#functional testing in cloud

Performing Functional Testing in Cloud environment is not too different from that in regular test environments. However, for cloud environments, the test cases need to be rewritten in order to keep them Cloud ready. Unless new features have been added as a part of the cloud hosting strategy, there is no difference in business process validation.

Functional Testing is generally performed to ensure that the services provided by the software are consistent with its specifications. Functional Testing can be performed through two perspectives –

-      Requirement based testing: In this approach the requirements are first prioritized and then the tests are prioritized accordingly. This is done to ensure that the most critical tests are covered in the process.

-      Business process based testing: In this approach, the testing scenarios involved in the day to day business of the system are described.

Functional Testing in a Cloud environment involves testing of all the features and functions of the system, which includes both the hardware and the software of the system. It is generally conducted on a completely integrated software platform in order to check its compliance with the requirements. In the cloud environment, the process of verification is carried out against a system of specifications and requirements on a Cloud instead of an on-premise software testing platform. Functional Testing may take various forms in a Cloud environment.

-      System Testing: This testing is performed in order to test the behavior of the system within its own boundaries. It is critical to prove that the system functions as it has been designed, inputs and outputs are as expected and the overall quality is ensured.

-      Integration Testing: Integration testing verifies that the Cloud environment will not be detrimental to the existing system and will successfully work with the current infrastructure and the environment.

-      User Acceptance Testing: This testing is performed in order to ensure that the Cloud environment supports the business requirements and the user accepts the Cloud solution.

-      Interoperability Testing: Most of the applications are now cross-platforms and must meet business critical requirements such as data exchanges, etc. Through interoperability testing, testers try to verify that the programs work with equal efficiency on a variety of platforms.

-      System Verification Testing: It is more of a technical testing, which includes code audits, documentation revisions and the testing of hardware as well as software components under normal and stressful conditions.  

The difference between an end-to-end testing and system integration testing is very clear in a Cloud environment. A complete end-to-end testing mainly focuses on testing combinations of business processes and systems by recreating real business scenarios. The following potential scenarios need to be validated through the testing processes.

-      Data Inconsistency

-      Data misinterpretation due to human dependencies

-      Consistency of database schema

Conclusion

Functional Testing in a cloud environment is not too different from that performed in regular test environments. This holds true unless new features and functionalities have been added depending on the cloud hosting strategy. Functional Testing is performed for both remote and local software applications. Functional cloud testing is the testing of the features and functions of the system, which includes both hardware and software. It is conducted on an integrated software platform in order to check its compliance with the requirement specifications.

Functional Testing in a Cloud is also known as Behavior Testing or black box testing as it captures the user requirements. Here no effort is made to break down the code, which is responsible for generating the code. It only involves reviewing the output for a particular set of input values applied to the system under test.

Best practices for an effective functional testing in a cloud environment:

-      The functional aspects of the application should be tested in a similar environment to the one in which it will be accessed when it goes LIVE. Regression testing should be performed more than any other kind to validate the Cloud.

-      Determining the cloud environment’s security barrier is important for user protection and security compliance, as sensitive corporate information will be stored in the system.

-      A Cloud computing test plan should be created, including a detailed log of every single testing activity and issue that has been faced. Preparing a list of metrics can serve as indicators for the top management to address the maturity and consistency of the Cloud processes.

-      As mentioned earlier, the functional testing of cloud based applications are not too different than the traditional in-house applications. The main adjustments need to be made for the non-functional aspects of the application. This is because awareness regardingthe non-functional aspects of the application are critical for the successful testing of the functional aspects of the application. Hence, while dealing with the public Cloud, the testing responsibility should be within the testing team while for a private cloud testing, the responsibility needs to be handled by the security or the infrastructure team. In other words, all parts of the IT organization should work together to resolve the risks presented by the Cloud environment for an effective functional testing.

Conclusion

Growth of Cloud computing has created demand for measuring the testing characteristics of cloud applications. The key advantage of performing functional testing in a cloud environment is its scalability, which has enabled organizations to handle larger projects than their normal capacity. Further testing for global applications can also be performed. However, cloud testing comes with its own set of challenges. Hence, before embarking into the field of cloud testing, organizations also need to decide which risks they are willing to take.