Overview
Key Benefits of Using API
- Automation
Applications with API capabilities enable teams like engineering and operations to embrace automation easily, thereby achieving repetitive Jobs execution quickly and increasing the overall productivity.
- Application Usage
APIs make an application’s internal components easily accessible, which enhances the usage of the application. This helps external users to make better use of the extracted data from within their own environment.
- Integration
APIs allow applications data to be extracted from any third-party application easily. This guarantees integrated user experience and flexible information delivery.
Value Proposition
- Leveraging the Kovair Platform
API is a piece of software that makes applications more interactive when it comes to data sharing. This enables third-party tools to mash-up data into the Kovair platform and obtains benefits like workflow process decisions, reports engine, and data routing to multiple connected tools. Distributed data from various tools turn into meaningful metrics when collaborated in the Kovair ALM platform framework. Refer to Fig 1.0.
Fig: 1.0Example: Consider an organization where each of the departments is using multiple disparate and disconnected tools while working on their projects. In such a scenario, the management strives for a single window to get real-time visibility on the progress of all the ongoing projects. They do not have any choice but to adopt the manual process to collect relevant data from each of the tools and further process it to prepare the required reports and metrics to gain visibility on the projects. This can still be managed when the number of projects is small. But in a large enterprise, where the number of projects is huge, manual data collection, processing and reports generation is quite a mammoth task. Unless data and applications are integrated in a unified ecosystem, it is difficult to define the strategic objectives that will help an organization to meet the market demands. Beyond the point-to-point and further ESB integration models, the need to connect everything has given rise to a new integration approach – the API integration platform.Developed on this technology, Kovair RESTful API interface is capable of interacting with more than 80 commercial tools from different domains of ALM, PLM, ITSM & PPM thereby eliminating the need to know individual tool APIs. Since the Kovair platform is a central repository for Solutions like DevOps, Agile, Defect Management, Releases raw data can be extracted from the platform to the best-of-the breed tools for generating organization-specific reports. Kovair APIs can support IT teams to provide workspace and Kovair Omnibus configurations from their own tools. It can be used to push data to the platform from external resources to build a data repository as well as extract data from the connected tools directly using API, Platform and Adapter. - Kovair Platform as Central Repository
The analytics industry has seen a paradigm shift in how analytics tools are selected and used. In addition, it has been observed that generated data from software systems can function as a key analytical tool, thus empowering organizations to predict and project. In line with the growing importance of analytics tools, there has also been an active need for feeding the data to BI tools. Using Kovair Restful API, data from Kovair central repository can be synched to any BI tool for generating desired metrics. Most of the Industrywide ALM tools do not have capabilities to integrate with any BI tool. When these tools are integrated with Kovair Platform, Kovair API can act as the gateway for data to siphon to BI tools. Refer to Fig 2.0.
Fig: 2.0Example: Consider an organization that is using Kovair ALM Studio to manage the various phases of an ALM lifecycle like Requirements, Test, Defects and Tasks, and further the data can be self-contained or imported from 80+ tools that Kovair has adapters for integrating with Kovair Omnibus platform.Consuming Kovair Rest API, an organization can seamlessly make the Requirements, Tests, Defects and Tasks data available to any of the popular analytical tools in the market today. Once the data is in the analytical tool, the analytical user has immense power of querying the same in an unlimited number of ways.Kovair Rest API also provides incremental data to the target tool at regular intervals. This ensures that the target tools will always have updated real-time data that organizations can use.- Kovair Omnibus Configuration
Kovair Restful API allows external users to set up an Omnibus integration between tools using the API.The Omnibus configuration API offers you the opportunity to integrate and manage your configuration within your own toolchain. The fine-grained structure of each configuration object allows you to build predefined configuration templates. These templates can be maintained within your own version management system and automatically used by your automation pipeline to provide an integration setup between tools.If a similar kind of integration is to be set up frequently, then one can create automation script that interacts with Kovair API to execute the jobs within minutes.- Extracting Data from Integrated Tools using Omnibus and API
An API is useful for pulling specific information from another application. With Kovair Omnibus integration in place, an external application can pull data directly from the repository-based tools like Jira through Kovair Platform. Kovair API provides a tool agonistic interface for fetching data from applications like Jira, TFS and many more. The user may not need to know Jira or other tool API; the only API they need to know is Kovair Rest API.Data from the tool can be used by external applications for further analysis. Moreover, in cases, data from the external applications can be pushed to Omnibus integrated tools.For example, using Kovair Rest API in conjunction with Omnibus, an external user can fetch the list of bugs and its details directly from multiple Jira applications.Conclusion
Currently, RESTful APIs for any enterprise application is being regarded as the next generation to SOA Architectures. Organizations offering cloud-based software and services are heavily delving into RESTful API. It is therefore important for organizations and their software platforms to open the gateway of API for the future.
