a test suite in the tool. A test suite is a container that facilitates organizing test cases logically on the basis of functionality, application modules, or business processes. Grouping test cases into suites ensures batch execution efficiency, simplified maintenance, and better reporting.
4. Test Execution Configuration: Set the test execution options before kicking off the batch run. Choose the target environment, including operating systems, browsers, devices, or network conditions upon which tests must run. Advanced configuration parameters like parallel testing, retry mechanisms, timeouts, and failure handling can also be configured.
5. Scheduling and Execution: Plan the batch run according to project needs. Automation tools most often provide on-demand running for immediate executions and scheduled running. Scheduling proves valuable for nightly test cycles, constant builds, or routine health checks. Configuring recurring schedules preserves uniform validation of important areas within the system with minimal intervention.
6. Monitoring and Reporting: During the run, track execution progress on real-time dashboards or logs offered by the automation tool. Tracking will enable early failure and performance detection. Upon execution, analyze comprehensive test reports containing pass/fail status, error logs, screen shots, execution time, and environment-specific problems.
7. Defect Management:If defects are encountered during execution, report them in a timely manner. Most automated tools support direct integration with defect management or issue-tracking systems. While reporting a defect, include complete reproduction steps, screenshots, system logs, and failure traces taken during run.
8. Regression and Continuous Testing: Include automated batch tests in continuous testing pipelines by integrating with CI/CD platforms. Continuous testing ensures that new code changes will not introduce regressions, facilitates quicker release cycles, and sustains overall system quality over a period of time.

Batch Testing Vs. Regression Testing

While batch testing is used to validate the overall functionality of an application across various scenarios, regression testing ensures that recent changes haven’t negatively impacted existing features. Here’s how they differ:

Batch Testing Vs. Smoke Testing

Smoke testing ensures that the most critical functions are working correctly before more detailed testing is performed. On the other hand, batch testing is used to validate the overall functionality of an application across various scenarios. Their differences lie in these aspects:

Batch Testing Best Practices

Improving efficiency, consistency, and coverage are the goals of batch testing. The following best practices for batch testing can add value to the software development process:

1. Organize Test Cases Logically: Organize test cases logically by functionality, modules, or user journeys. This helps in finding related issues and guarantees thorough testing of each part. For example, organizing all user authentication test cases together enables focused login functionality validation.
2. Prioritize Critical Test Cases: Within a batch, prioritize those test cases covering the most sensitive functionalities or high-risk ones. By doing so, the most significant features are confirmed first, mitigating the possibility of major bugs in production.
3. Automated Batch Execution: Batch test execution can be automated, speeding up testing and decreasing human error. These tools, such as Selenium, JUnit, or TestNG, can be used to plug into Continuous Integration (CI) pipelines to automate the running of batch tests with every change in code. This prevents the introduction of new code regressing and upholding software quality.
4. Enable Parallel Execution: Parallel execution of tests can cut down testing time by a large margin. By executing test cases on several machines or processors, teams can gain quicker feedback and better resource utilization. Parallel batch testing has resulted in as much as 91% fewer machines needed while keeping average feedback time intact.
5. Monitor and Analyze Test Results: After executing batch tests, it’s crucial to monitor and analyze the results to identify any failures or performance issues. You must group and filter test results to pinpoint areas that require attention.

How BrowserStack Automate Streamlines Your Batch Testing Processes

BrowserStack Automate is a cloud testing platform that enables teams to run batch tests effectively on a broad range of real devices and browsers. Here are ways in which it can aid in batch testing:

• Comprehensive Device and Browser Coverage: With more than 3500+ actual browsers and real devices, you can perform batch tests across a broad array of environments. This is significant when doing batch testing since all functionality will be tested across varying configurations, giving total test coverage while eliminating inconsistency caused by environments.
• Parallel Test Execution: Batch testing is usually conducted by executing many test cases in parallel across various environments. Parallel test execution on BrowserStack allows teams to cluster multiple tests and run them concurrently, cutting the overall time taken to execute a batch of tests considerably. This accelerates the validation process, making it more manageable to execute large test suites.
• Seamless Integration with CI/CD Pipelines: Adding BrowserStack Automate to your CI/CD pipelines implies that batch tests are automatically invoked every time code changes are pushed. This automation ensures that batch testing is executed continuously throughout the development cycle, enabling faster detection of issues and quicker feedback loops, keeping your development cycle efficient and automated.
• Real Device Testing: Batch testing on actual devices is a prominent feature that guarantees your tests are valid and applicable. Real devices provide more trustworthy results than emulators or simulators, particularly when testing on multiple devices and combinations of OS. With BrowserStack, you can perform batch testing on thousands of actual devices to ensure your app functions flawlessly in real-life situations.
• Advanced Reporting and Analytics: When running batch tests, parsing results of more than one test can be tiresome. With BrowserStack, you get elaborate logs, snapshots, and video recordings for each test case to ascertain where the trouble lies in your batch test run. This type of insight helps detect and fix inconsistencies between devices or configurations.
• Extensive Framework Support: BrowserStack is compatible with most test frameworks, including Selenium, Appium, Playwright, and Cypress. This facilitates running batch tests with your current test scripts seamlessly. Whether you’re running functional, performance, or compatibility tests, having the capability to use your chosen framework assures batch testing is effortless, reliable, and efficient, particularly when dealing with voluminous test suites.
• Test Sharding and Distribution: Batch testing usually entails running a high volume of test cases, which can be time-consuming. Test sharding enables you to divide your test suite into smaller pieces and run them on multiple devices in parallel. This ensures tests are done more quickly, making it highly efficient for large-scale batch testing situations. It also minimizes idle time and maximizes resource utilization.

Conclusion

Batch testing is an important aspect of software testing to save time, money, and resources. Both manual and automated batch testing bring unique benefits when testing software or web applications. While manual batch testing is flexible and simple, automated batch testing is more suitable for complex, large-scale projects with repetitive tests. Using tools like BrowserStack allows testers to improve testing efficiency and save time for batch testing. This way, you can ensure that all necessary aspects are adequately tested to ensure high software quality.

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