Marc Hornbeek is a senior solutions architect at Spirent Communications who has managed their transition to more agile testing practices. This presentation describes Spirent's journey from large, infrequent "freight train" releases to more modular, continuous "mover" releases enabled by test automation tools and DevOps practices. It discusses how Spirent moved from separate test environments and processes to a centralized, change-driven model with integrated development and testing. The goal was to allow more incremental and frequent releases to increase velocity while maintaining stability and coverage.

1. #
Marc Hornbeek
Sr. Solutions Architect
Spirent Communications

2. #
Marc Hornbeek is Sr. Solutions Architect of automated test
management solutions at Spirent Communications,
Infrastructure Test Optimization (ITO) BU. He recently managed
SCM and DevOps at Spirent. As primary architect of test
automation tools and champion of test automation for firms
ranging from start-ups to large multi-national companies he
published more than 30 articles and has been a speaker at
numerous international conferences and user forums.

3. #
• Network test systems and solutions
• Global engineering teams
• Transitions:
– Perforce to GitFusion/DVCS
– SCM to DevOps
– Large Waterfall to Agile Modular Releases
– Train Model: “Freight train” > “Rapid Transit” > “Movers”

4. #
Continuous
Testing
provides
continuous
control for
DevOps CCM
CI CT CD

5. #
Changes
drive
builds
and tests
Test
results
drive
changes
Change
Management
System
Report and
Tracking
System
Checkout
Build
Systems
(Real or Virtual)
Test Systems
(Real or Virtual)
Change Request
Artifacts Repository
SUT Systems
(Real or Virtual)
Process Automation Tool
Poll
Start
Run Start
Pull
Push
Reports And Logs
Pull Pull
Run

6. #
This presentation describes
Spirent’s journey of testing
solutions and tools for faster
and more modular trains.

7. #
Freight Train Rapid Transit Modular Mover
Large
infrequent
releases
Monthly
segment
releases
Continuous
package
releases
Separate
test setups
Networked
DevOps
Central
DevOps

8. #
Entire
system
Segment
specific
Modular
packages
System
decisions
Modular
reverts
Integration
stage tests
and reverts

9. #
Large
infrequent
releases
Monthly
segment
releases
Continuous
package
releases
Full build
& regress
96 hour
Incr. build &
regress
1 to 8 hours
Incr. build
full regress
32 hours

10. #
Physical
labs
Virtual
labs
Fixed
multiple of
single lab
Shared
resource
Cloud
labs
On-demand
resource

11. #
Separate
agents
Central
agent
Distributed
agents
Single
depot
GitFusion /
DVCS
Database
controlled

12. #
Entire
SUT
SUT
Segment
Modular
packages
Fixed
suites
Modular
sequenced
suites
Tagged
suites

13. #
Entire
SUT
Segment
specific
Modular
packages
Fixed
report
Analysis
network
Segment
analysis

14. #
Separate
agents
Central
agent
Distributed
agents
Various
admin tools
<90% Avail.
Central
admin tools
> 99% Avail
Central
admin tools
> 95% Avail

15. #
Separate
Processes
Common
Process
Distributed
Process
Distinct
cultures
Culture
alignments
Culture
adjustments

16. #
• Culture changes
• Solution architecture
• Modular systems
• Change-driven
automation
• ROI driven
• Incremental budget

17. #
• Change-driven configuration
• Scalability desktop to global lab
• Mixed virtual and real SUT
• KPI Dashboard
• Novice to expert user interfaces
• Services for test creation (Create), test set-up
(Connect), test execution (Play) and test results
analysis.

18. #
• Seamless integration, rich APIs and plug-ins.
• Pre-packaged tests
• Variable skill level test IDE
• Automated results

19. #
• CT automation journey is challenging but ROI
is high: velocity, stability, coverage
• Each CT capability level
achieved enables the next
so keep the train moving!
• Choose CT automation solutions and tools
with change-driven control capabilities

20. #
Marc Hornbeek
marc.hornbeek@spirent.com

21. #
RESOURCES
CD Report: info.perforce.com/cd-report
White Paper: perforce.com/white-paper-link
Template: perforce.com/template