3.1.1 Explain the Major Capabilities in a Test Automation Architecture
Part of 3 Test Automation Architecture, 3.1 Design Concepts Leveraged in Test Automation.
Learning objective: TAE-3.1.1 (K2).
In short
The generic test automation architecture (gTAA) is a map of what test automation connects to and what it must be able to do: generate, define, execute, and adapt tests.
Key ideas
Four interfaces connect test automation to the world around it:
- the SUT interface: between the system under test and the test automation framework
- the project management interface: progress of the automation work
- the test management interface: which test case definitions map to which automated tests
- the configuration management interface: CI/CD pipelines, environments, and testware.
Four capabilities that tools and libraries provide:
| Capability | What it does |
|---|---|
| Test generation (optional) | Designs test cases automatically from a model, as in model-based testing |
| Test definition | Defines test cases and suites, separate from the SUT and the tools |
| Test execution | Runs tests, and logs and reports the results |
| Test adaptation | Adapts tests to the SUT's interfaces, through adaptors for APIs, protocols, and services |
In this programme
The practice repository has all four, except generation: test definitions are the *.test.js files and their spec/index.md; Mocha executes and reports; Selenium WebDriver and Node's fetch are the adaptors to the browser and the FHIR API; and GitHub Actions is the configuration management interface.
Teach it (30 minutes)
Draw the gTAA as four boxes around a central "test automation" box. Ask pairs to label each part with the tool or file that plays that role in the practice repository.
Check yourself
- Name the four interfaces of the gTAA.
- Which capability is optional, and why?
- What does the test adaptation capability do?
Previous: 3.1 Design Concepts Leveraged in Test Automation · Contents · Next: 3.1.2 Explain How to Design a Test Automation Solution
Based on the ISTQB Certified Tester Advanced Level Test Automation Engineering (CTAL-TAE) syllabus, version 2.0, section 3.1.1. The syllabus is © International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB®); ISTQB® is a registered trademark of the ISTQB. Copyright © 2024 the authors of the syllabus: Andrew Pollner (Chair), Péter Földházi, Patrick Quilter, Gergely Ágnecz, and László Szikszai. This page explains its concepts in our own words, for teaching, and is not an accredited course or a substitute for the syllabus.
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