Automated Test Framework release notes
Summarize
Summary of Automated Test Framework release notes
The ServiceNow Automated Test Framework (ATF) in the Yokohama release empowers you to create and execute automated tests that verify your instance’s functionality after upgrades, application development, or configuration deployments using update sets. This automation replaces manual testing, helping to identify failures and the specific changes causing them, thereby improving testing efficiency and accuracy.
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Key Features
- Reusable Tests: Create modular tests that can be invoked within other tests, reducing duplication and simplifying management of large test sets. Reusable Input and Output Variables allow data to pass between test steps.
- Quick Start Tests: Provided by the ServiceNow AI Platform, these tests validate instance functionality on base systems with default demo data. They can be copied and customized for instance-specific data to suit your environment.
- Test Data Management: Tests roll back test data and changes after each run to keep instances clean.
- Test Suites: Organize and schedule batches of tests to streamline execution.
- Test Design Efficiency: Copy quick start tests and test suites to reduce design time, and create custom test steps to extend coverage.
Activation and Usage
- ATF is active by default as part of the ServiceNow AI Platform feature, but the execution of automated tests is disabled by default to prevent accidental runs on production instances. It’s recommended to run tests only on development or test instances.
- To use quick start tests for a specific application, activate the corresponding application plugin.
- Enabling the ATF Test Generator and Cloud Runner requires setting the system property
snatf.runner.enabledto True and installing the related content pack from the ServiceNow Store.
Browser and Platform Requirements
- Tests must be run from desktop browsers; tablets, mobile browsers, and the mobile UI are not supported for test execution.
- Some desktop browsers may require additional configuration for optimal ATF performance.
- Test design on tablets is limited—you cannot add new custom UI test steps from tablets, but existing ones created on desktops can be reviewed.
Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers
By leveraging the Automated Test Framework enhancements in Yokohama, you can significantly reduce manual testing time, improve test reuse, and maintain clean test environments. The ability to customize quick start tests and create reusable modular tests allows more efficient validation of your instance’s health after changes, helping to ensure stability and accelerate deployment cycles.
The ServiceNow® Automated Test Framework enables you to create and run automated tests to confirm that your modified instance works after an upgrade, during application development, or when deploying instance configurations with update sets. Review failed test results to identify the changes that caused the failure and the changes that you should review. Automated Test Framework was enhanced and updated in the Yokohama release.
Automated Test Framework highlights for the Yokohama release
- Reduce upgrade and development time by replacing manual testing with automated testing.
- Design tests once and reuse them in different contexts and with different test data sets.
- Keep test instances clean by rolling back test data and changes made after each test run.
- Create and schedule test suites to organize and run tests in batches.
- Reduce test design time by copying quick start tests and test suites. You can also create custom test steps to expand test coverage.
See Automated Test Framework (ATF) for more information.
Important information for upgrading Automated Test Framework to Yokohama
Copy and customize quick start tests provided by the ServiceNow AI Platform® to validate that your instance works after you make any configuration changes. For example, if you apply an upgrade or develop an application.
The tests can produce a pass result only when you run them on a base system without any customizations and with the default demo data that is provided with the application or feature plugin. To apply a quick start test to your instance-specific data, copy the quick start test and add your custom data. For more information, see Available quick start tests by application or feature.
New in the Yokohama release
- Reusable tests
- Reduce duplication of tests while invoked in several other tests by creating reusable tests, enabling test design to be more modular, reducing the effort and time while duplicating tests to manage a large number of tests across your instance. You can access the reusable tests from the new Reusable Test test step category. Use the Reusable Input Variables and Reusable Output Variables related lists to define data passing from one test step to another.
- Reusable Tests category
- Reuse the test records created in the Reusable Test table from the new Reusable Test test step category. By default, the test records show up in the Reusable Test test step category, unless you define the record in a custom category in the Category field.
Activation information
To use the quick start tests for an application, activate the plugin that is associated with the application. For more information, see Available quick start tests by application or feature.
Set the sn_atf.runner.enabled property to True to activate the content pack for the ATF Test Generator and Cloud Runner store application.
Browser requirements
Automated Test Framework supports running tests only from desktop browsers. You can't run tests or test suites from tablets, mobile browsers, or the mobile UI. Some desktop browsers require additional configuration. For more information, see Browser recommendations for Automated Test Framework.
Automated Test Framework offers limited support for test design on tablets. You can't add new custom UI test steps from tablets because tablets can't retrieve components. Review any existing custom UI test steps that were added from a desktop browser instead.