Cloud Mobile Testing: Scalable QA with Virtual Devices
The increasing number of users using mobile devices makes it vital for the testers to ensure that the applications perform flawlessly. Traditional device testing has many drawbacks, such as expensive prices, laborious manual procedures, and limited hardware availability. A cloud mobile phone uses cloud services to solve this problem. When testers use a cloud-based setup for testing Android applications, the process is known as cloud mobile testing.
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Cloud-based mobile testing comes with a cost-effective approach that enables testing over multiple virtual devices without excessive overhead. This testing leverages the power of cloud infrastructure to mimic real-world conditions over various platforms and devices. This approach enables testing teams to check the functionality of mobile applications, their compatibility, and their performance without needing physical devices.
In this article, we will cover important aspects regarding cloud mobile testing, understanding the basics, and its importance. Along with that, we will also cover a brief idea in terms of virtual devices, the benefits of using virtual devices for a scalable and efficient QA, and some strategies for the same. So, let’s get started.
Understanding cloud mobile testing
Cloud mobile testing is the mobile testing that is done on the cloud. This cloud takes advantage of the virtualisation technology for building a simulated mobile environment that resembles the real environment as much as possible. It divides a single physical server into various isolated servers, each having its own unique software and storage and network configuration that can be used for various testing scenarios.
By utilising cloud environments, testers acquire remote access to a diverse set of real devices, which thus accelerates the overall testing process while extending the scope of device coverage. QA teams can use a variety of methods for cloud mobile testing, for instance, by establishing a private cloud infrastructure’s cloud-based testing environment, which provides more security but demands continuous and significant maintenance.
These platforms offer a device farm, a real device connected to the cloud, or virtual environments, which are known as simulators/emulators. The latter option is considered to be more beneficial due to its flexibility and scalability, whereas the former is favoured for its realism.
Importance of cloud mobile testing
Cloud mobile testing offers several significant benefits over conventional approaches. For instance, traditional testing methods depend on local infrastructure and physical infrastructure, which leads to extended setup processes and high costs because of necessary hardware and software.
On the contrary, cloud-based testing utilises online platforms for substantial efficiency and flexibility, which therefore enables access from anywhere with an internet connection and operates on a pay-per-use model. Testers can give cloud-based configurations top priority because of their significant scalability, affordability, and flexibility. To efficiently manage testing resources and secure optimal performance, a trustworthy cloud provider can be opted for.
Cloud-based testing comprises both manual and automated approaches. Manual testing provides extensive control through configurations and scripts. On the other hand, automated testing enables simultaneous and quick test execution, helps in incorporating comprehensive reporting, and minimises the need for resources.
This testing approach also excels in flexibility and scalability, opening the door for faster deployment without delays related to physical setups. Engaging a dedicated team for tailored testing services enhances project outcomes.
What are virtual devices?
A virtual device is a software-based tool that replicates the properties and functions of physical hardware components. Testers can opt for these devices for testing software without having the actual tools. It offers a framework for identifying the software behaviour on a wide range of gadgets ranging from smartphones to tablets and many more. Numerous electronic products can be imitated by virtual devices. For instance, they create a digital environment for testing the compatibility over various frameworks. Two of the most popular virtual devices in the testing realm are Android emulators and simulators, both comprising a vast set of features and capabilities.
Emulators
An emulator is a virtual device that can mimic both the software and the hardware environment of a real mobile device. It shows features like enhanced debugging capabilities, which presents advanced debugging tools comprising features including network condition simulation and real-time logging. It is cost-effective as it reduces the need for physical devices, which makes testing more economical. It shows enhanced scalability by enabling testing over various virtual devices in parallel.
Simulators
A simulator is a software-based environment that replicates the behaviour of the mobile device operating system without mimicking its fundamental hardware. Generally, simulators are used for iOS testing, as Apple does not offer an official emulator for iOS devices.
Simulators run faster than emulators as they do not simulate hardware. They are easier to set up and can be used for basic application testing. This virtual device is also advantageous for UI testing as it helps in verifying the application layouts, user interface behavior, and navigation.
Benefits of using virtual devices for Scalable and Efficient QA
Easier accessibility and device variety
Cloud-based mobile testing enables testers instant access to settings that the QA team would not otherwise have easy access to. This vast library of virtual devices comprises different screen resolutions, screen sizes, physical hardware, and operating systems without the need to manage physical hardware and devices locally. Testers can work remotely, and all they require is access to the internet, and they begin with the testing.
DevOps efficiency
QA team not need to worry about the production environment, as it is not much hampered and impacted by maintenance operations. No downtime is needed during maintenance either. These virtual devices enable testers and developers to execute the development processes and simplify web testing and applications.
