Lesson 4 of 6
Test plans and execution
9 min
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A test plan is the unit you run. It bundles test processes in an order, binds them to data and to a test user, and produces one set of results you can analyze and report. Good plans mirror how the business works: an order-to-cash plan that runs the processes in the sequence Maria's team performs them, a procure-to-pay plan, a record-to-report plan. This lesson walks through creating and executing one in the what-if.
Creating a plan
In Test Your Processes, you create a plan with the plus (+) icon and assign test processes to it. SAP Learning points out that the order in which you select processes sets their execution sequence, so select them in business order: a sales order before its delivery, the delivery before billing. A plan that runs billing before the order exists fails for reasons that have nothing to do with the system.
- Create planTest Your Processes, + icon; name it after the end-to-end scenario.
- Assign processesSelect test processes in business order; the selection order is the execution order.
- Check compatibilityReview Release Compatibility; question-marked custom steps need attention.
- Set variantsVariants tab: country or region and company code, and the test data container.
- ExecuteProcesses tab, Execute; the pre-check confirms the test user's roles first.
Data: variants and test data containers
Before running, use the Variants tab to set the country or region and the company code; these determine the data the processes use during execution. The tool provides a default variant and a default test data container, so a first run can start right away, and you can add your own containers. For the what-if, Contoso's order-to-cash variant uses company code 1710 and Contoso's own test customer and products rather than SAP sample values, because a regression run should exercise Contoso's configuration.
| Data choice | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Default variant and container | First run, smoke test after setup | May not use your organizational units or master data |
| Custom container with your test data | Regression that reflects your configuration | Data consumed by runs (stock, open items) must be replenished |
| Several variants per plan | Same process for several company codes or countries | Each variant multiplies run time and data needs |
Execution
To run, go to the Processes tab and choose Execute. The system first runs a pre-check that the test user has the correct business roles, then the execution service works through the processes in order. Runs take real time because every step goes through the UI; plan them so they finish before the people who analyze them start their day.
For timing, think in terms of the upgrade calendar rather than a single run. Run the plans once when they are built, again after every significant configuration change, and as a full set in the test system as soon as it is upgraded. Whether plans can be scheduled to start automatically depends on the capabilities of your release; check the current help, and if scheduling is not available, put the start of each plan into the upgrade run book with a named owner.
Integration steps in plans
If a plan includes processes with integration steps, the communication users from lesson 3 must be maintained in the Role column for those steps, and the integration partner side must be available in its test environment. A plan that fails only at integration steps usually points to an arrangement or a partner system, not to the upgrade.
What would you do?
In the what-if, Priya's order-to-cash plan fails at the billing step every time, while the same process passes when run alone. What should she check first?
- Create plans in Test Your Processes; the order you select processes is the execution order.
- Set country or region and company code on the Variants tab; use your own test data containers for real regression.
- Execute from the Processes tab; a pre-check verifies the test user's roles first.
- Plan runs around the upgrade calendar and keep test data replenishable.
- Integration steps need communication users and available partner systems.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. What determines the execution sequence of processes in a test plan?
2. What do the country or region and company code on the Variants tab determine?
3. Where do you start execution of a test plan?
4. Why should a plan include or follow a data top-up step?