taking testing to the cloud
TRANSCRIPT
©2011, Cognizant
Cognizant Research Center March 2011
Taking Testing to the Cloud
| ©2011, Cognizant 2
Cloud Computing is Opening up New Vistas of Opportunities for Testing
Cloud-based testing brings
about a compelling combination
of lower costs, pay-per-use and
elimination of upfront Cap-Ex
Non-cost factors include liberty
from holding assets, enhanced
collaboration, greater levels of
efficiency and reduced time-to-
market
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Why Cloud Suits Testing
• consume significant capital and resources
• are often underutilized
• difficult to mirror real-time environment
• has met base-level operational and financial objectives
• still in involves set-up costs
Virtualization
• are becoming complex, distributed and component-based
• must be tested for multiple operating systems and browser platforms, hardware, large number of concurrent users, etc.
Applications
In-house testing facilities
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Testing and Cloud
0
20
40
60
80
Web site Test and Development E-mail and PCApplications
HR and Payroll Finance Accounting
Top Applications in the Cloud
Source: Fujitsu, 2010
• Seasonal
• Requires huge infrastructure
• Limited reusability of test infrastructure
• Involves non-business critical data
Characteristics that make testing ideal for Cloud
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Advantages
54.0%
63.9%
64.6%
67.0%
68.5%
75.3%
77.7%
77.9%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Seems like the way of the future
Simplifies sharing systems with partners
Always offers latest functionality
Requires less in-house IT staff, costs
Encourage standard systems
Monthly payments
Easy/ fast to deploy end-users
Pay only for what to use
Cloud Computing Benefits
Source: IDC
• No upfront investment in IT infrastructure (hardware and software)
• Pay-per-use starting at a few cents per hour
• Allows shift from Cap-Ex to flexible Op-Ex model
• Estimated cost reduction is about 40-70%
Cost reduction is the main factor influencing companies to go to the cloud
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Advantages
• Provides quick access scalable resources and ready-to-use virtual labs
• Provides pools of virtualized infrastructure
• Reduces test configuration errors
• Mirrors real-time test environments
• Improves flexibility and time-to-market
Non-cost benefits of cloud-based test environment
Other factors affecting the range of benefits
• Cloud type (public, private or hybrid)
• Test environment configuration
• Type of tests conducted
• Collaboration with service provider
• Testing teams’ understanding and effective utilization of the cloud
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• Facilitates quick set-up, scale up and tear down of test resources
• Improves real-time collaboration among testers, developers and managers
• Helps in locating errors and stress points quickly and efficiently
• Ensures access to latest technology
How cloud benefits testing teams
7
Advantages
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Challenges
Operational Challenges
• No standard solutions to integrate public cloud resources with internal data center resources of companies
• Security in public clouds is still a worry
• Terms and conditions of cloud service are sometimes hard to understand, misleading and biased toward the vendor
• Some cloud vendors offer limited testing tools
• Challenge lies in proper usage of the cloud
• Public cloud performance is not 100% guaranteed
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• What cultural change in the organization is required?
• What process changes are required?
• Who owns service management?
• What changes in organizational/ financial process alignment must be made to manage/provide for a new service?
9
Steps for Effective Testing in the Cloud
Some questions to consider before moving forward
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Steps for Effective Testing in the Cloud
• Thoroughly scrutinize service providers for security, quality, reliability and any discrepancies in terms and conditions
• Choose service providers with considerable experience and who can provide end-to-end services
• Look for conditions governing the exit or movement to another service provider
Select a service provider*
• Critical phase where the test should be carried out according to the defined test strategy
• Plan and look for optimal utilization of test infrastructure in order to realize cost benefits
Executing the Test
• Test results should be monitored in real-time to understand and react to capacity or performance-related issues
• Understand cloud usage against charge-back costs to understand the financial performance of cloud services
Monitor and Analyze Test Results
• Clearly understand the business needs, as well as the advantages and limitations of the cloud
• Define the objectives of moving a particular testing project to the cloud
Understand the Cloud
• Should clearly answer what is intended to be achieved by moving testing to the cloud.
• Should define the type of tests to be performed in the cloud, risks associated and the duration of the tests.
Formulate Test Strategy
• Plan test environment according to the test strategy
• Carefully choose testing tools and applications, hardware and software, bandwidth, etc.
• Determine how long the infrastructure will be utilized
Plan Infrastructure*
* Source: Mimecast
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The first step forward
• Cloud-based testing should be a strategic initiative rather than a tactical objective
• Start small and gain confidence with the benefits of cloud-based testing
• Pilot cloud-based testing as early as possible
• A feasibility study is recommended to identify the scenarios where moving testing to the cloud can benefit the organization
• Organizations that do not have sufficient testers can seek on-demand testing services where service providers take complete responsibility of testing in the cloud
• An experienced partner can ensure that proposed cost reductions and other benefits are achieved or exceeded over time
©2011, Cognizant
Vinaya Kumar MylavarapuCognizant Research Center
Mahendra InamdarCognizant IT Infrastructure Services
For more information, please visit: http://www.cognizant.com/InsightsWhitepapers/Taking testing to the cloud.pdf
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