June 2018 Summaries

Benefits of Cloud-Based Testing are numerous, including speed due to the ability to run tests in parallel and utilize virtually unlimited infrastructure capacity. A cloud-based test grid also provides a broader range of testing environments without requiring local setup, enabling easier debugging and analytics-based troubleshooting through features like extended debugging and video recording capabilities. Furthermore, cloud testing allows for automatic updates and additions of new devices or operating systems, freeing up time for developers to focus on improving their applications. Additionally, cloud testing enables the use of real devices in tests while also providing access to simulators, expanding testing coverage and flexibility.

A canary release pipeline is a deployment tactic that allows teams to test in production, reducing the risk of introducing new issues by gradually routing a small percentage of users to the new version before making it available to the entire consumer base. This strategy enables testing to be shifted to the right, into production, where it can help find problems earlier and provide an additional quality guard around the application. With a canary release pipeline in place, teams can perform canary testing, which focuses on sending a small percentage of production traffic to the new version environment and performing pre-defined tests for infrastructure, API performance, lightweight user acceptance, visual application availability, and more. After the canary release, teams should continue to perform testing, logging, and monitoring in production to expose and identify issues before they affect end users, using techniques such as teeing or chaos testing. By incorporating canary release pipelines into their testing strategy, teams can achieve continuous testing and deliver high-quality applications to customers more effectively.

Carrier network connectivity is a new feature introduced by Sauce Labs for its Real Device Cloud, allowing customers to connect their private devices to a carrier network for testing scenarios that require real-world conditions. This feature enables users to test mobile app use cases such as sign-in with a call or text message, sending and receiving texts, and more. With this connectivity, developers can simulate real-world interactions and identify issues in their apps before deployment, resulting in better user experiences and fewer crashes. The new feature is designed to provide a more accurate representation of how users interact with mobile apps in the wild.