Software development necessitates that businesses keep up with emerging trends, innovate to foresee future requirements, and deploy software frequently and rapidly.
The software that is delivered needs to be competitively priced, functional, and, most importantly, do its intended tasks.
Software testing is necessary for all of this. Testing is essential, but the time required for thorough, sequential testing—which the market demands—means a longer time to market, which hurts revenue and success.
A new software testing framework called Parallel Test drastically cuts down on the time and expense of using more conventional testing methods.
What is Parallel Testing?
Parallel testing is a partially automated testing method that runs tests simultaneously against many configurations using virtualization and cloud technologies.
This technique aims to ensure quality while resolving time and financial constraints.
Either a single application or components across several platforms might be subject to the parallel testing procedure.
It is possible to test each program or subcomponent on a separate machine, including platforms, browsers, and every combination of these. While distinct physical units can serve as test computers, the term “parallel testing” most frequently refers to the use of different cloud-based virtual machines.
(A virtual machine mimics a real computer in terms of functionality by simulating its system based on computer architecture.)
Parallel testing executes more tests than could be feasible with sequential testing, regardless of whether your testing equipment is physical or virtual. A tester is needed for the manual portion of testing, and they communicate with the program through the main computer, or “master.”
The test program that links the master computer to the N-controlled workstations that execute and test several test environments is the automated portion.
Why do we need Parallel Testing to accelerate the testing process?
Testers using continuous integration must create distinct test scripts for every distinct feature. Parallel testing is the only option to speed up testing while still doing other QA duties because the scripts will take some time to run.
Using Selenium for testing is therefore an essential first step towards an automated browser testing strategy.
Selenium mostly uses parallel testing due to its cross-browser testing capabilities. Here are a few of the causes:
Greater Test Coverage:
By enabling automated cross-browser testing, Selenium’s parallel testing feature increases test coverage while maintaining quality in a shorter amount of time.
When it comes to testing, testing is faster than sequential testing. It is not necessary to run the test again for various OS and browsers when using parallel testing.
Alternatively, several concurrent tests may operate at once.
Shorten Testing Time:
By using parallel testing, the QA team may do more critical activities, such as concentrating on the QA strategy, in less time.
Parallel testing, as opposed to sequential testing, enables tests to be run simultaneously on several machines, cutting down on testing time.
Furthermore, the latter also eliminates the possibility of human error, maintaining the quality. Without a doubt, a thoroughly automated browser testing method is sequential testing.
Nevertheless, it does not yield results as quickly as testing does. And as was already established, it does double testing speed.
Cost-Effectiveness:
The lengthy process of sequential testing necessitates development, upkeep, and constant testing environment updates.
The expense of the QA staff would skyrocket if all these variables were managed in addition to the competence. Conversely, Selenium’s parallel testing is cloud-based and automated.
Because the cloud architecture is continually updated with the most recent modifications, no maintenance is required.
Optimise the CI/CD process:
Functional tests must be conducted often by testers in the dynamic combination of ongoing integration and ongoing delivery methods.
However, the QA team may save time by using testing to get and examine the test data’s bug reports.
By using the reports, the developers may quickly address issues and improve the CI/CD process by understanding the troublesome regions.
The developers will be able to deliver faster and maintain the continuous integration approach in this way. Subtly, reporting helps the QA and development teams communicate better.
Continuous Testing:
The test cycle is quicker when using continuous testing. Only with Selenium’s simultaneous testing capabilities is it possible.
Additionally, by using the cloud to its fullest potential, parallel testing helps testers expedite the process of completing more tests and delivering high-quality products. Parallel testing, though, can occasionally provide difficulties.
Limited Infrastructure:
One reason your parallel testing may not be successful might be infrastructural limitations. Keeping up with your infrastructure may be expensive and difficult.
Furthermore, in contrast to other testing systems, it would not offer complete test coverage. A group of knowledgeable individuals would raise the expense of managing the infrastructure.
In this instance, the most cost-effective cloud-based virtual configuration that supports a variety of browsers, operating systems, and device combinations is made readily available by pCloudy.
For internal resources, saving time is undoubtedly a crucial choice. It is strongly advised that the cloud-based testing grid be outsourced rather than being assigned to internal personnel for infrastructure management. Testers can concentrate on activities that are strategy-focused instead.
Data dependency:
Another major problem that testers have while moving towards testing is data reliance. Test scripts must be separate from one another for parallel testing to be effective.
If any data is required for the test cases, developing a trustworthy technique becomes difficult. When testing is required, the test scripts ought to come already set up with data that may be changed.
It will facilitate the test’s effective completion. Integrating testing is challenging due to the data reliance. For parallel testing to be effectively completed, data-independent scripts must be written.
Conclusion
To achieve application quality, parallel testing is seen to be one of the most successful test strategies, particularly when it comes to automated cross-browser testing.
In Selenium, parallel testing increases test scripts, results accuracy, cost-effectiveness, and the CI/CD process.
With the use of a competing testing approach, it is possible. Your parallel testing technique may be fully implemented across the organization if it were thoroughly examined and its possible drawbacks were understood.
Depending on the need, it could also include choosing between keeping your test infrastructure and using cloud-based testing grids. When the testing crew is dispersed throughout the world, cloud planning becomes crucial.
