Introducing the SAP Testing Automation Framework: Elevating SAP System Testing on Azure
In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, ensuring that enterprise systems perform flawlessly is non-negotiable. As businesses increasingly rely on SAP systems to run their critical operations, testing becomes an essential pillar of operational excellence. Traditionally, SAP system testing has been manual, time-consuming, and prone to gaps. Addressing these critical aspects, Microsoft has introduced the SAP Testing Automation Framework (STAF), an open-source orchestration tool developed to validate SAP deployments on Microsoft Azure. It enables you to assess system configurations against SAP on Azure best practices and to automate various testing scenarios, with an initial focus on high availability (HA) testing. What is the SAP Testing Automation Framework? The SAP Testing Automation Framework is an open-source orchestration tool engineered to validate SAP deployments on the Microsoft Azure platform. Its core purpose is to help customers ensure their SAP systems run smoothly by proactively identifying potential issues. It achieves this by simulating system failures, verifying that configurations adhere to best practices, and automating the entire testing process to save time and improve accuracy. The framework is built on a modular, configuration‑as‑code model using standard tools. The tests are defined in version‑controlled Ansible playbooks, and custom Python modules handle in‑depth checks of both your SAP systems and Azure resources. Key Features: Configuration Validation: It checks whether the configurations of SAP HANA scale-up or SAP Central Services align with established SAP on Azure best practices and guidelines. High Availability Functional Testing: It simulates multiple test cases to ensure that the failover mechanisms are effective. With SAP HANA databases and SAP Central Services as prime examples, this testing validates that when a component fails, the system can gracefully recover without disruption. This helps identify potential issues during new system deployments. Detailed Reporting: The framework collects detailed telemetry from SAP components and test execution where it captures event sequences, detection timings, failover durations, and system responses. It compiles this data into a comprehensive HTML report with clear pass/fail outcomes and timestamps. Optionally, you can stream logs to Azure Log Analytics or Data Explorer. Extensible and Pipeline-ready: All framework operations, Ansible playbooks, and custom python modules are defined as code, making them ideal for integration with CI/CD pipelines. You can invoke STAF immediately after your deployment and installation step via SAP Deployment Automation Framework, running comprehensive HA tests before promoting changes. SAP System High Availability Functional Testing The initial and most prominent capability of the SAP Testing Automation Framework is its comprehensive High Availability (HA) functional testing for critical SAP components hosted on Microsoft Azure. The framework targets scenarios involving SAP HANA scale-up database and SAP Central Services (ASCS/SCS) deployed in a two-node cluster on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) or Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), providing a cross-distribution solution for our diverse SAP on Azure customer base. For supported configuration, see support matrix. The SAP Testing Automation Framework employs a systematic approach to validate the robustness of SAP system HA setup. It verifies the configuration and captures the entire sequence of events in an HA scenario: from initial failure detection, through isolation of the faulty component (including fencing), to resource migration, service recovery on the standby node, and implicitly, the consistency of data upon successful recovery. Upon completion of the tests run, STAF compiles results into a clear, HTML‑based report that details configuration compliance checks and functional test outcomes, complete with timestamps and pass/fail statuses. The report also includes logs from /var/log/messages to provide context. This comprehensive validation of the HA process flow is fundamental to building confidence in the resilience of the SAP system on Azure. Getting Started with the SAP Testing Automation Framework The SAP Testing Automation Framework is available as an open-source project on GitHub for the community to use and contribute. You can find the code and documentation in the official repository: Azure/sap-automation-qa: This is the repository supporting the quality assurance for SAP systems running on Azure.. The project is currently in a public preview stage. So, feedback and contributions are welcome to help improve its capabilities. To start using the framework, you have a couple of options depending on your environment: SAP system manually deployed (not using SDAF): If you want to validate manually configured high availability of SAP system, you can run the framework in a standalone mode. This involves deploying the management server (for example, an Ubuntu VM that will orchestrate the tests), configuring it with details of your SAP landscape (cluster nodes, IPs, etc.), and then executing the provided playbooks or scripts to run the HA tests. The repository provides guidance on how to configure the necessary variables and run the test scenarios for a Pacemaker cluster environment. Integration with Deployment Pipelines: For those who already use automated deployment tools like the SAP Deployment Automation Framework (SDAF) for Azure, the testing framework can integrate directly into those pipelines. The framework is designed as a natural extension to SDAF, so it can leverage the same configuration context and Azure resources defined during deployment. This allows you to embed HA testing into your continuous delivery process, every time you deploy or update an SAP environment, the pipeline can automatically run the HA tests and surface any issues before you even hand the system over to end-users or application teams. Call to Action & Community Engagement The SAP Testing Automation Framework, in public preview stage, is a significant step forward in reducing misconfigurations and manual effort in high availability deployment of SAP system on Azure. We encourage you to explore the framework, share your feedback, or contribute. During this public preview, we recommend using framework for new greenfield production high availability deployments that are not yet live, or on non-production environments. Appendix and References Set up Pacemaker on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) in Azure | Microsoft Learn Set up Pacemaker on RHEL in Azure | Microsoft Learn Azure Virtual Machines HA for SAP NW on RHEL | Microsoft Learn Azure VMs high availability for SAP NetWeaver on SLES | Microsoft Learn Azure/sap-automation-qa: This is the repository supporting the quality assurance for SAP systems running on Azure. Azure/sap-automation: This is the repository supporting the SAP deployment automation framework on AzureDeploy Your First App Using GitHub Copilot for Azure: A Beginner’s Guide
