11 4 / 2008
Borland Silk Test Suite Updates: RIA support, Eclipse integration and Java [automated tools/QA]
Some much needed improvements have taken hold of Borland’s Silk Test Suite 2008, and it’s sure to raise an eyebrow (or two) over at HP. In particular, the entire QA based automated tool line has been upgraded to support a number of Web 2.0 areas that web testers grind through daily, especially functionally and performance wise.
Here’s the quick run down
SilkTest
To better the efforts of automating functional tests against the growing number of Rich Interface Applications for the web, Borland has introduced Open Agent. This Open Agent is an improvement to the standard record and playback features - since it will be “adaptable” (with an SDK) so that you will be able to incorporate it’s code into your application framework. Currently, the Open Agent will support applications that are built with Adobe Flex, as well as any updates from Microsoft - which to me is a hint that it may support the soon to mature SilverLight, but then my 10 year old will be 17 by the time that occurs (hardy har har). The Open Agent will allow future upgrades to be added to SilkTest, that will support internal Java scripting, as well as full integration into Eclipse.SilkPerformer
For the performance tester who needs a better handle on measuring transaction response times for AJAX enhanced web sites, SilkPerformer can now track and identify XML and JSON requests.
On a personal note, I would like to see this functionality in action, hands on. Client based AJAX is much easier to check for, but when it comes to server based AJAX calls - theres a little more work involved. For example, before I begin performance tests on any AJAX based app (client-based), my pre-test analysis includes a run-through with Firebug (for you non-Mozilla users – let me just say that Firebug is by far the best thing on earth). With Firebug, I console track single user transactions, to see how many AJAX requests are being made to the server under test. If there are single transaction requests (and not timed multiple requests, like some type of ‘heartbeat’) then I can use LoadRunner to mark these requests with Start and End transaction times, with a little coorelation, of course. With all of this said, it is a bit harder to do this with server based Ajax, and that requires a walkthrough from the developes to spot. So it’s nice to see that Borland is improving this need with SilkPerformer, and integrating into it’s basic framework.
In addition to supporting AJAX, SilkPerformer will also work with AMF3, the open source Flash initiative, and it will also handle Adobe’s Flex with seamless ease. For those who use BMC Software, there is support for their Remedy Action Request System.
SilkCentral
One noticable change with this upgrade is that SilkCentral will allow test assets to be more accessible for geographically challenged project resources. Borland’s StarTeam has also been upgraded to support this need. This is the one area that I think HP may raise an eyebrow to, and I’m sure that they are doing the same type of improvement to their beloved Quality Center. In my opinion, hosted, SaaS solutions are the answer to this, and both Quality Center and SilkCentral should re-evaluate their business model to reflect on how doing business in the “cloud” is starting to appeal more and more to start-ups, and Fortune 500’s – since the ROI nearly eliminates additional hardware costs, but I digress into my business mind.Bottom-line: These upgrades are a plus, and worth investing into the test lab that has Silk enthusiasts proliferated about. I’m a Mercury guy, but I would spend some time evaluating a mix of tools to support the testing effort, and both the SilkTest and SilkPerformer upgrades have some immediate appeal. I slightly see the “wow” factor on the Open Agent usage in SilkTest, so there can be some great advantages to this, especially if new paradigm shifts occur in technology. In addition, the AJAX support in SilkPerformer is a nice “plus” for performance test engineers who want to fine tune their efforts in measuring remote calls to the back-end. One thing that would be nice to see, is if the AJAX support also includes active AJAX monitors so that “hic-cups” can be caught during the load or stress test in real-time.
Hopefully, if costs for these upgrades are reasonable, and do not eliminate a testers job, then I’d take a closer look.
