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= Introduction =
= Introduction =


Handle test metadata in an efficient way.
In order to keep test execution efficient when number of test
cases grows, it is crucial to maintain corresponding metadata,
which define some aspects of how the test coverage is executed.
 
This concept proposes a flexible format for defining metadata in
plain text files which can be stored close to the test code and
structured in a hiearchical way with support for inheritance.


'''Contact:''' [[User:Psss|Petr Šplíchal]]
'''Contact:''' [[User:Psss|Petr Šplíchal]]
== Stones ==
These are essential corner stones for the design:
* Text files under version control
* Keep common uses cases simple
* Use hiearchy to organize content
* Prevent duplication where possible
* Metadata close to the test code
* Solution should be open source
* Focus on essential use cases
== Stories ==
Important user stories to be covered:
* As a tester or developer I want to easy read and modify metadata and see history.
* As a tester I want to select a subset of test cases for execution by specifying a tag.
* As a tester I want to define a maximum time for a test case to run.
* As a tester I want to specify which environment is relevant for testing.
* As a user I want to easily define common metadata for multiple cases to simplify maintenance.
* As a user I want to provide specific metadata for selected tests to complement common metadata.
* As an individual tester and test contributor I want to execute specific single test case.
* As an automation tool I need a metadata storage with good api, extensible, quick for reading.
== Choices ==
* Use git for version control and history of changes.
* Yaml format easily readable for both machines and humans.
== Naming ==
A dedicated file name extension <code>fmf</code> as an
abbreviation of Flexible Metadata Format to easily find all
metadata files:
* main.fmf
* smoke.fmf
The format does not define attribute naming in any way. This is up
to individual projects. The only exception is the special name
<code>main</code> which is reserved for main directory index.
Attribute namespacing can be introduced as needed to prevent
collisions between similar attributes. For example:
* test-description, requirement-description
* test:description, requirement:description
* test_description, requirement_description
== Objects ==
Objects are identified by path from the git root directory.
Special file name <code>main.fmf</code> works similarly as
<code>index.html</code>:
{| class="wikitable"
!Location
!Identifier
|-
|wget/main.fmf
|wget
|-
|wget/download/main.fmf
|wget/download
|-
|wget/download/smoke.fmf
|wget/download/smoke
|}


= Features =
= Features =


Let's demonstrate the features on a simple wget example with the
Here are some of the key features of the Flexible Metadata Format:
following directory structure:
 
wget
├── download
├── protocols
│  ├── ftp
│  ├── http
│  └── https
├── recursion
└── smoke
 
== Simple ==
 
The most common use cases super simple to read & write. Test
metadata for a single test look like this:
 
description: Check basic download options
tester: Petr Šplíchal <psplicha@redhat.com>
tags: [Tier2, TierSecurity]
test: runtest.sh
time: 3 min
 
== Hiearchy ==
 
Hiearchy is defined by directory structure (see example above) and
explicit nesting using attributes starting with <code>/</code>.
Defining metadata for several tests in a single file is
straightforward:
 
/download:
    description: Check basic download options
    tester: Petr Šplíchal <psplicha@redhat.com>
    tags: [Tier2, TierSecurity]
    test: runtest.sh
    time: 3 min
/recursion:
    description: Check recursive download options
    tester: Petr Šplíchal <psplicha@redhat.com>
    tags: [Tier2, TierSecurity]
    test: runtest.sh
    time: 20 min
 
Content above would be stored in <code>wget/main.fmf</code> file.
 
== Inheritance ==
 
Metadata is inherited from parent objects:
 
tester: Petr Šplíchal <psplicha@redhat.com>
tags: [Tier2, TierSecurity]
test: runtest.sh
/download:
    description: Check basic download options
    time: 3 min
/recursion:
    description: Check recursive download options
    time: 20 min
 
This nicely prevents unnecessary duplication.
 
== Elasticity ==
 
Use a single file or scatter metadata across the hiearchy,
whatever is more desired for the project.
 
File <code>wget/main.fmf</code>:
 
tester: Petr Šplíchal <psplicha@redhat.com>
tags: [Tier2, TierSecurity]
test: runtest.sh
 
File <code>wget/download/main.fmf</code>:
 
description: Check basic download options
time: 3 min
 
File: <code>wget/recursion/main.fmf</code>:
 
description: Check recursive download options
time: 20 min
 
This allows reasonable structure for both small and large
projects.
 
== Scatter ==
 
Thanks to elasticity, metadata can be scattered across several
files. For example <code>wget/download</code> metadata can be
defined in the following three files:
 
File <code>wget/main.fmf</code>:
 
/download:
    description: Check basic download options
    test: runtest.sh
 
File <code>wget/download.fmf</code>:
 
description: Check basic download options
test: runtest.sh
 
File <code>wget/download/main.fmf</code>:
 
description: Check basic download options
test: runtest.sh
 
Parsing is done from top to bottom (in the order of examples
above). Later/lower defined attributes replace values defined
earlier/higher in the structure.
 
== Leaves ==
 
When searching, '''key content''' is used to define which leaves
from the metadata tree will be selected. For example, every test
case to be executed must have the <code>test</code> attribute
defined, every requirement to be considered for test coverage
evaluation must have the <code>requirement</code> attribute
defined. Otherwise object data is used for inheritance only.
 
description: Check basic download options
test: runtest.sh
time: 3 min
 
The key content attributes are not supposed to be hard-coded in
the Flexible Metadata Format but freely configurable. Multiple key
content attributes (e.g. script & backend) could be used as well.
 
