Avoiding Multiple Test Runs When Associating Test Results with Test Cases

Question

I have a pipeline that runs integration tests, and I need to associate the test results with test cases in a test plan. To achieve this, I use scripts to:

1. Update test cases within the test plan.
2. Associate test results with the corresponding test cases.

While the process works and the results appear correctly in Azure, I noticed that an additional manual test run is created for each test case result association.

Is there a way to prevent these multiple test runs from being generated? Or is there an alternative approach to automatically associate test cases with test results after a test run without triggering new test runs?

Below are the scripts used for this process:

Script to automatically update test cases in Azure:

// Create a new test case

const createTestCase = async (testCase) => {

const url = `${config.orgUrl}/${config.project}/_apis/wit/workitems/$Test Case?api-version=6.0`;

const data = [

{ op: 'add', path: '/fields/System.Title', value: testCase.name },

{ op: 'add', path: '/fields/Microsoft.VSTS.TCM.AutomatedTestName', value: testCase.name },

{ op: 'add', path: '/fields/Microsoft.VSTS.TCM.AutomatedTestId', value: generateAutomatedTestId(testCase) }

];

try {

const response = await axios.post(url, data, { headers });

console.log(`Test case created: ${response.data.id}`);

return response.data.id;

} catch (error) {

console.error('Error creating test case:', error.response?.data || error.message);

throw error;

}

};

// Update an existing test case

const updateTestCase = async (testCaseId, testCase) => {

const url = `${config.orgUrl}/${config.project}/_apis/wit/workitems/${testCaseId}?api-version=6.0`;

const data = [

{ op: 'add', path: '/fields/System.Title', value: testCase.name },

{ op: 'add', path: '/fields/Microsoft.VSTS.TCM.AutomatedTestName', value: testCase.name }

];

try {

const response = await axios.patch(url, data, { headers });

console.log(`Test case updated: ${testCaseId}`);

return response.data.id;

} catch (error) {

console.error('Error updating test case:', error.response?.data || error.message);

throw error;

}

};

Script to associate Test cases with test results:

const associateTestResults = async (runId, testCaseId) => {

const url = `${config.orgUrl}/${config.project}/_apis/test/runs/${runId}/results?api-version=6.0`;

const body = [{

testCase: { id: testCaseId },

outcome: "Passed"

}];

try {

const response = await axios.post(url, body, { headers });

console.log(`Test result associated with test case ${testCaseId}`);

} catch (error) {

console.error('Error associating test result:', error.response?.data || error.message);

throw error;

}

};

YAML Tasks to execute these steps:

- script: |
          npm run test || exit 0
        displayName: 'Run tests'
        env:
          TEST_USER_PASSWORD: $(TEST_USER_PASSWORD)
          SERVICE_BUS_CONNECTION_STRING: $(SERVICE_BUS_CONNECTION_STRING)

      - task: PublishTestResults@2
        inputs:
          testResultsFormat: 'JUnit'
          testResultsFiles: '**/results/testResults.xml'
          testRunTitle: 'IntegrationTests-TEST'
          publishRunAttachments: true
        displayName: 'Publish Test Results'
        name: PublishTestResults

      - task: PowerShell@2
        displayName: 'Get Latest Test Run ID'
        inputs:
          targetType: 'inline'
          script: |
            $url = "https://org/project/_apis/test/runs?api-version=7.1-preview.3"
            $headers = @{
              "Authorization" = "Bearer $(AZURE_DEVOPS_API_TOKEN)"
              "Content-Type" = "application/json"
            }

            $maxRetries = 10
            $retryDelay = 5  
            $testRunId = $null

            for ($i = 1; $i -le $maxRetries; $i++) {
                Write-Host "Attempt $($i): Fetching test run..."
                try {
                    $response = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $url -Headers $headers -Method Get
                    Write-Host "Response: $($response | ConvertTo-Json)"
                    
                    $matchingRun = $response.value | Where-Object { $_.name -eq "IntegrationTests-TEST" } | Sort-Object -Property id -Descending | Select-Object -First 1

                    if ($matchingRun) {
                        $testRunId = $matchingRun.id
                        Write-Host "Found Test Run ID: $testRunId"
                        break
                    }
                } catch {
                    Write-Host "Error: $($_.Exception.Message)"
                }

                Write-Host "Test Run ID not found yet. Retrying in $retryDelay seconds..."
                Start-Sleep -Seconds $retryDelay
            }

            if (-not $testRunId) {
                Write-Host "##[error]Failed to retrieve Test Run ID after $maxRetries attempts."
                exit 1
            }

            Write-Host "##vso[task.setvariable variable=TEST_RUN_ID]$testRunId"
        env:
          AZURE_DEVOPS_API_TOKEN: $(AZURE_DEVOPS_API_TOKEN)

      - script: |
          node $(System.DefaultWorkingDirectory)/results/testResults.js
        displayName: 'Process Test Results'
        env:
          TEST_RUN_ID: $(TEST_RUN_ID)
          AZURE_DEVOPS_API_TOKEN: $(AZURE_DEVOPS_API_TOKEN)

Answer 1

Hi @Nataliia Melenivska,

Since you’re manually associating test results using the API, Azure DevOps might be generating additional test runs instead of updating the existing one.

To resolve the issue ,

• ⁠Associate test results directly within the test run by ensuring test cases have the correct Automated Test ID and Test Case Links in the test plan. When using PublishTestResults@2, Azure DevOps will automatically link results to the test cases. No separate API request is needed.
• Use the built-in TestResults@2 task instead of custom API calls to associate test results with test runs,

  
      - task: TestResults@2  
  
      inputs:  
  
      testResultsFormat: 'VSTest'  
  
      testResultsFiles: '**/results/testResults.xml'  
  
      searchFolder: '$(System.DefaultWorkingDirectory)'  
  
      mergeTestResults: true  
  
      failTaskOnFailedTests: true  
  
      testRunTitle: 'IntegrationTests-TEST'  
  
      
  
  

  This avoids unnecessary API calls and links results to existing test runs automatically.
• Update your API call to PATCH the existing test run instead of creating a new one,

  
      const url = `${config.orgUrl}/${config.project}/_apis/test/runs/${runId}?api-version=6.0`;  
  
      await axios.patch(url, { state: "Completed" }, { headers }); ```
  
  

This updates the test run instead of creating a new one.

• As you’re using api-version=6.0, but newer versions (e.g., 7.1-preview.3) provide better control over test result association. Try updating the API version in your REST API calls.

Hope this helps.

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