The development of cloud computing has fetched a significant revolution in the software testing world. With the rapid growth of cloud technology, testing teams can conduct exploratory testing on cloud platforms, which proposes a wide spectrum of benefits. Testers ought to have a good understanding of the tips and tricks needed for conducting exploratory testing on the cloud to ensure that the testing process is effective and efficient.
Teams widely utilise exploratory testing as a vigorous testing technique to catch defects that may have been missed during the traditional testing process. In cloud environments, this technique, coupled with automation testing, can be notably beneficial in pinpointing unseeable issues, improving the end-user experience, and optimising resource utilisation. However, there are several challenges that testers may face while conducting exploratory testing on the cloud. Several challenges ought to be addressed when conducting testing in cloud-based environments. These challenges include the requirement for specialised tools, the intricacies of cloud infrastructure, and the necessity for a proficient and knowledgeable testing team.
This blog will provide some valuable tips and tricks for conducting exploratory testing on cloud-based applications. But before that, let us first have a brief understanding of exploratory testing.
What is Exploratory Testing?
Exploratory testing is an indispensable aspect of software testing that entangles simultaneous learning, test design, and test execution. It harnesses tester expertise and structured approaches during testing steps with time restrictions. Exploratory testing implicates concurrent test case design and execution, authorising testers to actively analyse a system or application under test for potential flaws and vulnerabilities.
Exploratory testing essentially tries to mimic end-users’ personal space and preferences. It is all about finding, investigating, and curiousness. Exploratory testing is a simultaneous procedure that requires minimal planning. Testers generate a comprehensive test plan to gain insights into their testing objectives and commence the process of software investigation. They make spontaneous decisions about the features and actions to test, therefore reflecting the personal interests of end-users. This particular testing methodology is likely to discover more issues and edge cases than traditional test cases.
Furthermore, the implementation of exploratory testing can potentially boost the creativity and inquisitiveness of testers. In the realm of software testing, exploratory testing presents a far more invigorating challenge due to the absence of pre-defined test cases before commencing the testing process. It is quite tough to create complete test cases that deliver unambiguous outcomes in traditional testing. The testers are oftentimes compelled to execute testing based on envisioned and actual results.
During exploratory testing, testers heavily rely on their own expertise and knowledge to evaluate the realism of the product’s behaviour. This is the reason why exploratory testing is so valuable. The exploratory testing approach enhances the quality of testing on multiple levels due to its open nature.
When is Exploratory Testing Necessary?
Exploratory testing is commonly performed at the unit or integration level in the field of software development. Throughout the testing phase, the tester assesses the available resources and infrastructure at every stage of the software development life cycle. The testers test the application by inputting different commands or data and observing the output. The observations may suggest further tests that need to be performed.
Exploratory testing techniques are often less labour-intensive than scripted techniques due to the tester’s ability to exercise control over selecting what to test and determining when to conclude testing, known as “acceptance criteria.” Correspondingly, exploratory testing can be conducted during acceptance testing or system testing if flaws are detected that were not addressed in the prior scripted test cases.
Nevertheless, exploratory testing is essential because:
- It has a comprehensive understanding of the application’s functionality, tasks performed, and interface design.
- To discover problematic application functionality that has not been expertly tested.
- To streamline the procedure of test script creation.
- To verify the application’s capability to perform its designated functions.
- When the early iteration of the application is essential.
- To uncover new problems and knowledge.
Types of Exploratory Testing
Exploratory testing is a commonly employed approach when there is a considerable degree of uncertainty regarding the software’s intended functionality or how it will be utilised in practical scenarios. The goal of exploratory testing is to analyse the application or system under test rather than following a rigid plan or testing a specific set of features. The testing professional has the option to conduct exploratory testing without a pre-set plan or modify their method based on the insights gained during the exploration process.
Here are the three different types of exploratory testing:
Freestyle Exploratory Testing: Consider this as embracing exploratory testing with a flexible and unstructured approach. In this testing, there are no structures, rules, or organisation. Software testers conduct a high-level assessment of the application with the primary objective of validating the work done by other testers, investigating a specific software defect, or performing a rapid smoke test.
Scenario-Based Exploratory Testing: As the name suggests, this testing is based on real-world user scenarios. Software testers take each test scenario and explore the software in all potential ways to correspond to that scenario. The aim of scenario-based testing is to test myriad scenarios to furnish maximum test coverage.
Strategy-Based Exploratory Testing: Generally, this is assigned to testers who possess prior knowledge and experience with the software undergoing testing. It incorporates boundary value analysis, risk-based techniques, and equivalence techniques to pinpoint more challenging bugs.
Tips and Tricks for Conducting Exploratory Testing on Cloud
Exploratory testing is an integral aspect of software testing that is conducted in an ad-hoc and unstructured way. Software testers conduct exploratory testing of the software by experimenting with various scenarios, inputs, and interactions to detect defects and other issues without relying solely on pre-established test cases.
