Due to the complex nature of implementing cloud testing can be seen as a bit of a challenge. There are numerous Cloud testing challenges comprises of Service, Security, Layered Testing, Lack of Universal Standard and Infrastructure, Guidance, Knowledge and Staff Expertise, Guidance, Knowledge and Staff Expertise, much more. Discussing each one of these challenges and ways in which we can handle them.
First and foremost challenge with Cloud testing Service is a radical challenge that user can experience while testing on cloud. We need to have access of all cloud services in an organization. Lacking of one service component could delay the process. Efficient operation of services also a key factor in determining the way in which testing can be performed. To handle such challenge provider of cloud services must provide timely delivery of cloud service. Availability of high end servers supporting scalability by means of visualization and effective utilization of network resource will help in building framework to initialize the testing on cloud.
Now another challenge which is more important by user’s point of view is the testing of cloud network security. Cloud is built upon a network and transmission of important information over cloud in highly secured manner is not only necessary but crucial for achieving the success from the cloud services. Situation may arise where leakage of private information, internet slow down, and disruption of service for maintenance task, and virus attack. In order to overcome this test data must be examined closely. Another way could be continuous monitoring and maintenance of systems.
Third is the layer challenges. As cloud network is a multilayer structure testing on each individual layer is important. These layers comprises of Database, Server, and Network. Also communication between these layers must be taken into account for the purpose of testing.
There are lot of challenges like test environment construction, performance testing, regression testing etc. Current cloud technologies support automatic provision of required computing resources for each SaaS (or application) in a cloud, there are no supporting solutions to assist engineers to set up a required test environment in a cloud using a cost-effective way. It is necessary to provide an on-demand test environment for customers. To do this, vendors need to provide a systematic solution to establish a required test environment based on the user’s selection. There is one challenge with Integration Testing is the existing software and components are developed without enabling technology and solution to support and facilitate systematic software integration. In a cloud infrastructure, engineers must deal with integration of different SaaS and applications in/over clouds in a black-box view based on their provided APIs and connectivity protocols. Regression testing challenge: Supporting on-demand software validation in clouds must address the regression testing issues and challenges caused by software changes and bug-fixing. However, most existing research in software regression testing pays most attention to re-test a specific software version in a pre-configured test environment. To overcome these challenges we need adequate test models and criteria and Innovative test methods and solutions.
Having dedicated team of skilled personnel will help in properly overcome this challenge.
Another challenge we came across is the availability of guidelines and standards of implementing cloud network. This could result in serious disruption in data flow. Any organization can implement any strategy they find easily suitable. There should be proper enforcement of regulation & standards to tackle the challenge.
There are still many challenges that will emerge with the growth of cloud architecture. Only the experience and in depth exploration in this area could give more possibility in handling the challenges.
Cloud testing services is on boom but depending on technological advancement and resources plus other things there are also many challenges related to it-
1. Testing security and measurement in clouds: Since security becomes a major concern inside clouds and security services become a necessary part in modern SaaS and cloud technology, to deal with this engineers must deal the issues and challenges in security validation and quality assurance for SaaS and clouds.
2. On-demand test environment construction: Although the current cloud technologies support automatic provision of required computing resources for each SaaS in a cloud, there are not much of supporting solutions to assist engineers to set up a required test environment in a cloud using a cost-effective way. Engineers can handle by solving it via an on-demand test environment where user’s selection is viable option.
3. There is a lack of cost-effective integration solutions and framework to facilitate software application integration and assembly inside clouds and over clouds
4. Scalability and performance testing: Performance testing address issues and solutions in conventional distributed software or web-based software systems. This subject, most existing papers focus on scalability evaluation metrics and frameworks for parallel and distributed systems. Performance testing are usually conducted in a static and pre-fixed system environment, so the existing solutions did not consider the special features in cloud testing, for example dynamic scalability and scalable testing environments.
5. There is a lack of well-defined validation methods and quality assurance standards to address the connection protocols, interfaces available for interaction, and service APIs provided by SaaS and clouds APIs.
While discussing the similar issue one of the experts said:
“Cloud based testing seems to be an impending shift in the Software Quality Assurance community for large scale web-based and/or cloud based applications. But there are always some issues or challenges associated with a change that needs to be handled with all care.
The idea of shifting towards cloud based testing, as well, projects a bunch of questions/challenges:
1. What cultural change in the organization is required?
2. What process changes are required?
3. Who remains owner of service management?
4. What changes in organizational/financial process alignment must be made to manage/provide for a new service?
Some strategies that will help overcoming the challenges projected by cloud based testing:
1. Formulating your test strategy such that it clearly states what the intention of moving testing to the cloud is. Also it should be cost effective, reduce cycle times and have easy access to infrastructure.
2. Scrutinize service providers for security, reliability, quality and discrepancies in terms and conditions. Security is major concern in the cloud so choose your service provider wisely.
3. Monitoring of the test results should be done in real time to react to capacity and performance related issues.
Cloud computing has a capacity for cost savings to the organization but the security risks are also huge. Organization that looks into cloud based testing as a way to lower cost and increase profit should also consider security risk of cloud based testing. Storing information in the cloud is also a major threat that organizations using this technology face. Organizations selecting a cloud structure for applications generally have a choice between public and private environments. The public cloud stores information along with information of other organizations on shared servers. The public cloud is an excellent choice for simple tasks, but is not a good fit for applications that require greater security.
The private cloud gives an organization more controlled and secure environment, but it also comes at an increased cost to the organization.Another solution is hybrid platform, with some data stored in the cloud and some maintained in house. To productively establish a hybrid model, one must be able to effectively figure out data type and where is need to be stored. If one fails to classify data correctly, it becomes difficult to make deliberate decisions about the risks associated with data on-premises, private or public cloud solutions. For more information on Cloud Testing services, log on to http://www.qainfotech.com/cloudtesting.html
