PeopleSoft Test Framework

PeopleTools 8.51 has introduced a new and exciting feature: PeopleSoft Test Framework (from now on PTF). This tool can be used to automate testing of PeopleSoft applications. Unlike other testing automation tools, PTF has the following advantages:

• PTF is a testing automation tool designed to interact with PeopleSoft. It is quite easy to install and put it up to speed.
• Tests are stored in PeopleSoft database as metadata. This allows developers to migrate tests between environments, pretty much like any other PeopleTools object.
• Based on Usage Monitor, testers can determine which tests are impacted by a given application change: upgrade, bundle and/or customization.

PTF seems the perfect tool to automate a large degree of regression testing, thus reducing significantly the effort (and therefore cost) of testing after an application change. Particularly in upgrades, when test cycles are conducted over an over again, PTF may help to reduce the time and increase the quality needed for testing efforts.

There are still some shortfalls of PeopleSoft Test Framework. First of all, tests for PeopleSoft applications are still not delivered in the standard product, although some companies are already offering test bundles for certain modules (we at BNB are looking at offering a bundled service based on the test cases built on our installed customer base).

The second shortfall is the lack of stress testing capabilities. Still, there are plenty of tools on the market to perform this kind of testing.

All in all, it seems a very important step forward in PeopleSoft technology in order to reduce implementation and upgrade times and increase the ROI of those projects.