Repeating tests is a powerful way to identify flaky tests and ensure the stability of your application. This guide will walk you through the process of configuring repeats for your tests in TimeTick.
How to Configure Repeats for Your Tests
1. Navigate to Your Test
First, navigate to the test where you want to configure repeats. You can do that by clicking the "Tests" option. Then, click the play button you want to execute.
2. Open the Repeat Configuration
In the test run configuration panel, find the "Switch on repeat" option. This setting allows you to control how many times & how a test will be repeated.
3. Configure the Repeats
There are a lot of options for how you can configure your repeats:
infinite repeats (do not need to enable "Number of repeats" or "End Date" options)
repeat several times (then you need to enable "Number of repeats" option and set the preferred amount).
repeat until some date (then you need to enable "End Date" option and select the date, which will be the last day for your repeats).
After you've decided on the number of repeats, let's switch to the repeat mask. Here you can easily set the recurrence template for your test:
Minutely: repeat every minute (for tests with duration < 1 min)
Hourly: repeat every hour (for tests with duration < 1 hour)
Daily: repeat every day (for tests with duration < 1 day)
Weekly (Day of Week): repeat every weekday (for tests with duration < 1 day)
Monthly: repeat every month (for tests with duration < 1 month)
Note: By default, the mask is set to repeat every hour\minute\day, but you can easily change that by clicking the unwanted option, for example:
If you want to repeat the test every hour from 6:00 - 18:59 (and not from 13:00-13:59), you can set the following mask:
4. Save Your Changes
Once you have configured the repeats, click on the "Run Test" button at the top of the drawer panel. The new repeat settings will be applied to your test run.
Best Practices for Configuring Repeats
Start Small: When you first start using repeats, it's a good idea to start with a small number of repeats (e.g., 2 or 3). This will help you to identify flaky parts of your system without creating a heavy system load for your CSMS or incurring additional costs.
Don't Combine Multiple Repeats on one Simulator: While repeats can be a useful tool, it's important not to overuse them. Do not create multiple, overlapping repeat schedules for a single simulator. Intersecting schedules can cause unexpected behavior, such as a running test being prematurely canceled. A similar thing is related to e.g. using remote charging + repeats. It's always easier to turn the repeats off (by removing the run from Run page) or by creating a new simulator for repeats or remote charging
Manage Simulator Power to Control Costs: To prevent unnecessary billing, your test should be designed to manage the simulator's power state. Ensure your script powers on the simulator at the beginning of the test and powers it off at the end.
By following these steps, you can easily configure repeats for your tests in TimeTick and improve the stability of your CSMS.
Repeats FAQ
Will I be additionally billed for that feature?
No, the repeat feature itself is free. You will pay only for the activity minutes that will be used during test runs.
Is there a way I can specify the first run start date?
Yes, you need to enable the Scheduled mode and then specify the first run date & time. In the case below, the first run will be at 01:31 am and then every day until cancelled from 6 am - 7 pm (excluding 1 pm-2 pm)
My test repeat didn't start at the specified time. What should I do?
Feel free to reach our Support by clicking the Contact Us button, where we will help you as soon as possible.