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Test automation is a crucial component of DevOps as it enables software development teams to automate the monotonous, repetitive elements of software testing. It allows them to focus on more innovative, value-creating tasks. An increasing number of businesses are adopting cloud automation testing due to more advantages that it accrues, being a more advanced and the latest form of test automation. Enterprises migrating to the cloud present an opportunity to further modernize and enhance the software development life cycle (SDLC) testing stage with cloud-based test automation.
This article provides comprehensive information regarding cloud automation testing and its benefits, making it a popular choice by enterprises.
Cloud test automation is a software development method that leverages cloud technologies to accelerate software testing and release cycles. It is achieved by spinning up test environments on demand, enabling development teams to continuously build, test, and release digital products without requiring additional infrastructure. Cloud test automation is ideal for organizations that want to shorten testing cycles and accelerate release velocity. Organizations can migrate all testing to the cloud, integrate it with their existing infrastructure, or keep all testing on-premises.
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Businesses are migrating to the cloud or integrating the technology with existing on-premises infrastructure considering the following scenarios:
Cloud-based test automation shortens testing cycles by providing multiple test environments. Software teams can shorten feedback loops with improved access to test environments. It facilitates faster issue fixes and new feature deployment. Delivering superior software to the market means providing end-users with an enhanced experience.
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Cloud-based test automation enables optimization of IT resources in response to fluctuating demand with minimal downtime. Organizations can increase or decrease their testing capacity by automating the scaling of test execution with cloud infrastructure and automation testing platforms. It resolves a long-standing testing issue when teams compete for limited resources. Development teams have instant access to testing infrastructure without delays or constraints of local installation or hardware.
Parallelization enables test teams to set up multiple pre-configured test environments in parallel that replicate different testing parameters of systems under test (SUT). Many software versions of the same application run on multiple virtual machines with this approach. Alternately, developers can use the same software across different browsers, devices, and operating systems. QA teams can report results and eliminate the machines without retaining user data after testing in these environments.
Also read: A comprehensive guide to parallel testing
Moving test automation to the cloud is cost-saving. Purchasing servers, data centers, and other physical infrastructure are expensive, along with the associated labor and maintenance costs to maintain operations. Moreover, the cost of deploying additional servers to fulfill increasing testing needs rises in case of business expansion. Such issues are eliminated in cloud systems. Additionally, the cloud service provider covers all infrastructure, hardware, and maintenance costs, eliminating prohibitive upfront expenses.
Cloud-test automation enables distributed development and QA teams to collaborate on the same products in real-time, eliminating the previous impediments in siloed teams. It delivers faster feedback loops, offering testing teams greater visibility across the CI/CD pipeline and actionable insights into the performance of SUTs. It streamlines and accelerates software deployment, providing organizations with a competitive advantage by releasing digital products to market faster than competitors.
Teams waste a disproportionate amount of time on repetitive tasks that can be effectively automated otherwise. Cloud-based test automation allows development teams to concentrate on other human-centric testing. Organizations can prioritize usability and accessibility to guarantee the complete optimization of applications. Development and QA teams can also dedicate time to resilience testing, revealing how well systems and applications respond to recovery from shocks and stresses.
Testing linear routes or "happy pathways" is a vital aspect of testing. However, incorporating exploratory testing is essential to maximize test coverage for applications and uncover hidden bugs.
Regression testing ensures that continual app upgrades (code changes) do not impact the existing functionality and features of the software. However, tracking many upgrades and versions that require testing can be tedious.
The testing software interacts with the system under test via the user interface (UI) rather than analyzing the code in non-invasive testing. Existing test scripts can be easily damaged beyond repair by frequent upgrades required by many applications, resulting in a tremendous maintenance overhead.
Cloud-based testing of web-based applications is critical for evaluating performance across browsers, device types, screen resolution, and OS systems.
Cloud computing was gaining significant popularity before the pandemic. However, it has become nearly vital for enterprises post-pandemic. Performing mobile app automation testing on the cloud offers numerous advantages to businesses, including simple upgrades, saving costs, security, and the ability to meet organizational objectives. It also saves time and enhances teams' productivity by allowing them to work from anywhere on any device. Such advantages have directly and substantially increased the popularity of cloud-based testing automation.
Test automation is essential for reducing the feedback loop and expediting validation for product development phases. Additionally, test automation is critical since it can identify defects and issues throughout the development phase. This may increase the productivity of the team.
Test automation strategy is an essential part of testing strategy. It utilizes the same techniques and tools for testing, the same tester and user relationship, and much more.
API testing is a software testing category that examines an application program interface (API) to ensure it meets its expected functionality, performance, security, and reliability requirements. The tests are executed directly on the API or as part of integration testing.
Cloud performance testing evaluates metrics such as system latency and throughput when the number of concurrent users using the application fluctuates. Additionally, numerous load profiles and performance parameters are also measured.