ATF Test steps broken after import via Update Set

[Hoppertron]

On our Dev instance, we created a series of ATF Test Suites and Tests which contained Record Validation steps to validate settings in the sys_properties table. (See attached ATF1.png for an example)

These all worked and returned a 100% success ratio on the Dev instance.

We exported the ATF Suites (including all Tests and Steps) in an Update Set and imported them into our Test instance, where we ran the tests again.

About 5 of 14 the tests returned failures, and on closer inspection we noticed that for every failed test, the 'Record' field on the Test Step form was empty.

i.e. the Test Step was missing an input variable: the name of the system property to validate. (See attached ATF2.png)

All other fields (e.g. 'Value' and criteria, table name etc) were intact.

We've not identified a reason for this yet:

• initial suspicion was that it only affected drop-down fields/related lists, but not all drop-down fields are affected and we have observed this happening to string/text fields
• Update set logs show no errors
• No syslog errors are present on the Dev instance when creating the Update Set
• No syslog errors are present on the Test instance when applying the Update Set.
• Both instances are running Jakarta Patch 5.

Has anyone else experienced this happening?   Any ideas for a solution?

(I have searched the Docs site, community, Knowledge base, and Known Errors for ATF in the Hi portal, and haven't found anything).

[Nitesh Asthana1]

Hi Andrew,

Have you moved records in the 'sys_properties' table, which were being referred in the DEV instance to the destination instance?

[Hoppertron]

Hi Nitesh,

We are validating standard system properties which exist as part of all vanilla instances.

For example, one of the properties we are checking is glide.ui.attachment.force_download_all_mime_types which exists in both our DEV instance and our TEST instance.

The message in the Test Step failure summary states...

        "Failed to find record, '7e0135f4dbb20300b5b7f3d31d961957', from table, 'sys_properties'."

This is the sys_id of the property in the DEV instance, which is why it can't find it in the TEST instance.   So, it seems like the update set is copying the sys_id for the record rather than the property name.

I've also noticed that other properties (e.g. glide.ui.attachment.download_mime_types) have the same sys_id in both instances, even though both instances were created independently of each other.

Is this a bug that only occurs on the sys_properties?   I imagine if this behaviour was standard across all tables then nothing would work.

[Nitesh Asthana1]

Hi Andrew,

Regarding your below comment, system will always pick sys id instead name for referenced value as sys_id is unique.

"This is the sys_id of the property in the DEV instance, which is why it can't find it in the TEST instance.   So, it seems like the update set is copying the sys_id for the record rather than the property name."

Regarding your below error message,

"The message in the Test Step failure summary states...

        "Failed to find record, '7e0135f4dbb20300b5b7f3d31d961957', from table, 'sys_properties'."

I checked in my OOB instance and couldn't find any record having sys_id 7e0135f4dbb20300b5b7f3d31d961957. Was this custom system property created separately on both instances (not imported or deployed through update set)?

I've never came across such scenario and I can assure you this is not the case with other table records for sure. And should not be with system property table as well.

IMHO I believe there are certain system properties which are are missing in your TEST instance or may be having different sys_ids if created independently on both instances. Try importing record 7e0135f4dbb20300b5b7f3d31d961957 in TEST instance.

[Nia McCash]

Just wanted to chime in to say I just experienced a similar issue.  
For example, in my 'Impersonate' step, the step exists but the sys_id for the user to impersonate is missing! In fact, many of my test steps are missing the details that are outlined in the test step description.