Leveraging knowledge sources

Requires an Aviator license

Knowledge sources provide reusable context that helps Autonomous Tester resolve vague or incomplete test steps. (Currently provided as an early-access feature)

Overview

Knowledge sources provide reusable context that helps Autonomous Tester resolve vague or incomplete test steps. For example, log in instructions, environment-specific details, and product-specific guidance used across many tests.

You might also use a knowledge source to enable self-healing of your tests, by providing instructions on what to do in case the test's instructions are insufficient or the tested application does not behave exactly as described.

When running a test suite, Autonomous Tester suggests additional guidelines to add to your test, based on the knowledge sources.

Consulting knowledge sources can be time-consuming. Therefore, we recommend using knowledge sources only during the test design phase. After incorporating the additional guidelines in your test, configure the test suite not to use knowledge sources.

Configure knowledge sources

For details on configuring knowledge sources in your system, see the OpenText Core Software Delivery Platform Help Center.

When you configure a knowledge source, you can specify the context in which it will be used. For example, you can specify purpose, entity type, and user.

You then specify per test suite, In the test suite Details pane, whether knowledge sources should be used.

Make sure to deselect the Use Knowledge Source option in the test suite before running your tests regularly.

How Autonomous Tester uses knowledge sources

Before test execution starts, and before checking for an available Functional Testing Execution license, a test enhancement phase takes place. During this phase, Autonomous Tester checks the test steps and consults knowledge sources if additional context is needed for those steps. Information that does not seem relevant is ignored.

Up to 7 knowledge sources can be used.

The test run results specify how the knowledge sources helped the run: 

  • A drop-down list of the Knowledge sources used.

  • Additional guidelines added to the steps in the report where necessary.

Note: Knowledge sources take precedence over any additional guidelines that already exist in the test. During the run, if information conflicts, the additional guidelines are updated based on the knowledge source. In this case, the knowledge source is added to the list of Knowledge sources used.

Accept suggested guidelines

After you run the tests, check the Manual Run's Report tab for additional guidelines adopted from the knowledge sources.

If the test run used knowledge sources, a down arrow is displayed on the Ran by Autonomous Tester label, and the steps display Additional guidelines.

Add the guidelines to your test steps, so the knowledge sources are no longer needed during the run.

Next, deselect the Use Knowledge Source option in the test suite.

Add the guidelines to your test

You can add guidelines to your tests manually, or click the Ran by Autonomous Tester label and use the options to add all the guidelines to your test at once.

To add the guidelines to your test: 

  1. Open a Manual Run entity.

    Note: This option is not supported when Test subtype = BDD Scenario.

  2. In the Report tab, click the Ran by Autonomous Tester label.

  3. (Optional) Expand Knowledge sources used to generate these guidelines to review which sources were used.

  4. Review the suggested additional guidelines.

  5. Select the relevant option:

    Option Test subtype Description
    Update existing test Manual, Gherkin, or MBT tests

    Adds or updates the additional guidelines in the existing test.

    For MBT tests, the guidelines are added to the relevant units and the test itself is not changed.

    A new version of the steps is created in the test or unit and marked as the latest version.

    Create new test Manual (or Gherkin) tests

    Creates a new test with the guideline updates.

    The first two versions of a new test are created. Version 1.0 is a copy of the original test, and version 1.1 includes the added guidelines.

    Note: If the test used parameters, the additional guidelines in the report reflect the actual values used during the test run. However, when you add the guidelines to the test, the use of parameters is maintained.

See also