Deploying an app for the first time can feel overwhelming. You may find yourself switching between tutorials, scanning documentation, and wondering if you missed a step. But what if you could do it all in one place? Now you can! With GitHub Copilot for Azure, you can receive real time deployment guidance without leaving the Visual Studio Code. While it won’t fully automate deployments, it serves as a step-by-step AI powered assistant, helping you navigate the process with clear, actionable instructions. No more endless tab switching or searching for the right tutorial—simply type, deploy, and learn, all within your IDE i.e. Visual Studio Code. If you are a student, you have access to exclusive opportunities! Whether you are exploring new technologies or experimenting with them, platforms like GitHub Education and the Microsoft Learn Student Hub provide free Azure credits, structured learning paths, and certification opportunities. These resources can help you gain hands-on experience with GitHub Copilot for Azure and streamline your journey toward deploying applications efficiently. Prerequisites: Before we begin, ensure you have the following: Account in GitHub. Sign up with GitHub Copilot. Account in Azure (Claim free credits using Azure for Students) Visual Studio Code installed. Step 1: Installation How to install GitHub Copilot for Azure? Open VS Code, in the leftmost panel, click on Extensions, type – ‘GitHub Copilot for Azure’, and install the first result which is by Microsoft. After this installation, you will be prompted to install – GitHub Copilot, Azure Tools, and other required installations. Click on allow and install all required extensions from the same method, as used above. Step 2: Enable How to enable GitHub Copilot in GitHub? Open GitHub click on top rightmost Profile pic, a left panel will open. Click on Your Copilot. Upon opening, enable it for IDE, as shown in the below Figure. Step 3: Walkthrough Open VSCode, and click on the GitHub Copilot icon from topmost right side. This will open the GitHub Copilot Chat. From here, you can customize the model type and Send commands. Type azure to work with Azure related tasks. Below figure will help to locate the things smoothly: Step 4: Generate Boilerplate Code with GitHub Copilot Let’s start by creating a simple HTML website that we will deploy to Azure Static Web Apps Service. Prompt for GitHub Copilot: Create a simple "Hello, World!" code with HTML. Copilot will generate a basic structure like this: Then, click on "Edit with Copilot." It will create an index.html file and add the code to it. Then, click on "Accept" and modify the content and style if needed before moving forward. Step 5: Deploy Your App Using Copilot Prompts Instead of searching for documentation, let’s use Copilot to generate deployment instructions directly within Visual Studio Code. Trigger Deployment Prompts Using azure To get deployment related suggestions, use azure in GitHub Copilot’s chat. In the chat text box at the bottom of the pane, type the following prompt after azure, then select Send (paper airplane icon) or press Enter on your keyboard: Prompt: azure How do I deploy a static website? Copilot will provide two options: deploying via Azure Blob Storage or Azure Static Web App Service. We will proceed with Azure Static Web Apps, so we will ask Copilot to guide us through deploying our app using this service. We will use the following prompt: azure I would like to deploy a site using Azure Static Web Apps. Please provide a step-by-step guide. Copilot will then return steps like: You will receive a set of instructions to deploy your website. To make it simpler, you can ask Copilot for a more detailed guide. To get a detailed guide, we will use the following prompt: azure Can you provide a more detailed guide and elaborate on GitHub Actions, including the steps to take for GitHub Actions? Copilot will then return steps like: See? That’s how you can experiment, ask questions, and get step-by-step guidance. Remember, the better the prompt, the better the results will be. Step 6: Learn as You Deploy One of the best features of Copilot is that you can ask follow-up questions if anything is unclear—all within Visual Studio Code, without switching tabs. Examples of Useful Prompts: What Azure services should I use with my app? What is GitHub Actions, and how does it work? What are common issues when deploying to Azure, and how can I fix them? Copilot provides contextual responses, guiding you through troubleshooting and best practices. You can learn more about this here. Conclusion: With GitHub Copilot for Azure, deploying applications is now more intuitive than ever. Instead of memorizing complex commands, you can use AI powered prompts to generate deployment steps in real time and even debug the errors within Visual Studio Code. 🚀 Next Steps: Experience with different prompts and explore how Copilot assists you. Try deploying more advanced applications, like Node.js or Python apps. GitHub Copilot isn’t just an AI assistant, it’s a learning tool. The more you engage with it, the more confident you’ll become in deploying and managing applications on Azure! Learn more about GitHub Copilot for Azure: Understand what GitHub Copilot for Azure Preview is and how it works. See example prompts for learning more about Azure and understanding your Azure account, subscription, and resources. See example prompts for designing and developing applications for Azure. See example prompts for deploying your application to Azure. See example prompts for optimizing your applications in Azure. See example prompts for troubleshooting your Azure resources. That's it, folks! But the best part? You can become part of a thriving community of learners and builders by joining the Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors Community. Connect with like-minded individuals, explore hands-on projects, and stay updated with the latest in cloud and AI. 💬 Join the community on Discord here.How to use GitHub Copilot for Azure?
