Automated Test Framework (ATF) for ServiceNow Skill

Automated Test Framework (ATF) for ServiceNow

ATF provides automated testing capabilities for ServiceNow applications, enabling regression testing and continuous integration.

ATF Architecture

Test Hierarchy

Test Suite: Incident Management Tests
├── Test: Create Incident
│   ├── Step 1: Impersonate User
│   ├── Step 2: Open New Record
│   ├── Step 3: Set Field Values
│   ├── Step 4: Submit Form
│   └── Step 5: Assert Values
├── Test: Assign Incident
│   └── Steps...
└── Test: Resolve Incident
    └── Steps...

Key Tables

| Table | Purpose | | ------------------------- | ------------------------ | | sys_atf_test | Test definitions | | sys_atf_step | Individual test steps | | sys_atf_test_suite | Test suite groupings | | sys_atf_test_suite_test | Suite-test relationships | | sys_atf_test_result | Test execution results |

Test Step Types

Common Step Types

| Step Type | Purpose | Example | | -------------------------- | -------------------- | ------------------------- | | Impersonate | Run as specific user | Test as ITIL user | | Open a New Form | Create new record | New incident form | | Open an Existing Form | Edit record | Open INC0010001 | | Set Field Values | Populate fields | Set priority, description | | Click a UI Action | Trigger button | Click "Save" | | Assert Field Values | Validate values | Priority = 1 | | Run Server Side Script | Execute script | Custom validation | | Wait | Pause execution | Wait for async |

Creating Tests

Basic Test Structure (ES5)

// Create a new ATF test
var test = new GlideRecord("sys_atf_test")
test.initialize()
test.setValue("name", "Test: Create High Priority Incident")
test.setValue("description", "Verify high priority incident creation workflow")
test.setValue("active", true)
test.setValue("application", "global") // or scoped app sys_id
var testSysId = test.insert()

// Add test steps
function addTestStep(testId, order, stepType, config) {
  var step = new GlideRecord("sys_atf_step")
  step.initialize()
  step.setValue("test", testId)
  step.setValue("order", order)
  step.setValue("step_config", stepType)

  // Set step-specific configuration
  for (var key in config) {
    if (config.hasOwnProperty(key)) {
      step.setValue(key, config[key])
    }
  }

  return step.insert()
}

Impersonate Step

// Step 1: Impersonate ITIL user
addTestStep(testSysId, 100, "sys_atf_step_config_impersonate", {
  description: "Impersonate ITIL user",
  inputs: JSON.stringify({
    user: "itil", // or sys_id
  }),
})

Open New Form Step

// Step 2: Open new incident form
addTestStep(testSysId, 200, "sys_atf_step_config_open_new_form", {
  description: "Open new incident form",
  inputs: JSON.stringify({
    table: "incident",
  }),
})

Set Field Values Step

// Step 3: Set field values
addTestStep(testSysId, 300, "sys_atf_step_config_set_field_values", {
  description: "Set incident fields",
  inputs: JSON.stringify({
    table: "incident",
    values: [
      { field: "short_description", value: "ATF Test Incident" },
      { field: "priority", value: "1" },
      { field: "category", value: "network" },
      { field: "caller_id", value: "admin" },
    ],
  }),
})

Submit Form Step

// Step 4: Submit form (click Save)
addTestStep(testSysId, 400, "sys_atf_step_config_click_ui_action", {
  description: "Save the incident",
  inputs: JSON.stringify({
    ui_action: "sysverb_insert", // Submit/Insert action
  }),
})

Assert Field Values Step

// Step 5: Assert values
addTestStep(testSysId, 500, "sys_atf_step_config_assert_field_values", {
  description: "Verify incident was created correctly",
  inputs: JSON.stringify({
    table: "incident",
    assertions: [
      {
        field: "priority",
        operator: "equals",
        value: "1",
      },
      {
        field: "state",
        operator: "equals",
        value: "1", // New
      },
      {
        field: "number",
        operator: "is not empty",
      },
    ],
  }),
})

Server-Side Script Steps

Custom Validation Script (ES5)

// Step: Run Server Side Script
// Script (ES5 only!):

;(function (outputs, steps, params, stepResult) {
  // Access outputs from previous steps
  var incidentSysId = steps["step_sys_id"].record_id

  // Perform custom validation
  var gr = new GlideRecord("incident")
  if (gr.get(incidentSysId)) {
    // Check business rule fired
    if (gr.getValue("assignment_group") === "") {
      stepResult.setOutputMessage("Assignment group not set by business rule")
      stepResult.setFailed()
      return
    }

    // Check SLA attached
    var sla = new GlideRecord("task_sla")
    sla.addQuery("task", incidentSysId)
    sla.query()

    if (!sla.hasNext()) {
      stepResult.setOutputMessage("No SLA attached to incident")
      stepResult.setFailed()
      return
    }

    // All validations passed
    outputs.incident_number = gr.getValue("number")
    outputs.sla_count = sla.getRowCount()
    stepResult.setOutputMessage("All validations passed")
  } else {
    stepResult.setOutputMessage("Incident not found")
    stepResult.setFailed()
  }
})(outputs, steps, params, stepResult)

Data Setup Script (ES5)

// Step: Setup test data
;(function (outputs, steps, params, stepResult) {
  // Create test user if needed
  var user = new GlideRecord("sys_user")
  user.addQuery("user_name", "atf_test_user")
  user.query()

  if (!user.next()) {
    user.initialize()
    user.setValue("user_name", "atf_test_user")
    user.setValue("first_name", "ATF")
    user.setValue("last_name", "Test User")
    user.setValue("email", "atf@test.com")
    user.setValue("active", true)
    outputs.user_sys_id = user.insert()
  } else {
    outputs.user_sys_id = user.getUniqueValue()
  }

  stepResult.setOutputMessage("Test user ready: " + outputs.user_sys_id)
})(outputs, steps, params, stepResult)

Cleanup Script (ES5)

// Step: Cleanup test data (always runs)
;(function (outputs, steps, params, stepResult) {
  var testRecordId = steps["create_incident_step"].record_id

  if (testRecordId) {
    var gr = new GlideRecord("incident")
    if (gr.get(testRecordId)) {
      gr.deleteRecord()
      stepResult.setOutputMessage("Cleaned up test incident: " + testRecordId)
    }
  }
})(outputs, steps, params, stepResult)

Test Suites

Creating Test Suite

// Create test suite
var suite = new GlideRecord("sys_atf_test_suite")
suite.initialize()
suite.setValue("name", "Incident Management Regression Suite")
suite.setValue("description", "Full regression tests for incident management")
suite.setValue("active", true)
var suiteSysId = suite.insert()

// Add tests to suite
function addTestToSuite(suiteId, testId, order) {
  var link = new GlideRecord("sys_atf_test_suite_test")
  link.initialize()
  link.setValue("test_suite", suiteId)
  link.setValue("test", testId)
  link.setValue("order", order)
  return link.insert()
}

addTestToSuite(suiteSysId, createTestId, 100)
addTestToSuite(suiteSysId, assignTestId, 200)
addTestToSuite(suiteSysId, resolveTestId, 300)

Parameterized Tests

Using Test Parameters

// Test with parameters
var test = new GlideRecord('sys_atf_test');
test.initialize();
test.setValue('name', 'Test: Create Incident with Priority');
test.setValue('parameters', JSON.stringify({
    priority: '2',
    category: 'software'
}));
test.insert();

// In step, reference parameter
{
    "values": [
        { "field": "priority", "value": "${priority}" },
        { "field": "category", "value": "${category}" }
    ]
}

MCP Tool Integration

Available ATF Tools

| Tool | Purpose | | ---------------------------- | ------------------- | | snow_create_atf_test | Create test | | snow_create_atf_test_step | Add step to test | | snow_create_atf_test_suite | Create suite | | snow_execute_atf_test | Run test | | snow_get_atf_results | Get results | | snow_discover_atf_tests | Find existing tests |

Example Workflow

// 1. Create test
var testId = await snow_create_atf_test({
  name: "Test: Incident Priority Escalation",
  description: "Verify priority changes trigger notifications",
})

// 2. Add steps
await snow_create_atf_test_step({
  test_id: testId,
  order: 100,
  type: "impersonate",
  user: "itil",
})

await snow_create_atf_test_step({
  test_id: testId,
  order: 200,
  type: "server_script",
  script: createIncidentScript,
})

// 3. Execute test
var resultId = await snow_execute_atf_test({
  test_id: testId,
})

// 4. Get results
var results = await snow_get_atf_results({
  result_id: resultId,
})

Best Practices

Isolate Test Data - Create and cleanup test data in each test
Use Impersonation - Test as actual user roles
Atomic Tests - Each test validates one scenario
Descriptive Names - Clear test and step descriptions
Order Steps - Use 100, 200, 300 for easy insertion
Handle Async - Add wait steps for async operations
Cleanup Always - Use finally steps for cleanup
Parameterize - Use parameters for reusable tests

Common Assertions

| Assertion | Use Case | | -------------- | --------------------- | | equals | Exact value match | | not equals | Value exclusion | | is empty | Field should be empty | | is not empty | Field must have value | | contains | Substring match | | starts with | Prefix match | | greater than | Numeric comparison | | less than | Numeric comparison |

Agent Skills: Automated Test Framework (ATF) for ServiceNow

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