Cloud testing is software testing where cloud computing services are used to test software applications. It could be using cloud services as part of a quality assurance strategy or testing cloud resources.
Cloud testing aims to use cloud computing services to ensure faster availability, flexibility and scalability to test software based on functional and non-functional requirements.
What is cloud computing?
AWS (Amazon Web Services) defines cloud computing as: “the on-demand delivery of IT resources over the internet with pay-as-you-go pricing. Instead of buying, owning, and maintaining physical data centres and servers, you can access technology services, such as computing power, storage and databases, on an as-needed basis from a cloud provider.”
There are three types of clouds:
- Public Cloud – managed by a third-party vendor and shared with multiple organisations via the public internet
- Private Cloud – the services are dedicated to a single organisation
- Hybrid Cloud – a combination of private clouds with public services
There are also three models of cloud services:
- Software as a Service (SaaS) – delivers applications over the internet as a service. Users access software over the internet rather than having to install and maintain software on their devices.
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) – a third-party vendor hosts the hardware and software on their infrastructure and delivers it to users via the internet.
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) – provides users with virtual computing resources over the internet.
What types of cloud testing are there?
Cloud testing is a broad term used to describe the testing of applications through cloud computing resources; there are three main types of cloud testing:
- Cloud resource testing – Assessing the Cloud’s architecture for proper functioning and performance through testing both PaaS and IaaS
- Cloud-native software testing – Quality assurance (QA) testing of all SaaS products in the Cloud
- Software testing with cloud-based tools – Quality assurance (QA) testing using cloud-based resources and tools
What are the benefits of cloud testing?
Some of the main benefits associated with cloud testing include the following:
- Availability – cloud testing tools can be accessed from any device with a network connection, so QA testing is not restricted to physical locations.
- Cost-effectiveness – Customers only pay for what they use, making cloud testing more efficient than traditional testing.
- Customisation – The Cloud can simulate a variety of testing environments easily.
- Faster testing – There are not as many IT management tasks associated with cloud testing, so it can lead to a quicker time to market than traditional testing.
- Scalability – Resources can quickly be scaled up or down depending on testing needs.
- Simplified disaster recovery – disaster recovery (DR) methods in the Cloud are less intensive than traditional methods.
As you can see from this brief overview, cloud testing is not only an essential skill for businesses to access but is also much sought after. Agile Recruit has in-depth knowledge of the testing sector, ensuring our candidates and clients are perfectly matched every time.
