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CICD Acceptance Testing

Introduction​

Acceptance testing is a critical part of the Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipeline that validates whether a software system meets the business requirements and is ready for delivery. Unlike unit or integration tests that focus on code correctness, acceptance tests evaluate the system from an end-user perspective to ensure it delivers the expected functionality.

In a CI/CD context, automated acceptance tests act as the final quality gate before software is deployed to production, providing confidence that the system works as intended and meets stakeholder expectations.

What is Acceptance Testing?​

Acceptance testing verifies that a software system fulfills its business requirements and is acceptable for delivery. It answers the fundamental question: "Does the software do what the users need it to do?"

Key Characteristics​

  • User-centric: Tests the system from an end-user perspective
  • Business-focused: Validates business requirements rather than technical implementation
  • Black-box: Tests the system as a whole without focusing on internal structures
  • Final verification: Often the last testing phase before deployment

Acceptance Testing in the CI/CD Pipeline​

In a CI/CD workflow, acceptance tests are typically executed after unit and integration tests have passed. Here's where they fit in a typical pipeline:

Benefits of Automated Acceptance Testing in CI/CD​

  1. Faster Feedback: Identifies user-facing issues early in the development cycle
  2. Confidence in Releases: Ensures the software meets business requirements before deployment
  3. Documentation: Serves as living documentation of system behavior
  4. Regression Prevention: Catches regressions that might impact user experience
  5. Reduced Manual Testing: Decreases the need for time-consuming manual testing

Types of Acceptance Tests in CI/CD​

1. User Acceptance Testing (UAT)​

UAT involves actual users testing the software to ensure it meets their needs. In a CI/CD context, this can be automated using scenarios derived from user stories.

javascript
// Example using Cucumber.js for behavior-driven UAT
Feature: User Registration
  As a website visitor
  I want to register for an account
  So that I can access member features

  Scenario: Successful registration
    Given I am on the registration page
    When I enter valid registration details
    And I submit the form
    Then I should see a confirmation message
    And I should receive a welcome email

2. Functional Acceptance Tests​

These tests verify that the system functions correctly according to specifications.

javascript
// Example using Jest and Puppeteer for functional testing
test('User can add item to shopping cart', async () => {
  await page.goto('https://example-shop.com/products');
  
  // Find and click on a product
  await page.click('.product-item:first-child');
  
  // Add to cart
  await page.click('#add-to-cart-button');
  
  // Verify cart updated
  const cartCount = await page.$eval('.cart-count', el => el.textContent);
  expect(cartCount).toBe('1');
});

3. API Acceptance Tests​

For service-oriented applications, API acceptance tests verify that APIs meet their specifications.

javascript
// Example using Supertest for API testing
const request = require('supertest');
const app = require('../app');

describe('Product API', () => {
  it('should return product details', async () => {
    const response = await request(app)
      .get('/api/products/1')
      .expect(200);
    
    expect(response.body).toHaveProperty('name');
    expect(response.body).toHaveProperty('price');
    expect(response.body).toHaveProperty('description');
  });
});

4. Performance Acceptance Tests​

These tests verify that the system meets performance requirements under expected load.

javascript
// Example using k6 for performance testing
import http from 'k6/http';
import { check, sleep } from 'k6';

export const options = {
  vus: 100,
  duration: '30s',
};

export default function() {
  const res = http.get('https://example.com/api/products');
  
  check(res, {
    'status is 200': (r) => r.status === 200,
    'response time < 200ms': (r) => r.timings.duration < 200,
  });
  
  sleep(1);
}

Implementing Acceptance Testing in a CI/CD Pipeline​

Step 1: Define Acceptance Criteria​

Start by clearly defining the acceptance criteria for your features, ideally in a format that can be automated.

Example in Gherkin syntax:

gherkin
Feature: User Login
  
  Scenario: Successful login
    Given I am on the login page
    When I enter valid credentials
    Then I should be redirected to the dashboard
  
  Scenario: Failed login
    Given I am on the login page
    When I enter invalid credentials
    Then I should see an error message

Step 2: Choose Appropriate Testing Tools​

Select testing frameworks and tools based on your application type:

  • Web Applications: Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, TestCafe
  • API Services: Postman, Rest-assured, Supertest
  • Mobile Applications: Appium, Espresso, XCTest
  • BDD Frameworks: Cucumber, SpecFlow, Behave

Step 3: Configure Test Environment​

Set up a dedicated environment for acceptance testing that closely resembles production.

