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Publishing, Deploying, and Testing

Building a workflow is not the end of it. To be useful it has to go live, and you need to know it actually works once it is there. NxAgent covers that last stretch — deploying, checking where something is running, and testing it.

StepWhat it does
DeployPublishes the workflow and puts it live in an environment
Check statusTells you where it is deployed, which versions, and its live address
TestRuns the live workflow with sample data and reports what came back
Run saved testsRe-runs your saved test cases as a regression check

The order that works​

  1. Build the workflow.
  2. Accept it, so the change is saved.
  3. Deploy to Development, somewhere safe to find problems.
  4. Test it, because deployment proves it is running, not that it is right.
  5. Save a test case, turning today's check into tomorrow's regression test.
  6. Deploy to Production, with evidence rather than hope.
note

Deployed is not the same as working. A successful deployment tells you the workflow is running. Only a test tells you it does what you meant.

Deploy a workflow​

A workflow must be saved before it can be deployed. If you have just built or edited one, accept it first — deployment works from what is saved, not from what is on screen.

Deploy the OrderProcessing workflow to Development.

You are asked to confirm, showing the workflow and the environment. Nothing deploys until you agree.

Development is the default if you do not name an environment. Production is treated as high-risk and confirmed more carefully, because it is the one that affects real users.

Once deployed, you get the workflow's live address: the URL it can now be called on. That is what you hand to whoever needs to call it, and what testing uses.

Check where something is deployed​

You do not need to deploy to find out about a deployment.

Where is this workflow deployed?

Which version is live in Production?

You get the environments it is deployed to, the versions, and the live address. This is read-only, so asking about a deployment never causes one.

Test a deployed workflow​

Test the OrderProcessing workflow.

Test it with an order for 3 items totalling 45.00.

NxAgent finds the live address from the deployment, calls it, and reports what came back, including the error and status code if it fails.

If the workflow needs input, you are asked for realistic sample values rather than having something invented for you.

Testing calls the live workflow, so it has to be deployed first. If it is not, NxAgent offers to deploy it.

Save a test for reuse​

Test it with this order and save it as a test case called StandardOrder.

That turns a one-off check into something you can re-run whenever you change the workflow.

Run saved test cases​

Saved test cases are a real regression check. They compare the response against the expected result you saved, not merely that the call succeeded.

What test cases exist for this workflow?

Run the StandardOrder test case.

You get pass or fail, with what was expected and what actually came back for anything that failed. If a test case has several example variants, you are asked which to run.

note

Saved tests can be run from chat for HTTP and SOAP workflows only, not for queue or webhook workflows.

Working practices​

PracticeWhy it helps
Check status rather than redeployingAsking where something is deployed is read-only and instant
Use realistic sample dataRound-number test data hides the problems real data finds
Save test cases as you goBuilds a regression suite without setting time aside for it
Re-run saved tests after changesThe fastest way to catch something you broke
Inspect changes before deployingSee exactly what is going live
Keep Production deliberateThe extra care is the point

How you know it worked​

Deployment returns the environment, the version, and the live address. A test returns the actual response, and a saved test case returns pass or fail against the expected result.

Next steps​