The ultimate goal of exploratory testing is to uncover as many flaws as possible and furnish worthwhile feedback to the development team. Instead of imposing strict guidelines for testers to follow, exploratory testing authorises testers the freedom to thoroughly examine the product or service with the aim of enhancing its quality over time. Here are a few tips and tricks for conducting exploratory testing on cloud-based applications.
Identify Critical System Components
When conducting exploratory testing on cloud-based systems, it is crucial to pinpoint critical system components. These components are the spine of the system and are accountable for its prevalent performance and functionality. Pinpointing these components will authorise testers to focus their efforts on the most essential parts of the system, ensuring that any critical issues are caught early on in the testing process.
Critical system components could encompass various aspects such as the authentication process for users, retrieval and storage of data systems, and integration with third-party systems. By prioritising testing on these critical components, testers can boost the quality and reliability of the cloud-based system, guiding to a better experience for end-users.
Setting up an internal testing infrastructure can be both expensive and challenging to manage from an operational and scalability perspective. Consequently, opting for Exploratory testing through a real cloud-based solution is a more cost-effective and efficient choice compared to maintaining an in-house device laboratory.
Within a highly scalable cloud infrastructure, tools such as LambdaTest, a cross-browser testing platform, empower you to conduct Exploratory testing on your websites and applications. This approach grants you the flexibility to interact with websites and mobile apps in a remote setting, utilising an extensive online device repository comprising over 3000+ real devices and various OS combinations.
LambdaTest is an AI-powered test orchestration and test execution platform that offers robust support for a wide range of frameworks and technologies for UI testing in web applications, web testing, and app test automation. These include Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, Puppeteer, Taiko, Appium, Espresso, XCUITest, and numerous others.
Use Cloud-Based Test Management Tools
Using cloud-based test management tools can enormously enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of exploratory testing. With cloud-based tools, testers can efficiently access and share test cases, test procedures, and test results from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. This authorizes seamless collaboration among team members, regardless of their physical location.
Moreover, cloud-based tools propose a high level of scalability, facilitating teams to quickly ramp up or down their testing endeavors as needed. Some prevalent cloud-based test management tools are TestRail, Zephyr, and qTest. When choosing a tool, it is significant to assess factors such as outlay, integration with other testing tools, and ease of use.
Determine Test Environment Requirements
When conducting exploratory testing on cloud-based applications, it is crucial to determine the test environment requirements upfront. This entangles pinpointing the requisite hardware, software, and network configurations essential for the efficient testing of the application. Given that the testing environment is situated remotely, it is crucial to guarantee that all essential resources are consistently available and effortlessly accessible to the testing team. This incorporates a steady and reliable internet connection, sufficient server capacity, and appropriate virtual machine configurations.
Establish Test Data Management Procedures
Establishing test data management procedures is paramount for successful exploratory testing on the cloud. This entangles creating an approach for generating and managing test data, including pinpointing the types of data required, how it will be created, and how it will be maintained. Ensuring the accuracy, relevance, and representativeness of test data is essential in preparing for production use. This objective can be accomplished by employing genuine data or generating synthetic data that accurately mimic real-world situations.
Furthermore, it is imperative to implement a steadfast and protected data storage system for effectively managing the test data. Regular backups of the test data should be taken to evade data loss. With a well-established test data management procedure, exploratory testing on the cloud can be more efficient and effective, guiding to higher-quality products and better user experiences.
Ensure Test Coverage and Completeness
Ensuring test coverage and completeness is essential in performing successful exploratory testing on the cloud. This entangles creating a comprehensive test plan that summarizes the areas of the application to be tested. The test plan should cover both functional and non-functional necessities of the application and consider edge cases and boundary values. Furthermore, it is vital to document each test case and its expected outcomes to guarantee that all scenarios are covered during testing.
Leverage Automation where Possible
One of the most important tips for conducting exploratory testing on the cloud is to leverage automation wherever possible. Incorporating automation into your testing process can yield numerous benefits, such as time savings, error reduction, and boosted testing coverage. Automated testing tools facilitate prompt and precise execution of tests across diverse browsers, devices, and operating systems. You can also conduct tests repeatedly to ensure consistency and reliability. When developing automated testing scripts, it is indispensable to take into account various factors like test case intricacy, data variety, and necessary resources.
Conclusion
Conducting exploratory testing on the cloud is a practical approach to catch possible issues and ensure that the application is performing as envisioned. While exploratory testing completely relies on the intelligence and experience of the tester, it can be integrated with automation testing techniques employing myriad automated testing tools to improve testing efficiency. To ensure prompt delivery of high-quality software and enhance customer satisfaction, organizations ought to employ exploratory testing services provided by cutting-edge quality assurance and independent software testing providers.