yaml
# Example GitHub Actions workflow configuration
name: CI/CD Pipeline

on:
  push:
    branches: [ main ]
  pull_request:
    branches: [ main ]

jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - name: Set up Node.js
        uses: actions/setup-node@v3
        with:
          node-version: '16'
      - name: Install dependencies
        run: npm ci
      - name: Run unit tests
        run: npm run test:unit
      - name: Run integration tests
        run: npm run test:integration
      - name: Set up acceptance test environment
        run: docker-compose up -d
      - name: Run acceptance tests
        run: npm run test:acceptance

Step 4: Integrate Acceptance Tests into CI/CD Pipeline​

Configure your CI/CD pipeline to run acceptance tests after integration tests and before deployment.

yaml
# Example Jenkins pipeline configuration
pipeline {
    agent any
    stages {
        stage('Build') {
            steps {
                sh 'npm install'
                sh 'npm run build'
            }
        }
        stage('Unit Tests') {
            steps {
                sh 'npm run test:unit'
            }
        }
        stage('Integration Tests') {
            steps {
                sh 'npm run test:integration'
            }
        }
        stage('Acceptance Tests') {
            steps {
                sh 'docker-compose up -d test-environment'
                sh 'npm run test:acceptance'
            }
        }
        stage('Deploy') {
            when {
                expression { currentBuild.resultIsBetterOrEqualTo('SUCCESS') }
            }
            steps {
                sh 'npm run deploy'
            }
        }
    }
}

Step 5: Set Up Reporting and Monitoring​

Implement comprehensive reporting to quickly identify test failures and their causes.

javascript
// Example using Cucumber reporter
const reporter = require('cucumber-html-reporter');

const options = {
  theme: 'bootstrap',
  jsonFile: 'test/reports/cucumber_report.json',
  output: 'test/reports/cucumber_report.html',
  reportSuiteAsScenarios: true,
  launchReport: true,
};

reporter.generate(options);

Best Practices for CICD Acceptance Testing​

1. Follow the Test Pyramid​

Maintain a balance of tests with more unit tests than integration tests, and more integration tests than acceptance tests.

2. Keep Acceptance Tests Focused​

Test only what matters from a user or business perspective—avoid testing implementation details.

3. Make Tests Independent and Idempotent​

Ensure tests can run in any order and multiple times without interference.

javascript
// Before each test, reset to a known state
beforeEach(async () => {
  await db.resetDatabase();
  await page.goto('https://example.com');
});

4. Handle Flaky Tests​

Identify and fix flaky tests that randomly fail to maintain pipeline reliability.

javascript
// Example of retry logic for flaky tests
jest.retryTimes(3);

test('sometimes flaky UI interaction', async () => {
  await page.waitForSelector('.dynamic-element', { timeout: 5000 });
  await page.click('.dynamic-element');
  
  const result = await page.$eval('.result', el => el.textContent);
  expect(result).toContain('Success');
});

5. Use Data Management Strategies​

Implement strategies for test data management to ensure consistency.

javascript
// Example using a test data factory
const createTestUser = async () => {
  return await db.users.create({
    username: `test-user-${Date.now()}`,
    email: `test-${Date.now()}@example.com`,
    password: 'secure-password-for-testing'
  });
};

test('User profile update', async () => {
  const user = await createTestUser();
  await loginAs(user);
  
  // Test profile update functionality
});

Real-world Example: E-commerce Checkout Process​

Let's walk through implementing acceptance tests for an e-commerce checkout process.

1. Define Acceptance Criteria​

gherkin
Feature: Checkout Process
  
  Scenario: Successful checkout
    Given I have items in my shopping cart
    And I am logged in
    When I proceed to checkout
    And I enter valid shipping information
    And I enter valid payment information
    And I confirm my order
    Then I should see an order confirmation
    And I should receive an order confirmation email

2. Implement Automated Tests​

javascript
// Using Cypress for E2E testing
describe('Checkout Process', () => {
  beforeEach(() => {
    // Set up test state - create user, add items to cart
    cy.createTestUser().then(user => {
      cy.loginAs(user);
      cy.addItemsToCart(['product-1', 'product-2']);
    });
  });

  it('should complete checkout successfully', () => {
    // Navigate to cart
    cy.visit('/cart');
    cy.contains('Proceed to Checkout').click();
    
