Test Automation Framework & Popular Open-Source Cloud Testing Tools

Before we discuss about #cloudtesting tools, we shall look at how to build a test automation framework in the cloud.

1.   Framework Requirements

What are the basic components of your testing framework? List out these requirements that are independent of a cloud provider and an operating system. Not doing this can result in limited mobility and vendor lock-in issues.  

You should be able to execute the testing framework locally i.e., your server or PC, and through integration systems. Also, the framework should be user-friendly for your team members comprising of developers, QA engineers and QA managers. In this way, team members can easily check if the system is working properly or not. Maintenance and scalability are two important factors to keep in mind.

2.   Resource Planning

Who will lead the team to manage and develop the code? Does the individual have organizational and people management skills. Coding knowledge may help, but essentially the team lead must understand the process – running tests frequently, monitor the duration and frequency, calculate time for reviewing failed tests, etc. Prepare a well-defined execution plan for test automation suite needed by your team. Easy access to all documentation and test scripts, stored in the cloud server, improves productivity of the team. Specify appropriate tools for writing the test scripts and developing the framework.

3.   Work Policies

The testing system should generate error logs of automated test scripts. Testers view the errors logs, stored in a shared folder, to find problems in test scripts and application issues and fix them quickly. Detailed reports about the errors helps in faster resolution.

4.   Framework Examination

Automated smoke tests help a tester verify the key functionalities of an application in a specific environment. A tester uses a smoke test suite to identify necessary adjustments. It is better to run automated tests before conducting manual testing on the framework.

·        Did you find problems through manual testing that were not identified by the automated tests?

·        Is analyzing failures difficult?

·        Did the errors occur in test scripts or the application code?

Once you answer the questions above, you can modify the framework as per your needs.

Now that we have got an idea about the test automation framework, let us look at the cloud-based testing tools available in the market.

In this blog, we have listed few popular open-source tools used for cloud testing.

1. Selenium Grid: A distributed test execution platform where you can run tests in parallel on multiple machines.

2. LoadStorm: This tool is used for testing across web and mobile applications. This cloud testing tool is ideal for checking performance under heavy usage and website traffic that can be scaled to replicate test scenarios. It is cost-effective and used for large-scale enterprise load testing.

3. BrowserStack: With this cloud-based testing platform, you can test your app on several browsers and devices.

4. Testdroid: This platform is suitable for testing mobile apps. It provides a suite of tools and services for automated testing.

5. Watir (Web Application Testing in Ruby): This open-source cloud testing tool helps automate web browsers such as Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari, and Opera.

Getting started? Our team of QA experts have rich experience and expertise in using cloud-based testing tools. They will help you choose the right set of tools and provide expert guidance on setting up the ideal testing environment for your cloud-based application. Reach out to us at info@appstekcorp.com