Test issue type - status from Workflow versus Test Cycle Execution status

[Saket Vora]

I am using Zephyr for JIRA to create Test issues, and will group these Test issues via Test Cycles to repeat them a few times that align with key phases of my project.

In my JIRA project, I have a custom workflow for Test issues that have the following statuses:

• Not started
• In Progress
• Blocked
• Pass
• Fail
• Deferred

If I view these Test issues in the Test Summary page (dropdown Tests > Test Summary), the Status shown here corresponds with the Workflow based status. 

However, if I put this Test issue into a Test Cycle and execute the test cycle, then there is a separate set of Test Execution statuses:

• Unexecuted
• WIP
• Blocked
• Pass
• Fail

However, it doesn't appear that these Test Execution statuses are linked in anyway to the Test issue status that are derived from the Workflow assigned to issues of type Test. 

My question: 

• how does JIRA intend to use the Workflow-derived status for Test issues versus the statuses of the Test Cycle execution? 
• Is there any link between these two different statuses?

My only guess here is that the Workflow-derived status at the Test issue level refers to the test case for the overall project as a whole, and intended to be the longer term container item for the Test Cycles where this task can appear.

[Martin Kay]

1. My Jira Test Issue is sitting at Ready for Execution
2. My Zephyr test case has been passed

I understand there is no automated linkage between 1 & 2 but can you advise how I can manually align 1 & 2 status? 

[Alex Smith]

@Martin Kay I have been looking for a way to do that as well. If I find something I'll post it here let me know if you find a way to do it.

[Georg Amm]

We decided to use Xray instead of Zephyr. But this question has nothing to do with the tool. We defined different status for the test issue. When we set it to "active", it is ready to be used for test executions. 

The traceability between the test execution and the test is done via the story and /or epic. So we have defined at first the organization test creation:

Epic-Story-Test Set - Test

and the test execution:

Test Plan - Test Execution - Test

and we only allow test cases to be executed, if they are in the status "Active".

Hope this is an idea for you. But it is done in Xray.

[Olga Buslovich]

Hello Georg Amm,

Thank you for sharing your expertise!

We are using Xray for the test management in my organisation and I'm trying to find a best way on how to define the workflow for the Test issue types in JIRA so it won't interfere with other issue types. Would you be willing to share your setup with me? 

Thanks in advance,

Olga

[Georg Amm]

Hi Olga,

for Test Set and Test Plan (as well as Test Execution) I would recommend the default workflow. This should be sufficient.

To keep the 4-eyes principle I would for the Test issue try following statuses:

Open
In Progress
In verification
Rejected
Active
Inactive
Reopened

Only in Active Status, an execution of the test is possible. Otherwise it is marked with a yellow sign in Xray.

Hope this helps.

Best Regards

Georg

[Irene Horvat]

Not sure if anyone is still looking for a solution of sorts.  My work around for this was to export the test cycle from Zephyr, then remove duplicates across the FOLDER and KEY, then either do bulk transitions accordingly for each status.

If you have admin privileges, the quickest way is to do a bulk update of the status to reflect the most recent test execution.  Not ideal but the quickest way I could do it.

Hope this helps.

[Saket Vora]

Hi Daniel,

Thanks for the reply!  I understand now – thanks. 

best,

Saket

[Daniel]

Hi Saket,

Thank you for your in-depth question. Currently, there is no link between JIRA's Issue Type workflow statuses and Zephyr for JIRA's execution statuses. As you have guessed, the workflow status is for the overall test issue and the test execution statuses are just for executions in that cycle.

A test issue can have a single status based on it's workflow. However, this test issue can be executed multiple times. Each time this test is run by a tester, it will have its own executions status that can be changed at any time and multiple times.

Your questions can be directly answered by saying that there are no interactions currently between an issue status and a Zephyr for JIRA execution status.

[Daniel Grut]

OK, that is a major problem for us, as Confluence, where we have linked test cases in Jira only shows the test issue status and not the latest test execution status. So confluence isnt updated with the latest exection status.

Has this not changed since three years ago?

[Pete]

Is this still the case? there is no link between workflow status and test execution status?

[Daniel Grut]

Yes, this is still the case, my advice is to look at other tools if possible. We will most likley stop using Zephyr in our organization.

Brg Daniel

[Natalie Spektor]

Is this still true? There is no link between JIRA workflow status and Zephyr test execution status?

[Alex Smith]

@Natalie Spektor 

Correct, it makes more sense if you think about the relationship between test executions and the jira issue of type test(zephyr). There can be any number of instances of the execution, each one can have a different status. There are other tools, however, that help to monitor these statuses so depending on what your goal is I'd bet you can accomplish what you're looking for. Often I see the jira status of the issue used to mark the state of the actual test steps, whether that is: "need to write steps", "steps are innacurate and need to be updated", "steps are completed and can be used in a regression", "test execution is no long applicable", etc.