    // Fill shipping information
    cy.get('#shipping-form').within(() => {
      cy.get('input[name="address"]').type('123 Test Street');
      cy.get('input[name="city"]').type('Test City');
      cy.get('input[name="zip"]').type('12345');
      cy.get('button[type="submit"]').click();
    });
    
    // Fill payment information
    cy.get('#payment-form').within(() => {
      cy.get('input[name="cardNumber"]').type('4111111111111111');
      cy.get('input[name="expiry"]').type('12/25');
      cy.get('input[name="cvv"]').type('123');
      cy.get('button[type="submit"]').click();
    });
    
    // Confirm order
    cy.contains('Confirm Order').click();
    
    // Verify order confirmation
    cy.url().should('include', '/order-confirmation');
    cy.contains('Thank you for your order').should('be.visible');
    
    // Verify email (using a test email API)
    cy.task('checkEmailReceived', {
      to: '[email protected]',
      subject: /Order Confirmation/
    }).should('be.true');
  });
});

3. Integrate in CI/CD Pipeline​

yaml
# GitLab CI configuration example
stages:
  - build
  - test
  - acceptance
  - deploy

build:
  stage: build
  script:
    - npm install
    - npm run build
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - dist/

unit_tests:
  stage: test
  script:
    - npm run test:unit

integration_tests:
  stage: test
  script:
    - npm run test:integration

acceptance_tests:
  stage: acceptance
  services:
    - name: postgres:latest
      alias: db
    - name: redis:latest
      alias: cache
  script:
    - npm run db:migrate
    - npm run seed:test-data
    - npm run serve:test &
    - sleep 5
    - npm run test:acceptance
  artifacts:
    when: always
    paths:
      - cypress/videos/
      - cypress/screenshots/
    reports:
      junit: cypress/results/junit.xml

deploy_staging:
  stage: deploy
  only:
    - main
  script:
    - npm run deploy:staging

Troubleshooting Common Issues​

Issue 1: Flaky Tests​

Problem: Tests that intermittently fail without code changes.

Solution:

  • Add explicit waits for dynamic elements
  • Increase timeouts for network operations
  • Implement retry mechanisms for unreliable operations
javascript
// Example of improved waiting
cy.get('.dynamic-content', { timeout: 10000 }).should('be.visible');

// Instead of this, which might be flaky
cy.get('.dynamic-content').should('be.visible');

Issue 2: Slow Test Execution​

Problem: Acceptance tests taking too long to run.

Solution:

  • Run tests in parallel
  • Use test sharding
  • Implement smart test selection
javascript
// Example of parallel execution configuration in Jest
// jest.config.js
module.exports = {
  maxWorkers: 4, // Run tests in 4 parallel processes
  // Other configurations...
};

Issue 3: Environment Dependencies​

Problem: Tests failing due to environment differences.

Solution:

  • Use containerization (Docker) for consistent environments
  • Mock external services
  • Use environment-specific configuration
javascript
// Example of environment configuration
const config = {
  apiUrl: process.env.TEST_API_URL || 'http://localhost:3000/api',
  timeout: parseInt(process.env.TEST_TIMEOUT) || 5000,
  // Other configurations...
};

// Use in tests
test('API Communication', async () => {
  const response = await fetch(`${config.apiUrl}/users`, {
    timeout: config.timeout
  });
  // Test assertions...
});

Summary​

Acceptance testing in a CI/CD pipeline provides the crucial final validation that your software meets business requirements before deployment. By automating these tests, you can:

  • Ensure software delivers value to users
  • Catch critical issues before they reach production
  • Build confidence in your release process
  • Reduce manual testing effort
  • Create living documentation of system behavior

Implementing effective acceptance testing requires careful planning, appropriate tooling, and a focus on testing what matters to users. When done well, it becomes an invaluable part of a robust CI/CD pipeline that delivers high-quality software consistently and efficiently.

Additional Resources​

Here are some resources to deepen your understanding of acceptance testing in CI/CD:

  • Testing Frameworks and Tools:

  • Learning Exercises:

    1. Implement acceptance tests for a simple web application
    2. Create a CI/CD pipeline that includes automated acceptance tests
    3. Convert manual test cases to automated acceptance tests
    4. Set up a test reporting system to visualize test results

  • Advanced Topics:

    • Contract testing for microservices
    • Visual regression testing
    • Acceptance test-driven development (ATDD)
    • Performance acceptance testing

If you spot any mistakes on this website, please let me know at [email protected]. I’d greatly appreciate your feedback! :)