About the Client
The Client enterprise is a cloud-based software solution designed to streamline operations for small and mid-sized sports and fitness facilities, including individual clubs and multi-chain fitness centers. Their platform tackles two key challenges: payment tracking and automated scheduling.
The company through their Sports & Fitness management application caters member and trainer management; automated scheduling; real time communication; payment and technical support. By effectively addressing payment and scheduling bottlenecks, it helps fitness facilities operate more efficiently, improve customer satisfaction, and ultimately, thrive in a competitive market. They provide state-of-the-art, responsive, and intuitive web-based solutions, which are a perfect fit for any fitness or sports facility.
Business Need
The company maintained their Test & Defects in Jira using Zephyr Scale. From Jira tool, Bug entity records already had been migrated through internal process, now the need was to migrate the Test Cases to Azure DevOps, and post migration, have the links established between Test Cases and the already migrated corresponding Bugs. The need was to capture the records ‘AS IS’ from source tool Jira and migrate to Azure platform, maintaining attribute values such as vivid Test Steps as description. Also Test Execution result needed to be migrated with Test Cases along with Test Folder hierarchy maintained in target Azure DevOps.
Major Business Challenges
- For Jira Test Cases, which held different attribute values, which was required ‘AS IS’ in target Azure DevOps. The prime need for client – apart from having the attribute values as same post migration, was to establish the physical link between entity records of Test Case and Bugs, in Azure DevOps. As Bug entity records had already been migrated by internal team, sending only Test Case to Azure DevOps, and then automatically establishing the physical link with residing Bug was the prime focus for scope of work.
- Also, in Jira Zephyr Scale – Test Cases resided in folder with muti level hierarchy, it was needed the same hierarchy in target tool with residing Test Cases.
- Test Steps of Test Cases from Jira was as Description and not as individual steps. These all were to be migrated in Azure DevOps, where the general design of Test Steps were done as individual steps.
Introducing QuickSync
Kovair QuickSync is a one stop, cost-effective, wide-range data migration solution for any enterprise across industry. It is a Windows-based desktop solution, which can be easily installed and used. The requirement of minimal infrastructure for operation makes it a very cost effective and efficient solution for the industry. It not only helps to migrate data from one source to one target but also helps to migrate data from one source to multiple targets. Its Instinctive UI makes it easily adaptable and adorable to the users.
Capabilities of QuickSync
- Unlocking Seamless Data Migration with Kovair QuickSync – A Comprehensive Overview: In the ever-evolving landscape of software development and project management, the need for efficient and reliable tools to facilitate seamless data migration is needed. Kovair QuickSync, a turnkey solution, offers rich features making the tool stand out in the market.
- Easy Installation and Quick Setup: With a user-friendly interface and straightforward configuration process, users can swiftly get started without the need for extensive technical expertise.
- Consistent Migration Logic: The tool ensures a consistent migration of exposed artifact records, attachments, comments, and relationships between artifacts. The implementation of connection, entity, and field mapping establishes a hierarchy of data flow logic, ensuring the integrity of data throughout the migration process.
