As software development becomes more global and remote, ensuring a quality testing process across different locations, devices, and environments has become increasingly important. A cloud-based test lab can help organizations achieve consistent and comprehensive testing worldwide. However, setting up such a distributed and scalable testing infrastructure requires careful planning and implementation.
This article will discuss how organizations can establish a remote test lab in the cloud to facilitate testing on a broad range of devices from any location. We will explore the key components needed, important considerations, and recommended steps to create an effective global test environment.
Understanding the Remote Test Lab
A remote test lab means that software testing is done from wherever without necessitating the need to be physically near the computer on which the software is installed. It works through virtual machines in the cloud and browsers that are available over the internet through a web interface or API. Remote test labs give developers and quality assurance teams opportunities to perform both manual and automatic testing, covering all kinds of operating systems, devices, and edge cases, without physically having access to these devices. This helps facilitate faster testing cycles and ensures software functions well across different environments.
Advantages Of Establishment Of Remote Test Lab
Here are the key advantages of establishing a remote test lab:
- Access to multiple devices from a single location: Setting up a remote test lab gives developers and testers access to hundreds of mobile devices and browser environments without needing physical hardware. This allows comprehensive testing from any location.
- Faster testing cycles: Cloud-based tests can run in parallel across various emulators and devices globally. This significantly speeds up the testing process compared to using physical devices individually.
- Version control and reproducibility: Tests can be automated and environments kept consistent through configuration files. This ensures tests will produce the same results every time for any execution environment.
- Continuous integration/delivery: Remote labs allow tests to run on virtual devices as part of CI/CD pipelines. Tests cover each code change automatically for fast feedback on bugs and regressions.
- Cost reduction: Maintaining physical labs with all device combinations needs large investments. The on-demand model of cloud labs reduces costs by eliminating infrequently used devices and paying only for resources consumed.
- Global testing capabilities: Teams can test apps on devices not locally available due to their os/region combinations. This ensures quality and coverage for a globally diverse user base.
- Scalability: Remote labs scale elastically based on demand without infrastructure limitations. Additional concurrent tests and environments can be spun up during peak periods like releases.
- Isolation and security: Each test run happens within isolated instances preventing cross-contamination of failures. Access control ensures only authorized users can view or run tests.
- Automated tests as code: Infrastructure details can be defined as code and versioned. Automated rebuilding when needed removes environment drift over time.
How Organizations Can Establish A Remote Test Lab
Below we have mentioned a comprehensive guide on how to establish a fully based, remote test lab that supports simultaneous testing on a wide array of devices from around the world:
Setting Up Virtual Devices
Once a device farm is chosen, virtual devices need to be configured within the platform. Most cloud-based services allow adding not just manufacturer devices but also custom-emulated environments. Depending on the applications being tested, setting up a range of mobile operating systems, browser versions, and laptop/desktop configurations helps test cross-device compatibility.
It is useful to consider the market share of each environment based on usage analytics to prioritize the most impactful ones. Remote access tools like Selenium and Appium are commonly used to remotely control virtual devices and automate test runs on them. Integrating these with the chosen device farm API enables the building of automated workflows.
Commands can be defined within scripts to test app functionality on mobile and web virtual devices across resolutions, languages and other variables in a repetitive manner. Periodic updating of virtual devices ensures new environments are also covered.
Creating Test Automation Frameworks
Setting up automated framework – To efficiently run tests remotely, they need to be structured within automation frameworks using languages like Java, Python, C#, JavaScript, etc. Page Object Model and Data-Driven frameworks are popular patterns for developing maintainable and reliable test scripts. Page objects define each significant page area as a class to encapsulate locators and functions for that page.
Data-driven tests take input parameters from external data sources like Excel sheets to simulate different scenarios. Using a test management and reporting tool like TestRail or Zephyr aids collaboration and tracking of test case design, execution and results. Integrating with source code repositories allows framework code to be version-controlled and built/run as part of CI/CD pipelines.
- Selecting Test Automation Tools – Based on the programming languages and frameworks used for the application, open source automation libraries like Selenium for web, Appium for mobile, Cypress for frontend, and Playwright for multi-platform are good starting points. Commercial tools like Ranorex, Tricentis Tosca, Semantics and soapUI offer richer features for advanced testing needs but come at a cost. It is useful to evaluate some free and paid options before deciding based on requirements. Low-code test builders like Kiwi TCMS and Squash TM reduce dependency on coding for rapid test development.
- Creating Test Cases and Test Suites – Individual test cases assert the functionality of specific features or scenarios. Grouping related test cases into test suites helps run them sequentially for things like smoke testing, regression testing of features or User Acceptance Testing (UAT). Tagging test cases facilitates selective execution based on module, priority, test type etc. Adding preconditions, steps, expected results and sample data helps in independent verification of functionality. Over time, tests need to evolve in tandem with ever-changing applications under test.
