IoT Test Automation: Key To Successful Product Development
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A cool IoT device or groundbreaking IoT software is only the beginning of a successful product. A properly tested IoT product is able to withstand security threats, connectivity issues, and performance problems.
This requires a great deal of testing. The number of IoT platforms to review, the number of communication protocols to test, and the number of new security threats on the rise make manual IoT testing insufficient.
The answer is simple. Your QA strategy needs the right IoT testing tools. But what exactly is IoT testing? What are the best IoT testing tools available today?
We will address how to test IoT devices, the challenges of IoT QA testing for the business, and how to address the challenges of IoT test automation: A three-stage approach.
What is IoT testing?
To validate that IoT devices perform as expected, are functionally secure, and meet standards, QA tests are conducted. IoT devices transmit data over the Internet, so they must be capable of transmitting sensitive information wirelessly before they can be marketed.
Many successful IoT businesses rely on automation, penetration, and performance testing tools to detect any defects before they reach consumers.
From smart TVs and smart appliances to commercial security systems and traffic monitoring technologies, IoT devices come in all shapes and sizes these days. The short answer is that if your device is "smart", then it is an IoT device and must be tested.
How to test IoT devices?
IoT devices, like any software product, must undergo extensive QA testing before being launched on the market. By incorporating these types of testing practices into your development cycle, your team can streamline your IoT testing.
Security testing
Testing IoT devices for threats, vulnerabilities, and risks can be performed with IoT penetration testing tools. During your security testing process, your IoT automation tools should find any possible weaknesses or loopholes. Is transmitted data always encrypted and protected? How effective is password protection at preventing malicious attacks?
Connectivity testing
Connectivity makes IoT devices appealing. Test tools for IoT should evaluate the strength of communication between the device and the user. Is the device connected well? Is the device capable of transmitting requested and relevant data? How does it perform offline?
Performance testing
Ensure that IoT devices perform as expected under normal conditions with a performance testing tool. Performance testing for IoT applications aims to eliminate any performance blocks or glitches. Testing IoT performance measures the device's response time and reliability. Is IoT software stable and fast under normal circumstances? Does the IoT device handle the load before it malfunctions?
Functional testing
Validate IoT software against functional requirements and specifications. Whether it's API testing or regression testing, functional test cases should test each of the functions within your IoT device. IoT automation tools and manual testing both check user interfaces, APIs, databases, and client/server communication.
Compatibility testing
Compatibility tests should be part of every QA process for IoT technology. Test IoT devices across any user experience, including hardware, operating systems, software, and network speeds. Do IoT devices work with all operating systems and browsers? Do different generation devices and browser versions work with the IoT device?
Testing tools for IoT
Is there an IoT automation testing tool that is best for testing the software of your IoT device? Which IoT penetration testing tools are most suitable for validating the security of your IoT software systems? Which IoT performance testing tools should you use to test your IoT device's hardware?
For testing both your IoT product's software and hardware, we've compiled our list of the best tools available today.
- Wireshark
- Tcpdump
- Shodan
- SOASTA CloudTest
- JTAG Dongle
- Digital Storage Oscilloscope
- Software Defined Radio
IoT QA testing challenges for business
Developing custom software or hardware for IoT and embedded systems is challenging. It's crucial to understand the scope of the undertaking and all its potential bumps. IoT QA testing presents three major challenges.
System complexity
Complexity is the biggest challenge of IoT testing. A connected IoT infrastructure sends and receives uncountable signals every day. There are several reasons why an error could send the system off track:
- Innumerable platforms. IoT systems have many hardware and software components that work together. Hardware and software elements must work flawlessly together for the infrastructure to function. Any interaction between software and hardware can lead to errors due to the peculiarities of the environment, during data transfer, or at any other stage.
- Excessive communication protocols. Many communication protocols are used for IoT networks to communicate with one another and their controllers. Real-time or near-real-time communication is required. Hardware and software integration can pose compatibility, security, scalability, and upgrade issues.
- Too much attack surface. Businesses become more vulnerable as they grow. Furthermore, it is nearly impossible to run all the necessary penetration tests manually, making IoT automation testing even more important.
Excessive communication protocols. Many communication protocols are used for IoT networks to communicate with one another and their controllers. Real-time or near-real-time communication is required. Hardware and software integration can pose compatibility, security, scalability, and upgrade issues. Too much attack surface. Businesses become more vulnerable as they grow. Furthermore, it is nearly impossible to run all the necessary penetration tests manually, making IoT automation testing even more important.
