In-Depth Guidance to Understanding Cloud Testing

In the past few decades, Information Technology has eyewitnesses the growth of virtualization in the shape of cloud computing. Cloud computing is in the highest demand because of the multiple benefits it provides like cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and scalability. Still, this cutting-edge technology is underutilized by some enterprises because of challenges linked with this. Cloud test is chiefly used for simulating test environments over the cloud.

As a Test engineer, it is a grand path to learn new things and earn equally like software developers. Nowadays the majority of apps are developed using cloud environs. We have to have the most effective and influential cloud testing strategy to test cloud-based apps. In this article, we take a deep dive into the fundamentals and cloud testing types and their significant benefits.

What is Cloud Testing?

Cloud testing (Cloud-based testing) is a subset of software tests wherein the software app is well-tested using cloud-computing services. Such type of testing uses cloud-based tools for simulating real-world web traffic for testing cloud-based web apps. It confirms and validates web app scalability, performance, interoperability, reliability, security, and disaster recovery.

Cloud Delivery Models

The cloud chiefly has three significant Delivery components or Models that provide “as a Service” capacities:

• SaaS (Software as a Service): The uppermost layer here is the app layer, which will usually be visible to any user. Here, products/ apps are accessible to the user on-demand through the internet. Therefore instead of having to gain the license for a specific user, this proves to be the highly cost-effective mode to ensure that the license is constantly in use. Examples of this are Photoshop, Google Docs, Gmail, etc.
• PaaS (Platform as a Service): The mid layer in the cloud is the platform. Here there is zero control over the basic infrastructure; however, you can access the installed or deployed apps. Hence this offers the complete run-time environ on demand which could be a test or development environment. Hence in this Cloud model, generally you would have a VM that contains a whole environment like required middleware, Operating System, etc. obtainable when you necessitate it.
• IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service): This is the fundamental layer of the Cloud which forms the building block. It primarily comprises physical resources like computing servers, network devices, storage, etc. All such resources are accessible on-demand, where a user pays for it as per his use.

Some Cloud Computing Statistics That You Should Know

1. According to the current forecast from Gartner, Inc global end-user expense on public cloud services is estimated from USD 410.9 billion in 2021to hit USD 494.7 billion. In 2023, an end-user expense is likely to be worth approx. USD 600 billion.
   1. As per the IDC report, by 2025, global data will rise 61 percent to 175 zettabytes, with as many of the records exist in in the cloud as in data centers.
   1. In the year 2020, the total value of the cloud market was USD 371.4 billion. With a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 17.5%, it is estimated that the market will grow to USD832.1 billion by the year 2025.

Types of Cloud Testing

The following are the types of cloud testing that are performed primarily on the cloud environment.

1. Load & Performance Testing: Load testing becomes significant in the cloud environment to examine how the app performs when it copes with the expected no. of users, verify the response time, and discover the bottlenecks.

2. OS Compatibility Testing: In this case, the software app is perfectly tested on various Operating systems like Linux, Windows, Mac, IOs, Android, and Windows.

3. Browser compatibility: To authenticate that the software application functions on several browsers as well as browser versions on the cloud environ. 

4. Functional testing: Functional part of the software application is amazingly tested on the cloud to validate that business requirements are met and every minor and major functional aspect of the app is giving the expected outcome.

5. Security Testing: To scrutinize whether the cloud app is secure, QAs perform authorization and authentication tests, database testing, API testing, compliance testing, network access testing, etc.

6. Volume and Stress testing: Testing is made with huge data, under heavy loads, to discover how the app performs when there are more than expected visitors. In cases of an app crash, appropriate action could be taken.

Cloud Testing- Requirement for It

Even the test here can be viewed as AAS (“as a service”). For cloud contributions, it is critical to ensure that the product (service) not only meets its functional necessities yet also its non-functional needs. With a series of apps in the cloud, it is now becoming crucial to plan the Cloud Testing strategy.

 Cloud-based Tests Tools

The following are some of the best tools that are extensively used.

• LoadStorm
• SOASTA CloudTest
• AppPerfect
• Nessus
• BlazeMeter
• Jenkins Dev@Cloud
• App Thwack
• JMeter
• Xamarin test cloud

These are the robust cloud-testing tools that are used for testing the mobile or web app performance and functional tests as well. Such tools also provide playback and record trait for recording performance testing circumstances and also reveal the performance bottlenecks in the reports. 

What are the Challenges in Cloud Environment?

• Data Privacy and Security Challenges: Organizations are hosting their information on the cloud platform. The cloud environment is owned by mainly 3rd party. This is the greatest concern and fear of companies as it may lead to virus attacks, leak of sensitive information, and the stealing of app logic. It may occur because cloud vendors may possibly not be alert of Industry standards of Privacy and Security. 
• Challenge Concerning Different Cloud Models: Due to the high demands of cutting-edge technologies, today’s organizations are accepting innumerable cloud models with varied vendors. It becomes difficult to manage synchronization, security, application availability, speed, and scalability as at present software is not hosted on a solitary cloud.
• Challenge related to Lack of Expertise in Cloud Tests Tools: Even though cloud computing has gained extreme fame and growing like a giant, still skilled experts or resources are difficult to find. Because of this, it becomes arduous to employ high-performing cloud testing tools.
• Challenges Concerning Budget: Most of the time companies aren’t aware of hidden expenses or unable to predict the use of cloud services and environment until cloud vendors come up with surprising costs which can disturb the overall business budget. This becomes quite challenging for the companies which are entering into the cloud as a novice.
• Challenge of Validating Interface Compatibility: With an up gradation in Cloud vendor sometimes the external interface also gets upgraded. This could be often time challenging for a few subscribers who are adjustable to the older version of the interface. Cloud (SaaS) subscribers must ensure that the users can prefer the interface version they wished to work on.
• Issues related to compliances: Every Cloud service provider tries to offer enhanced and better cloud-based solutions to their users as compared to their opponents. To provide better accuracy and security of their cloud computing environment they go for governing compliances. And if any company is using its cloud then they also need to follow such governing compliances. This sometimes becomes a tough task for a few organizations.
• Challenges related to Performance: Due to downtime in a server, lots of businesses lose revenue, and the major issue is companies can’t do anything until they pick another cloud provider. This challenge has caused a big failure for many businesses, and it is really the biggest challenge for businesses that are completely dependent on the Internet.
• Challenge of Data Migration: Data migration from one Cloud vendor to another is also the greatest challenge as both vendors might have varied database schemas and it necessitates an extra effort to know the data fields, relationships & how are they mapped across Software as a Service (SaaS) app.

