Int4 IFTT Service Virtualization for manual testing of SAP S/4HANA

Introduction

Int4 IFTT has a unique feature to provide service virtualization on an integration platform level.

Int4 IFTT can test SAP application interfaces (API) independently of connected systems. By definition, it will virtualize the sender and receiver systems depending on the scenario. Int4 IFTT combined with UI Test automation tools deliver fully automated end-to-end process testing of SAP S/4HANA in the SAP environment.

However, some scenario exists where UI test automation is impossible or not required. In such cases, manual testing of distributed processes in SAP S/4HANA also requires conducting the tests in connected apps. Therefore, such testing becomes complex and expensive, as testers repeat it multiple times even if the changes are related only to SAP S/4HANA.

Int4 IFTT Virtualization Component (VC) solves this inconvenience. It enables efficient manual testing of SAP S/4HANA while connected apps are virtualized and simulated.

How does it work?

The Service Virtualization process is possible with minimal investment using current hardware and installed Int4 IFTT. In addition, the Int4 IFTT Virtualization Component does not require changing the endpoints to original systems for asynchronous scenarios compared to the classical service virtualization tools.

The component monitors the integration platform (e.g., SAP Process Orchestration, SAP Integration Suite, Webmethods, Boomi, or just backend's IDocs). The tool searches if any new messages are requests to external systems, which IFTT virtualizes.

Suppose the message with some particular, already learned pattern exists. In that case, Int4 IFTT will respond to it and inject the proper message for processing, as it would come from the original system.

The Int4 IFTT VC can dynamically deactivate the communication channels to virtualized applications in the SAP Process Orchestration platform. Moreover, Int4 IFTT VC will cancel the request message so that the original connected system will be unaffected.

How to set it up?

Setting up the service virtualization is pretty straightforward. The most crucial step is a replication of the behavior of the simulated system.

As Int4 IFTT is an SAP Add-on, we recommend using well-known tools from the SAP landscape as much as possible.

The typical setup consists following steps:

  1. Identification of the interfaces to and from the external system

  2. Specification of the transformation logic. You need to know what response is expected based on a particular request. It should be as dynamic as possible. 

  3. Manual testers should test different business scenarios, and the virtualization should simulate the actual behavior of the connected app. The response in each case is based on a request message (for example, material numbers or quantities), but the tester can also provide instructions. For this purpose, you can use control fields in the request document/message, like header text.

  4. Implementation of virtualization logic in XSLT or middleware mapping.

  5. Creation of Int4 IFTT automation objects

  6. Activate the scenario by scheduling a virtualization job using the sequence of the test cases.  

How to use it?

After customizing and configuration, the service virtualization is ready. Then, testers can execute manual testing. Whenever the business process requires calling an external app by application interface, Int4 IFTT VC will immediately capture the request and generate back the response to SAP S/4HANA. Thus, users can continue testing the process up to its end.

For the full step-by-step scenario, please refer to the page: https://int4support.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/IUM/pages/2025488385

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