Good news for everyone - GitHub Copilot is now available for free in VS Code!! Excited to try GitHub copilot for Azure in VSCode? Prerequisites: Account in GitHub Sign up for GitHub Copilot Account in Azure Install VSCode Step 1. Installation How to install GitHub Copilot for Azure? Open VS Code, in the leftmost panel, click on Extensions, type – ‘GitHub copilot for azure’, and install the first result which is by Microsoft. As shown in the Fig. 1.1 below: Fig. 1.1 How to install GitHub Copilot for Azure in VSCode 2. After this installation, you will be prompted to install – GitHub Copilot, Azure Tools, and other required installations. Click on allow and install all required extensions from the same method, as used above. Fig. 1.1.1 Installation of GitHub Copilot and sign in with GitHub Step 2: Enable How to enable GitHub Copilot in GitHub? Open GitHub, Click on top rightmost Profile pic, a left panel will open. Click on Your Copilot. Fig. 1.2 Locate GitHub Copilot Upon opening, enable it for IDE, as shown in the below Fig. 1.3 Fig. 1.3 Enabling Copilot Chat in the IDE Step 3: Walkthrough Open VSCode, and click on the GitHub Copilot icon from topmost right side. This will open the GitHub Copilot Chat. From here, you can customize the model type and Send commands. Type azure to work with Azure related tasks. Below Fig. 1.4 will help to locate the things smoothly: Fig. 1.4 Locating GitHub Copilot Chat in VSCode Scenario: Using the GitHub Repository If you have any of your project already available in the GitHub public repository, then paste the link of it in the chat section and append it with the below prompt: Prompt: This is my website deployed locally in GitHub, help me deploy in Azure. Hit Enter from the keyboard or Click the arrow sign, and proceed further with the instructions generated by the Copilot. Note: You will be prompted to Authenticate your Azure Account, simply follow the instructions said to authenticate. If you don’t have any website, paste the prompt written below in the chat section: Prompt: Could you help me create and deploy a simple Flask website by using an azd template? Fig. 1.5 Reply from GitHub Copilot for Azure As visible in the above Fig. 1.5, the GitHub Copilot for Azure will send template in the response. Hover the arrow over it, and then click on Insert into terminal, this will automatically insert the command in the terminal. Meanwhile, you may need to Authenticate your Azure Account, simply follow the instructions said to authenticate. It will take a few minutes to initialize. Meanwhile, answer the questions it asks, if unsure, simply ask the same question by copy pasting in the GitHub Copilot Chat, and it will guide you. You can ask more questions like: What does azd init command do? How the website will be deployed? What region, should I select? Once, you are clear with all of the doubts, type azd up command in the terminal, this will deploy the website in azure. Fig. 1.6 GitHub Copilot guiding the user to deploy This Command will ask which subscription you want to use to deploy your website. Fig. 1.7 Finding Subscription in Azure Portal Open the Azure portal, and type subscription in the search bar, as visible in Fig. 1.7. Click the first result and copy paste the Subscription ID visible there, to the GitHub Copilot chat, and append something like below: <Subscription ID> This is my Azure Subscription ID, deploy my website using it. <I reside in <Country Name> Once, done, you would be able to view the deployed website along with the new resources created in the Azure Portal. To un-deploy it, to free up the Azure resources, ask the same to GitHub Copilot, and it will guide you further! Tips and Tricks: For any error or Questions, directly ask to GitHub Copilot for Azure and it will answer your all queries, no limit! If unsure about anything, just paste the subscription id and share your country in the chat to get customized queries to run! Summary: GitHub Copilot can be used in VS Code for free, by installing thru extensions tab of VS Code. The deployment is done using just 2 commands: azd init and azd up To un-deploy, simply visit the directory and type azd down Happy 2025 with unlimited experiments using GitHub Copilot for Azure @VSCode for free!