Better coverage for cross-platform testing
This one benefit goes without saying. It is not possible to test each physical configuration. Virtual devices solve this problem by enabling testers to check the compatibility across various devices, a lot of which are impossible to test otherwise.
Mobile grid can also be used by testers, which will enable them to configure multiple virtual devices and also carry the tests in parallel. All of this ensures seamless application performance across multiple platforms. Testing on diverse browsers, devices, and operating system versions ensures an optimal user experience under real-world scenarios.
Time-efficient and economical
Installing the application, configuring each device, and adjusting settings each time testers need to test in a different environment are all important for testing on real devices. Therefore, the testers should immediately set emulators and simulators with the required configurations to execute the tests. As we know that purchasing various physical devices might be costly, testing teams can save money by taking advantage of virtual devices instead.
Better for the environment
Testing on virtual devices demands very few servers for executing simultaneously; therefore, its carbon footprint impact is lower compared to real devices.
Faster test cycle and enhanced scalability
Another benefit that comes with utilising the power of virtual devices is that testers can scale up or down testing capacity quickly as per the project requirements, which in turn allows parallel testing over diverse virtual devices. Faster test execution and iteration are made possible by the fact that configuring and provisioning virtual devices is much faster than setting up physical devices.
Strategies for effective cloud mobile testing using virtual devices
Virtual devices, when combined with cloud-based mobile testing, become more robust and provide a scalable, efficient, and cost-effective solution for ensuring the best application quality possible over a diverse set of devices and scenarios. Testing teams may quickly carry out automated tests, speed up the quality assurance (QA) process, and recreate real-world scenarios by utilising the power of virtual devices.
The main strategies for maximising cloud-based mobile application testing with virtual devices are mentioned below.
Choose the right cloud-based virtual device platform
Opting for the right cloud testing platform becomes important for a scalable and efficient QA. Leading platforms like LambdaTest provide access to a broad range of virtual devices to help testers ensure comprehensive test coverage.
When selecting a platform for advanced cloud mobile testing, it becomes crucial to consider some of the essential elements, like support for automation frameworks, real-time debugging capabilities, and interaction with CI/CD pipelines. LambdaTest, being a multipotent cloud platform, covers all of these capabilities. This testing platform offers virtual devices for scalable and efficient cloud testing.
LambdaTest is an AI-Native test execution and orchestration platform that enables testers to perform both manual and automated tests at scale. The platform also allows testers to execute real-time and automated testing across more than 3000 browsers, real mobile devices, and environments online, leveraging cloud testing for seamless scalability and flexibility.
The platform also offers on-demand access to a large pool of virtual devices, including emulators and simulators, and therefore enables testing teams to test their applications on multiple mobile operating system versions and screen sizes and scales up the overall testing process.
Testers can also execute tests in parallel across different virtual devices and greatly reduce the test execution time. Its detailed screenshots, logs, and video recordings of test sessions aid testers in debugging effectively.
Optimize automated testing
By opting for automated testing of virtual devices, efficiency can be improved, and it also minimises the human effort needed in mobile application QA. Various tools help in this process, including Appium, XCUITest, and Espresso, for integrating with virtual devices for automating regression functional and UI tests.
Implement parallel and scalable test execution
Parallel test execution enables testers to carry out numerous test cases at once, reducing testing time. Using frameworks like Selenium Grid or Appium Grid, tests should be distributed efficiently across virtual devices. By making the most of parallel test execution, testing teams can ensure optimal application performance and functionality over multiple environments in a limited period.
Ensure cross-device and cross-platform compatibility
It is crucial to test applications across a variety of devices and operating systems due to the fragmented mobile ecosystem. Virtual devices allow testers to test across multiple Android and iOS versions without the need for physical hardware.
QA teams can implement test execution on different device fragmentations, screen resolutions, and operating system updates to ensure seamless performance of the applications. A wide range of configurations is available on demand using cloud-based virtual device farms.
Monitor test execution and debug using cloud logs
For successfully resolving and detecting issues and bugs, comprehensive logging and monitoring are vital. Cloud-based testing platforms offer testers access to performance metrics, real-time logs, and crash reports for virtual devices.
Conclusion
In conclusion, advanced cloud mobile testing, leveraging virtual devices, offers an efficient and scalable approach to the QA teams by ensuring optimised-quality mobile applications. By taking advantage of cloud-based simulators and emulators, quality assurance (QA) teams can test the applications over a diverse set of operating systems, multiple devices, and network conditions without needing to set up extensive physical hardware. This not only minimizes the setting up cost but also streamlines the testing cycles and results in enhanced test coverage.
