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Home > Case study > 25% Faster Calypso Platform Upgrades: How Quinnox Optimized Regression Testing for a Leading Financial Institution

25% Faster Calypso Platform Upgrades: How Quinnox Optimized Regression Testing for a Leading Financial Institution

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About the client:

Our client, a leading global financial institution, specializes in investment management services. With $727 billion in assets under management, they serve a diverse range of clients, from individual investors to large institutions. This prestigious firm relies on a sophisticated post-trade processing application, Calypso, to manage, confirm, and settle trades efficiently while ensuring regulatory compliance. Given the dynamic nature of financial regulations and market demands, Calypso undergoes frequent upgrades and enhancements to stay aligned with industry standards.  

For the past decade, Quinnox has been instrumental in supporting the client’s Calypso operations with an Automated QA Framework leveraging QFrame and SmartCompare. This framework has been pivotal in executing regression testing for every custom build release of Calypso, ensuring seamless transitions and impeccable performance. 

Impact Table

Challenge
Quinnox Solution
Impact
Lengthy regression cycles (60 days)
Automated regression testing framework
Reduced cycle time to 45 days (25% faster)
Risk of post-upgrade defects
Comprehensive test coverage and early defect detection
Increased system stability and compliance
Slow deployment process
CI/CD pipeline integration for seamless upgrades
Faster go-live with minimal downtime
Challenge
Quinnox Solution
Impact
Lengthy regression cycles (60 days)Automated regression testing frameworkReduced cycle time to 45 days (25% faster)
Risk of post-upgrade defectsComprehensive test coverage and early defect detectionIncreased system stability and compliance
Slow deployment processCI/CD pipeline integration for seamless upgradesFaster go-live with minimal downtime


Client Challenges: 

As the client’s business evolved, introducing new products, functionalities, and peripheral applications, the complexity of their infrastructure also increased. This growth posed significant challenges: 

  • Scope Expansion: Regression test cases increased from 1300+ to 2600+ over the past year, doubling the execution time. 
  • Testing Trade-offs: Longer regression cycles necessitated compromises in other testing needs, such as performance testing. 
  • Upgrade Frequency: Extended regression times reduced the frequency of upgrades, leading to significant gaps between the production version and the latest application release. 
  • Regression Issues: Less frequent upgrades resulted in more regression-related problems, affecting overall system reliability. 

The Quinnox Approach and Solution:

Understanding the critical need for efficient and reliable upgrades, Quinnox stepped in with a strategic approach, leveraging our proprietary tools and methodologies: 

  • Optimized QFrame Code: Enhanced code optimization to improve test execution speed, maintaining efficiency despite the increased number of test scenarios. 
  • Enhanced Data Capture: Improved the approach for trade data capture to expedite automation runs and reduce manual intervention. 
  • Modified Execution Scenarios: Adapted compression scenarios for faster execution, allowing parallel processing of multiple scenarios. 
  • Automated Performance Testing: Incorporated performance testing into the regression cycle with minimal script changes, leveraging existing test data for seamless integration. 

Here’s a breakdown of the solutions implemented: 

1. QFrame Execution Speed Optimization 

  • Past Approach: Execution speed was adversely impacted with an increase in test cases. 
  • New Approach: Generated a scenario sheet at runtime, significantly reducing iteration times for executing test cases.

2. Trade Data Capture Time Reduction 

  • Past Approach: Manual interventions were frequent due to cell-wise data capture, extending execution times. 
  • New Approach: Column-wise data capture eliminated manual interventions, drastically reducing execution times. 

3. Simplified Compression Scenarios 

  • Past Approach: Sequential execution of scenarios caused longer tests cycles. 
  • New Approach: Enabled parallel execution of multiple products, significantly speeding up the process. 

4. Automated Performance Testing 

  • Past Approach: Performance testing was manual, requiring an additional 64 hours. 
  • New Approach: Automated performance testing integrated into the regression pack, utilizing existing test data. 

These solutions collectively transformed the regression testing process, making it more streamlined and efficient. 

Results Achieved:

Quinnox, with its innovative solutions, delivered significant improvements and efficiencies for the client’s Calypso upgrade process: The key results achieved include: 

  • Automation execution time saved up to 30 hours per regression cycle due to optimized scenario sheet handling and reduced iterations. 
  • Trade data capture time for specific scenarios reduced from 2 days to 6 hours, saving up to 10 hours per regression cycle. 
  • Compression scenarios now executed in parallel, reducing execution time from 2.5 days to 6hrs – 1 day for multiple products, saving up to 1.5 days per cycle. 
  • Included in the regression pack, saving approximately 64 hours of manual testing and automating performance testing seamlessly with existing test data. 

By partnering with Quinnox, the client not only streamlined their Calypso upgrade process but also reinforced their position as a leader in the financial services industry, ensuring compliance, efficiency, and operational excellence. 

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