Skills requisite for a Cloud tester

To be a skilled and expert cloud tester some foundation skills are needed plus some cloud computing-based skills are also required.

Basic skills

• Functional testing
• Testing fundamentals
• Test management – bug life cycle, bug report, test cases
• Cross-browser compatibility & Operating systems testing

The increasing demand for cloud computing is an enough reason to obtain an Azure certification. It can help anyone in IT field for gaining better career opportunities in varied locations and sectors. Besides, the certificate proffers various options for professional developments that can assist anyone accomplish their goals.

What are the Benefits of Cloud Testing?

• Cost-effective Automation Testing- When the organization goes for cloud-based computing, it gets environment as well as tools at a much cheaper rate than the organization’s licensed tools. In the old form of testing, the organization has to purchase the tool or buy the specific tool license for every single user. Wherein in a cloud-centric environment, they require expense when the ‘tool is used‘.
• Accessibility of Test Environment: The normal test approach in any business is to expense the software or hardware infrastructure needed for any form of testing. Roughly many of you will agree that the test environment supplied to the QA experts rarely match a user environment on account of fast-changing necessities, upon which it is very difficult for the enterprises to keep it up. Cloud is the sole answer to this issue wherein, users can effortlessly replicate a user environment and detect glitches in the early phase of the cycle.
• Cost-effective– One more angle to the above point is that when companies spend on the infrastructure, the general reason of it is several of their servers are not used all the time. Therefore, they might have to incur extra or added expenses on license renewal. Switching to the cloud aids in this scenario too, as users can commission appliances when required, therefore saving extra expense for a company.
• Customizable- The cloud infrastructure gives you the option of testing several courses in a system. The testing experts implement performance and load testing on every situation to detect how all permutations, as well as, combinations will influence the program on a particular device. This flexibility aids QAs in taking the specific decision of what actions require to be taken to make the software extra compatible with a precise device. Cloud tests can offer a variety of benefits to companies as they shift to agile cycles. By consolidating this technique in software testing management workflows, QAs can move rapidly and achieve significant benefits.
• Scalability: This is also one of the key benefits of the cloud infrastructure wherein the computing resources can be decreased or increased wherever it is required. This is extensively used in conditions where business necessities keep changing frequently.
• Speedy Testing. Cloud tests are rapid than the old forms of testing, as it circumvents the requirement for several IT management works. This can result in quick time to market.
• IT Services and Tools are Simple To Use- In a cloud-centric environment; the QA team doesn’t require worrying about setup or installation problems. All these solutions are given by cloud providers and everything is incorporated into their services. QAs have to raise the query or ticket to install the necessary tool and the request will be ended within a specific amount of time.
• Teamwork- Any Quality Assurance Expert from any corner of the globe can test the app at any time and the team’s effort will be synchronized and outcomes are accomplished in a rapid way. Consequently, it assists the management to bring the project on the time with early execution.
• Simplified Disaster Recovery- Disaster Recovery efforts for data recovery as well as backup are less exhaustive than the oldest testing techniques or methods.

How to Perform cloud testing?

Following are the steps in Cloud testing which are performed by experts:

1. Testing planning & testing scenarios are prepared

Top-most-level user scenarios are crafted with the business goal.

2. Design Test cases

Test cases are well-prepared on account of user scenarios which denote the steps and expected outcomes.

3. Go for the Best Cloud Service Provider

As per the feasibility and requirement, a cloud service provider should be selected.

4. Setup Infrastructure

The expert team should setups all the cloud test infrastructure and environment for effective testing results.

5. Leverage Cloud Servers

Virtual or Real-time users are generated, and all the services are used which are offered by cloud vendors.

6. Start Cloud-based Testing

Testing is executed on the software application; all forms of test cases are executed like Security, Functional, Performance, etc. Errors or issues are logged, mitigated, and re-tested.

7. Examine Testing Goals

Multiple rounds of cloud-based testing are implemented, monitoring is performed and if testing objectives are accomplished then testing is ended.

8. Deliver Results

Deliver testing outcomes results and log-off cloud tests.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, in today’s hyper-competitive times Cloud Computing has turned out to be one of those “big bangs” in the business or industry. The majority of companies are now leaning towards accepting and adopting the cloud due to its scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. Utilizing the cloud for testing is tremendously assisting businesses to acquire the required cloud infrastructures, software licenses, and tools, at a very low cost without worrying about its set-up and later about its maximum utilization. Overall, Cloud-based testing is an effective methodology that can accelerate the test process and reduce the overhead costs of managing the in-house infrastructure. An IT Professional must undergo for Microsoft Azure Certifications from Microtek Learning, recognized as top IT certification & training provider across multiple geographic locations.