A few years ago it was a boom in the mobile market. A huge number of different mobile devices have appeared, and more different applications and programs have been created for a wide variety of devices. Currently, it is very popular to create and test mobile systems and programs. However, a new concept appeared – IoT (Internet of Things).
What exactly is IoT and how does it affect modern life? Imagine you have an internet-connected coffee maker or washing machine. You can manage them using a special application and analyze various parameters based on statistics.
In other words, IoT happens when the old ordinary stuff is connected to the Internet. Let’s take a look at a smart watch. With it, you can monitor the heartbeat, length and speed of the run, etc. Previously, the smartwatch was a kind of luxury, but now it is a must-have for athletes.
This situation applies not only to watches, but to any ordinary thing – you can even turn the light on / off using the app. Nevertheless, one point is common to all IoT products – they should be well tested.
What are the key aspects of IoT testing?
- Utility
- Number of devices available
- Internet connection
- Security
- Communication protocols
Usability is a key factor in successful products. Some devices are quite small with only two or three buttons. Therefore, usability tests should be carried out in terms of capabilities and purpose.
Each IoT device has its own hardware as well as software to ensure its proper operation. In addition, the number of available firmware and operating systems and variants of their combinations can be really huge. This greatly complicates the software testing process.
Another hurdle is internet connectivity. The type of network connection may be different. It can be unreliable in some cases. It is therefore necessary to perform functional tests and performance tests using various user scenarios.
Various communication protocols ensure proper interaction with the drivers and with each other. Popular protocols for IoT devices include:
- CoAP – Restricted Applications Protocol,
- MQTT – Message and presence protocol,
- XMPP – Extensible messaging and presence protocol.
All these protocols have their pros and cons that should be taken into account when testing online.
Every software product is prone to some security issues: minimum password requirements, missing data encryption, restricted access, etc. Therefore, the test team conducts penetration testing, testing access control and information security audit.
But IoT is a rapidly evolving field and there will be many innovations and modifications in the years to come.