No test frameworks
Every IoT ecosystem is different. Regardless of how complex or simple your enterprise IoT is, you need a test automation framework. In IoT development, there is no out-of-the-box framework that meets all of its unique requirements. An expert will be able to develop a test framework tailored to your ecosystem's specific needs.
System complexity contributes to the problem. A system's layers - device, gateway, cloud, data - must also be tested separately and in relation to one another.
Hard to automate and integrate into CI/CD
IoT QA also faces the challenge of automating the testing process and integrating it into CI/CD. Testing IoT automation must be an integral part of the development process. In most companies, testing cannot be automated and integrated with CI/CD, causing unnecessary overhead.
HashStudioz's three-stage approach to IoT test automation
However, testing IoT infrastructure is more challenging. It is difficult to test hardware, devices, gateways, or communication protocols without knowledge of IoT test automation practices, as there are no ready IoT test frameworks. Why? In order to suit your system, you need a unique framework.
Stage 1: Separately test each system layer
A well-structured approach to testing IoT ecosystems is required due to their complexity. We need to test each layer separately as well as in relation to each other. The layers of your system should be tested separately, then about each other, and finally all together.
There are four layers in a typical IoT infrastructure:
Device layer – Devices are first tested for their technical characteristics. IoT test automation frameworks simulate the real-life performance of your unique devices. A robot might be needed to emulate a device's work in an environment. This robot allows us to test how the device responds to triggers, acquires data, and transmits it.
Gateway layer – Depending on your business case, HashStudioz can develop custom software and firmware for your gateway. Our experts can assist with the implementation of a custom IoT QA testing framework. They also provide custom IoT development services.
Cloud layer – In addition to designing a high-load, scalable cloud architecture for your IoT environment, we automate its testing and deployment. Through a DevSecOps approach, we are able to test the architecture for possible security threats.
Data management layer – It is imperative that the data management layer is properly functioning for predictive analytics, monitoring, alerting, industrial automation, inventory management, and many more applications. Data layer reliability is completely tested by us to give you complete confidence.
We can quickly find the source of the problem and locate the problem areas by testing each layer separately.
Stage 2: Make sure the layers are connected
The integrity of a system is not guaranteed by the proper functioning of the system layers alone. Signals and data must be properly transitioned between layers. HashStudioz experts can test the data flow from the device through the gateway to the cloud.
Testing is done in two ways:
Device to the gateway –To ensure that the network's bandwidth is compatible with your infrastructure, we run short-range, medium-range, and long-range tests. All communication protocols over all distances are tested using this standard procedure to ensure their proper functioning.
Gateway to cloud – Our testing procedure includes checking Wi-Fi, cellular and Ethernet connectivity. IoT automation testing ensures that the connection remains stable even if one or more protocols fail. Without losing data, the system switches to LTE if Wi-Fi goes down.
It is important to ensure that communication between the system layers is stable at all times. Your infrastructure won't be disrupted by power outages or loss of connection. If you want to gain additional insight from the data you collect, this will also help with data analytics.
Stage 3: Test the entire system
During this stage, we aggregate the collected data from the previous tests and run the whole system in a real-life or emulated environment. Here, we fully automate and integrate IoT QA testing into CI/CD.
Usability testing:
Devices are marketed to a variety of audiences, resulting in a variety of shapes and forms. The ease of use of a product often determines its success. The user experience is crucial to success in a highly competitive market, which is why usability testing is important.
Compatibility testing:
IoT ecosystems can connect devices from different manufacturers. Due to their different software and hardware configurations, these devices may not work correctly on a single network. Interoperability testing ensures seamless performance of your IoT ecosystem.
Testing reliability and scalability:
Reliability and scalability are key requirements for IoT automation testing. Your enterprise needs a reliable IoT infrastructure as it grows and evolves. The key to ensuring the reliability of your IoT infrastructure is to test it. In addition, it gives you the confidence to expand your business further.
Security testing:
A malicious attack can compromise the data that IoT systems use in large amounts. Data integrity testing is crucial for IoT security and vulnerability. A penetration testing partner can protect your infrastructure from all types of security threats.
Conclusion
To launch your product successfully, you must be sure of its quality. It enables you to reduce overheads by ensuring a smooth development process. As a result, development speeds up since you can respond to problems more quickly. Finally, it boosts your reputation and brand loyalty by giving your clients the perfect product they deserve.
IoT automation testing frameworks and profound IoT testing expertise are required to test such complex infrastructures. You can boost your business's overall performance and maintain the efficiency of your infrastructure with HashStudioz's IoT and embedded development services.
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