- Non-Disruptive Workflow: One of the notable advantages of Kovair QuickSync is its non-disruptive nature. Employees can continue using the tools under consideration during data migration or syncing, allowing for uninterrupted workflow. Even if there is a change in the source tool datasets, the tool facilitates sync to the target tool in a one-way or bi-directional flow.
- Cost Benefits and Infrastructure Reduction: Kovair QuickSync contributes to cost savings by reducing infrastructure costs.
- Reusable Template-Based Migration: The tool introduces a reusable template-based migration approach, allowing users to create configurations once and reuse them for other projects. This feature streamlines repetitive work.
- Real-Time Monitoring and Reporting: Kovair QuickSync provides a real-time monitoring facility with on-screen updates on the migration’s health. Monitoring capabilities include both objective and subjective statistical views of the migration status through reports and logs.
- Built-In Recovery and Re-Migration: To prevent data loss during transportation, Kovair QuickSync incorporates an in-built recovery mechanism and re-migration capability.
- On-Screen Reports for Data Analysis: The tool allows users to generate on-screen reports for quick analysis of the migrated data volume. Various metrics and reports cater to monitoring needs, providing valuable insights into the migration process.
- Automated Data Checker: Kovair QuickSync saves time and effort with its automated data checker, generating post-migration data comparison reports for robust data validation.
- Parallel Migration and Multi-Hosting: With capabilities for parallel migration and multi-hosting, Kovair QuickSync empowers users to transport large volumes of data faster, thus keeping projects on schedule.
- Single Window Monitoring: The tool introduces a single window monitoring feature, enabling users to observe migration progress from various virtual machines without the need for remote logins.
- Code-less Configuration: Kovair QuickSync simplifies the mapping process with code less configuration, allowing users to map Jira Projects, Entities, and Fields to their ADO counterparts without the need for manual coding.
- Simple Licensing Model: The licensing model is based on successful transactions across all configurations and projects, accommodating any number of users.
- Transformation Support: Kovair QuickSync supports the transformation and overriding of data during migration, providing flexibility and customization options.
Migration Solution
- Thousands of Test Cases were needed to be migrated. Each of the Test Case had detailed attribute values in Title, Objective, Precondition. Lookup value in Status, Priority, Test Case – Owner. All the values were required to get migrated to Azure DevOps. Kovair QuickSync had migrated all the Test Cases AS-IS from source to target without any disparity.
- All the Bug records were moved to Azure DevOps through internal process by the company. Bug and Test Case were linked in source tool. Thus, post migration the same link between Test Case and Bug was expected in target. QuickSync solution is capable of migrating artifacts and also establishes cross entity record traceability.
This situation differed from the usual one, and post migration the link had to be established between Test Case and already residing Bug in Azure DevOps. QuickSync provided a unique solution which helped in accomplishing the link post migration.
- In Jira instance, multiple Test Folder hierarchy was present. Under these Test Folder Test Cases resided. The entire hierarchy was required in target tool. In Azure DevOps Test Plan and Suites inbuilt module where the data from source was needed to be migrated, maintaining the following:
- Test Folder Hierarchy
- Order of Test Cases in folders
Post migration, QuickSync efficiently maintained the Test Folder hierarchy, also the order of the Test Cases was exactly the same of that of source Jira. QuickSync with capabilities for migrating the folder hierarchy could establish the same in the target.
- Test-Script in source tool Jira, was in description form. It contained detailed Test Script text – that was needed for migration along with Test Case. Whereas Azure DevOps has individual Test-Steps. Kovair QuickSync could migrate them keeping the description form intact into one single Test Case.
- Jira Test Case Execution migration was also crucial as it held the result for the Test Case. Post migration through QuickSync, Test Case results migrated as attachment in Azure DevOps. This attachment did hold the Test Result, making the Test Case migration a complete cycle.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Kovair QuickSync stands out as a comprehensive solution for organizations seeking a robust and user-friendly tool for data migration. Its unique features, ranging from easy installation and consistent migration logic to cost benefits and automated data checking, position it as a top choice in the competitive landscape of data migration tools.
- Kovair Omnibus Configuration