Executing Test Automation
With the necessary framework and test case components set up within the chosen device farm, automated execution across devices and environments can be triggered.
- Executing Individual Test Cases: Individual test runs can validate discrete functions in isolation on targeted devices. Tools like Selenium Ide, Appium Inspector, and Cypress Rp give a record-playback-like interface for first-time automated tests. Parameterized test data from external sources like Excel sheets allows repetitive validation of features across values.
- Executing Test Suites: Grouped test suites allow regression or validation of broader functionality. Triggering from CI/CD pipelines or through automation tools executes related tests sequentially across emulated and real devices in parallel. Distributed execution maximizes resource usage. Retry and rollbacks on failures ensure holistic validation.
- Scheduled Test Runs: Recurring automated executions through cron jobs or scheduled pipelines guarantee consistency. Daily and weekly runs catch regressions early. The specific suite runs for sprints to ensure no breakages with each commit.
- Monitoring Test Results: Visual dashboards report status, timings, logs, and screenshots in real-time. Insights into flaky tests and bottlenecks through metrics aid continuous improvement. Email reports notify stakeholders. Integrations with bug tracking tools file bugs for failures automatically.
Continuous Integration
For testing to truly be continuous, it needs to integrate with the development workflow through automated build-test pipelines. Below are the key steps:
- Connect source code repositories with device farms and CI servers like Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or Circle CI. Pipelines track code commits and branch changes.
- Build scripts prepare test code and dependencies and set up frameworks on virtual environments. Gradle and Maven are widely used for multi-language builds.
- Unit tests validate modules on commit using tools like JUnit and NUnit before larger components are ready. This catches issues early.
- Static analysis with SonarQube finds bugs, vulnerabilities, and quality issues in pull requests before merging to main branches.
- Component/Integration tests validate that discrete parts work as designed before merging features.
- Upon code merges to master, pipelines deploy builds to testing environments like Staging for System and UAT to catch major flaws under load before production.
- UI/ Functional tests cover workflows, browsers, and devices in distributed, parallel runs for each build.
- Pipelines fail and notify upon any step failure for quick fixes by developers to ensure no broken code lands in the mainline.
This way, tests form a safety net for each change and testing happens seamlessly with the development flow. It aids faster feedback cycles and catches issues before it is too late to fix during the integration stages.
Managing Test Infrastructure as Code
Modifying infrastructure manually each time is error-prone and slow. Defining configurations and provisioning resources through code provides consistency and versioning. Tools like Terraform, CloudFormation or Pulumi describe tools, servers, and databases as reusable code modules. Commands provision identical environments on-demand throughout the SDLC.
Key steps:
- Store modules in code repositories and version control changes along with application code.
- Reference modules in pipelines to provision test environments during jobs. Tear down resources on completion to avoid incurring cloud costs.
- Modules abstract away environment details. Teams focusing on test development need not manage infrastructure manually.
- Infrastructure changes made through code merge through PRs for peer review before takes effect. Rollbacks are available if issues arise.
- Modules support reusable environments for Staging/Pre-production without the risk of resources remaining idle and billing unexpectedly.
- Upgrades managed through code and pipelines ensure consistent and compliant test environments throughout the organization.
This approach treats environments as ephemeral, disposable infrastructure spun on demand. It eliminates drift over time and ensures future-proof, scalable environments for tests.
Related Post: Browser Compatibility Testing: Best Tools and Practices for Consistent User Experience
Choosing LambdaTest for a Remote Testing Solution
LambdaTest emerges as a powerful remote testing solution designed to meet the growing demands of modern development teams, especially in the wake of remote work. Offering seamless and secure test execution from any location, LambdaTest is an AI-powered testing platform that excels with its extensive device coverage, allowing access to over 3000 real Android and iOS devices alongside popular desktop browsers—all through a robust cloud infrastructure.
For organizations looking for cost-effective options, LambdaTest delivers flexible pricing models that accommodate teams of all sizes. The platform offers a pay-as-you-go structure, ensuring that companies only pay for the resources they use, thus making testing scalable and budget-friendly. Whether you are a small team or a large enterprise, LambdaTest’s comprehensive device compatibility, ease of use, and affordability make it an ideal choice for delivering high-quality software across diverse environments.
Conclusion
Establishing a remote test lab in the cloud is an effective approach for organizations to facilitate comprehensive testing from any location globally. It offers superior scalability, flexibility and cost savings compared to maintaining physical testing infrastructure. By carefully planning virtual test environments, automating test execution across a wide array of desktop and mobile browsers, and integrating testing into continuous integration workflows, companies can achieve faster and more reliable testing cycles. With remote labs, development and QA teams gain the ability to release higher-quality software much more rapidly through an optimally distributed and streamlined testing process.