== Virtual ==
 
Using a single test code for testing multiple scenarios can be
easily implemented using leaves inheriting from the same parent:
 
description: Check basic download options
test: runtest.sh
/fast:
    description: Check basic download options (quick smoke test)
    environment: MODE=fast
    tags: [Tier1]
    time: 1 min
/full:
    description: Check basic download options (full test set)
    environment: MODE=full
    tags: [Tier2]
    time: 3 min
 
In this way we can efficiently create virtual test cases.
 
== API ==
 
A python module is planned to be implemented which would take care
of parsing and merging the metadata files and providing an easy
API for automation scripts. A corresponding simple command line
tool should allow to easily investigate metadata and could be used
for example for adhoc test execution.
 
fmf --key test --search tag=Tier1
fmf --key requirement --search priority=high
 
 
= Examples =
 
== Relevancy ==
 
Test Case Relevancy can be naturaly integrated:
 
description: Check basic download options
tags: [Tier2, TierSecurity]
relevancy:
- "distro < rhel-7: False"
- "arch = s390x: False"
 
Note that, because of YAML parsing, relevancy rules have to be
enclosed in quotes. Another option is to use text format:
 
description: Check basic download options
tags: [Tier2, TierSecurity]
relevancy: |
    distro < rhel-7: False
    arch = s390x: False
 
Which seems a bit more clear.
 
== Coverage ==
 
Test coverage information can be stored in a single file, for
example <code>wget/requirements.fmf</code>:
 
/protocols:
    priority: high
    /ftp:
        requirement: Download a file using the ftp protocol.
        coverage: wget/protocols/ftp
    /http:
        requirement: Download a file using the http protocol.
        coverage: wget/protocols/http
    /https:
        requirement: Download a file using the https protocol.
        coverage: wget/protocols/https
/download:
    priority: medium
    /output-document-pipe:
        requirement: Save content to pipe.
        coverage: wget/download
    /output-document-file:
        requirement: Save content to a file.
        coverage: wget/download
/upload:
    priority: medium
    /post-file:
        requirement: Upload a file to the server
        coverage: wget/protocols/http
    /post-data:
        requirement: Upload a string to the server
        coverage: wget/protocols/http
 
Or split by functionality area into separate files as desired, for
example <code>wget/download/requirements.fmf</code>:


priority: medium
* [https://fmf.readthedocs.io/en/latest/features.html#simple Simple] ... common use cases super simple to read & write
/output-document-pipe:
* [https://fmf.readthedocs.io/en/latest/features.html#hierarchy Hierarchy] ... metadata structured in a hierarchy
    requirement: Save content to pipe.
* [https://fmf.readthedocs.io/en/latest/features.html#inheritance Inheritance] ... data inheritance prevent duplication
    coverage: wget/download
* [https://fmf.readthedocs.io/en/latest/features.html#elasticity Elasticity] ... single file or data scattered across hierarchy
/output-document-file:
* [https://fmf.readthedocs.io/en/latest/features.html#virtual Virtual] ... support for maintaining virtual test cases
    requirement: Save content to a file.
    coverage: wget/download


Or integrated with test case metadata, e.g.
= Specification =
<code>wget/download/main.fmf</code>:


description: Check basic download options
We are currently working on a Metadata specification which
tags: [Tier2, TierSecurity]
describes in detail individual attributes to be used for selecting
test: runtest.sh
and executing tests in the Fedora CI (L1 metadata) and additional
time: 3 min
information which is necessary for executing multiple test cases
(L2 metadata):
/requirements
    requirement: Various download options working correctly
    priority: low
    /get-file:
        coverage: wget/download
    /output-document:
        coverage: wget/download
    /continue:
    /timestamping:
    /tries:
    /no-clobber:
        coverage: wget/download
    /progress:
    /quota:
    /server-response:
    /bind-address:
    /spider:


In the example above three requirements are already covered,
* Metadata: https://pagure.io/fedora-ci/metadata
the rest still await for test coverage (attributes value is null).


== Strategist ==
= Links =


Here's an example implementation of
A Python module and a simple command line tool are available for
[https://github.com/dahaic/test-strategist test-strategist] data for
experimenting. Detailed documentation is included as well:
openscap using the Flexible Metadata Format:


/probes:
* GitHub: https://github.com/psss/fmf
    description: Probes
* Docs: https://fmf.readthedocs.io/
    /offline:
* Fedora: https://apps.fedoraproject.org/packages/fmf/
        description: Offline scanning
* Copr: https://copr.fedorainfracloud.org/coprs/psss/fmf/
    /online:
* PIP: https://pypi.python.org/pypi/fmf
        description: Online scanning
/scanning:
    description: Reading and understanding source datastreams
    /oval:
        influencers:
        - openscap/probes/offline
        - openscap/probes/online
    /ds:
        influencers:
        - openscap/scanning/oval
        - openscap/scanning/cpe
    /cpe:
        influencers:
        - openscap/scanning/oval

Latest revision as of 12:00, 3 March 2023

Introduction

In order to keep test execution efficient when number of test cases grows, it is crucial to maintain corresponding metadata, which define some aspects of how the test coverage is executed.

This concept proposes a flexible format for defining metadata in plain text files which can be stored close to the test code and structured in a hiearchical way with support for inheritance.

Contact: Petr Šplíchal

Features

Here are some of the key features of the Flexible Metadata Format:

  • Simple ... common use cases super simple to read & write
  • Hierarchy ... metadata structured in a hierarchy
  • Inheritance ... data inheritance prevent duplication
  • Elasticity ... single file or data scattered across hierarchy
  • Virtual ... support for maintaining virtual test cases

Specification

We are currently working on a Metadata specification which describes in detail individual attributes to be used for selecting and executing tests in the Fedora CI (L1 metadata) and additional information which is necessary for executing multiple test cases (L2 metadata):

Links

A Python module and a simple command line tool are available for experimenting. Detailed documentation is included as well: