12-Week Program
Automation Testing Agenda
12-Week Agenda: Automation Testing in Data Platforms
Master automated testing for data platforms, from SQL validation to CI/CD integration and advanced testing strategies.
1-2
Week 1-2 – Foundations of Data Testing
Goal:Understand data platforms and critical automation testing concepts.
What You'll Learn
- Introduction to Data Platforms (SQL, NoSQL, Cosmos DB)
- Why Automation Testing in ETL/ELT pipelines is critical
- Manual vs. Automation in Data Testing
- Types of Data Testing: Schema testing, Data completeness, Data transformation, Data quality testing
Week Deliverable
Foundation knowledge assessment and basic testing framework setup
3-4
Week 3-4 – SQL-Based Testing
Goal:Master SQL validation techniques and reusable testing scripts.
What You'll Learn
- Writing validation queries in SQL to test source data
- Comparing row counts, aggregates, and transformations
- Handling NULLs, bad data, and outliers
- Building reusable SQL scripts for validation
Week Deliverable
SQL validation script library with comprehensive test coverage
5-6
Week 5-6 – Automation Testing Frameworks
Goal:Implement automated testing using Python frameworks.
What You'll Learn
- Introduction to pytest, unittest, or PySpark testing frameworks
- Writing automated test scripts to validate SQL → Cosmos DB
- Using Python + PyODBC/SQLAlchemy to query SQL Server
- Using Azure Cosmos DB SDK to validate destination data
Week Deliverable
Automated testing framework with Python scripts for data validation
7-8
Week 7-8 – Data Comparison Strategies
Goal:Develop comprehensive data comparison and validation methods.
What You'll Learn
- Row count validation (source vs. destination)
- Sample record validation (pick random records to check accuracy)
- Full dataset validation with hashing/checksum
- Automating schema validation between SQL and Cosmos DB
- Handling data drift
Week Deliverable
Data comparison toolkit with multiple validation strategies
9
Week 9 – CI/CD Integration
Goal:Integrate automated tests into deployment pipelines.
What You'll Learn
- Integrating automated data tests into Azure DevOps Pipelines
- Running tests on every deployment (Dev → QA → Prod)
- Storing test results & logs for audit/compliance
Week Deliverable
CI/CD pipeline with integrated automated data testing
10
Week 10 – Advanced Automation
Goal:Handle complex testing scenarios and real-time data.
What You'll Learn
- Automating incremental loads validation
- Testing real-time streaming pipelines (Kafka → Cosmos DB)
- Using mock data generation for testing edge cases
- Monitoring test failures with alerts
Week Deliverable
Advanced automation suite for complex data scenarios
11
Week 11 – Non-Functional Testing
Goal:Ensure performance, scalability, and security standards.
What You'll Learn
- Performance testing (query response time, load tests)
- Scalability testing (data volume increases)
- Security testing (access control, masking, encryption)
Week Deliverable
Non-functional testing suite with performance benchmarks
12
Week 12 – Capstone Project
Goal:Build comprehensive end-to-end automated testing solution.
What You'll Learn
- Build an end-to-end automated testing suite for a SQL → Cosmos DB pipeline:
- Validate schema migration
- Check row counts & transformations
- Ensure data quality rules are applied
- Automate tests via CI/CD pipeline
- Final review & presentation
Week Deliverable
Complete automated testing project with presentation