Testing is an integral part of IT professionals’ jobs. Administrators test server hardware, patches to the operating system, and configuration changes. Developers test the applications they have created.
The proliferation of mobile devices has made testing more complicated in recent years. IT professionals must test on many platforms. Amazon Web Services (AWS), which can assist with mobile device testing, is a great option. AWS’ Device Farm tool allows administrators and developers to test a variety devices.
Log in to the AWS console, and then select Device Farm. It is located under the Mobile Services section. You have two options when working with AWS Device Farm. There are two options for working with the AWS Device Farm. One is pay-as you-go, currently priced at $0.17 per hour, and the other is unlimited testing, currently priced at $250 per monthly. I will use the pay-as you-go option for the purposes of this article.
Click on the Get Started button to be prompted for a project name. You can name it anything. It is used to help you distinguish between testing environments. After entering a test name you will be taken to the testing environment. Figure 1 shows that the interface offers options for automated tests as well as remote access tests. You can run either built-in or custom scripts to run automated tests and view the results in a report. Remote Access allows you to access a device remotely from your browser.
[Click on the image to see a larger version.] Figure 1: Remote access sessions and automated tests can be run. Automated Tests were created for developers who want to test their apps on a variety devices. However, you can also use them to test Web apps. Click the Create a new run button shown in the previous figure. Next, you’ll need to give the run a name and specify the application you want to test. Figure 2 shows how this works.
[Click on the image to see a larger view.] Figure 2: Choose whether you want to test an app or a Web app. The options you see will vary depending on whether your app is being tested or a web app. For example, if you are testing a Web app, you will need to enter a run name, and then upload your script. Appium Java Junit or Appium Java TestNG can be used. This is illustrated in Figure 3.
[Click on the image to see a larger view.] Figure 3: AWS supports many testing formats. After you have uploaded your scripts, you can choose the devices where you want to run them and then you can start the tests.
The automated tests are designed primarily for developers who have an app they need to test. Device Farm can be useful for IT administrators as well. It is common for users to work on a variety of devices. You can use Device Farm’s Remote Access option in order to test the end user experience across different devices. This option could be used by an administrator to test how a remote application looks on particular device types.
Select the Remote Access tab, then click the Start a new session button to use remote access. After that, you’ll see a long list iOS and Android devices you can compare. You can also search by name, platform, and form factor using the interface, as shown in Figure 4.
[Click on the image to see a larger version.] Figure 4: Remote connectivity can be established to a variety devices. Select the type you want, then click on the Confirm and start session button. AWS will then establish remote connectivity with the selected device type. Below is Figure 5.
[Click on the image to see a larger view.]
