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Workload Proliferation Qualification using Automation

AshishKatakwar
Level 1
Employee

Backup Exec protects numerous workloads like Microsoft SQL, Exchange, SharePoint Server, Oracle, Enterprise Vault, VMware vSphere, and Microsoft Hyper V. Along with these workloads, Backup Exec also protects OS platforms, like Windows and various flavors of Linux, Solaris, and AIX. 

There are service packs, cumulative updates, minor, and major version updates released frequently for these workloads and OS platforms. With every release, we need to ensure that Backup Exec continues to protect these Workloads and OS platforms without any functionality loss. Our QA team has identified a set of regression tests that must be run to ensure BE works as expected with newly released versions of applications or OSes.

Apart from the GA versions of these proliferations, we also receive several Release Candidate (RC) builds for some of the Tier 1 proliferations like Windows OS, Microsoft applications, and VMware vSphere releases. It is prudent to test RC builds to ensure that issues are uncovered and fixed early so that SLA requirements for high-priority proliferations are met. 

Approach 

  1. Obtain workload/OSes build from vendor
  2. Update automation test environment 
  3. Run existing automated tests identified by the QA team
  4. Remaining tests executed manually
  5. Declare version support by updating the SCL

Ashish Katakwar - Image 1.pngThe main effort lies in preparing the test environments. Once we prepare the environment, we execute multiple iterations of test cases, on numerous builds of Backup Exec. The process is as follows: obtain builds that are in BETA/RC state from the vendor. Then, install the build on the existing test environments in case of service packs, cumulative updates or minor versions, and fresh installation in case of major versions. We preserve the snapshot before installing the build so that we can test multiple builds without recreating the test environment. 

We run automated test cases to examine the functionality on interim, as well as GA, builds of the workload/OS. We execute a set of regression test cases on multiple builds of Backup Exec for a given build of Workload/OSes using automation. Thereby we save a lot of manual effort and catch issues early. Once we fix any issues, we execute the same set of test cases to test the fix and its regression impact. 

Success Story

Veritas qualified more than 20 proliferations in Backup Exec v20.4, v20.5, v20.6, and BE 21, including eight cloud region certifications. For instance, VMware vSphere qualification contains around 200 test cases that execute on BETA, RCs, and RTM build vSphere. With automated execution, we estimate a savings of ~100 working days. Here are some matrices that show automation for workload/OS proliferation qualification. Ashish Katakwar - Image 2.png

Conclusion

Automation saves a lot of effort for the qualification of proliferations. The testing completes on time, and we can claim the support in a short duration after the release of workload. The automation is built once and executed as many times as needed, with a much-reduced effort from manual execution.