Testing and the cloud
There is an interesting article on cloud computing and the benefits it brings to testing here. This is not about testing the cloud but about how the resources of the cloud can enhance testing. It covers two key areas that offer improvement to testing – virtualization and distributed computing. There are some practical examples of these testing benefits being realised – for example using virtualization to create multiple systems with different browsers for compatibility testing on a single machine.
It also looks at the limiations with the current cloud, such as security:
True “cloud computing” generally involves renting servers from some outsourced provider. That means migrating your data to the provider, which can involve questions of trust, security, and, in some cases, regulation. Some of these are compliance issues, some legal, but a good tester who can analyze and communicate risks could be invaluable to this process.