Introducing TestGrid’s Private Device Lab

From frustrating bugs that disrupt seamless functionality to exasperating freezing that abruptly halts user interactions, these issues can swiftly drive users to abandon applications indefinitely, dampening their enthusiasm.

Enterprises face the challenging task of pinpointing the exact causes behind these pernicious errors, as they vary significantly across diverse locations and devices, demanding keen observation and unwavering attention to detail.

Fragmentation, a divisive force across operating systems, devices, and browsers, contributes to the performance degradation that plagues apps and software, presenting a complex web of challenges. To overcome these hurdles and strive for excellence, app developers and software companies must courageously subject their creations to real-world testing conditions.

Real device testing emerges as a guiding light amidst the storm, embraced by industry players in their relentless pursuit of enhancing app performance and unraveling the intricate knots of location-specific and device-specific issues that perplex even the most experienced developers.

TestGrid unveils its groundbreaking device lab — a comprehensive solution designed to address the challenges faced by app developers and software companies. This cutting-edge device farm amalgamates a global device infrastructure and automated testing capabilities, revolutionizing the testing process.

Understanding TestGrid Device Lab:

It is a remarkable appliance harnessed by TestGrid, and serves as a pivotal tool in testing applications across a multitude of Android/iOS mobile app testing, tablets, and media devices. With its secure, portable, and temperature-controlled enclosure, it ensures optimal conditions for testing, enabling developers and QA experts to unlock the true potential of their applications.

The RF access provided by the device lab allows seamless connectivity to local Wi-Fi or carrier networks, facilitating comprehensive testing scenarios. The versatility of the device lab shines through its ability to accommodate an array of devices, including mobile devices (both Android and iOS), tablets, desktop browsers, and even OTT devices such as the popular Amazon Fire Stick.

This wide-ranging compatibility empowers developers to conduct comprehensive functional and UX tests, replicating real-world usage scenarios with accuracy and precision.

The global device infrastructure, an essential component of TestGrid, acts as a gateway to an expansive network of real mobile and browser-testing devices, spanning various locations worldwide. This expansive reach empowers organizations to test their apps in diverse environments, capturing valuable insights and uncovering potential issues that may arise in specific regions or device configurations.

For example, a gaming app developed by a company using TestGrid Device Lab can be tested on a range of Android and iOS devices, ensuring seamless gameplay and performance across multiple screen sizes and hardware specifications. The app’s user experience can be evaluated on different tablets, verifying that it delivers a visually stunning and immersive experience, regardless of the device used.

Physical Specifications of the Device Lab:

It is a cutting-edge rack mount plastic enclosure designed to store and test mobile and media devices. We will explore the various physical features of the TestGrid’s device lab that make it an ideal solution for testing:

Can host up to 50 real devices to test apps and websites
Enterprise-grade security with keypad-based locking systems
In built power outlets with state of the art grounding tech
Made up of ABS FR (UL94 / V-0 Flame Resistant) material
Comes in 5 built-in USB hubs
Features front-to-back fan cooling to ensure that devices stay at optimal temperature during testing.
It is U11 and designed to fit into a four-post rack that is at least 24″ deep x 42” in height and 24” width

Decoding the Functionality of the Device Lab:

It is the indispensable hub that enables the remote app testing process to unfold seamlessly. The device lab serves as a secure enclosure, housing a diverse range of devices, while Linux or Mac computers diligently establish connections with these devices. Functioning as dedicated hosts, these computers efficiently collect the invaluable data generated by the devices, transmitting it to the TestGrid Cloud Services.

By accessing the TestGrid Platform, intricately linked to the cloud, users can effortlessly tap into the wealth of data captured from the devices nestled within the device lab. Moreover, it showcases versatility by facilitating the reverse bridging of devices into the architecture, whenever the need arises.

To illustrate the functionality of the device lab, let’s consider a scenario where an e-commerce application is being tested. The device lab enclosure houses a range of devices, including Android phones, iPhones, and tablets, browsers of different makes, models and OS. The Mac computers within the device lab diligently establish a connection with each device, enabling the execution of test scripts and the capture of critical data such as device logs, network performance metrics, and app behavior. This valuable information is then seamlessly transmitted to the TestGrid Cloud Services for further analysis and evaluation.

For instance, codeless testing, the e-commerce app’s performance on different Android devices can be assessed, ensuring that the app operates flawlessly, regardless of the device’s specifications or screen sizes. The collected data from the device lab provides insights into the app’s responsiveness, stability, and load times, enabling developers to identify and rectify any performance bottlenecks or compatibility issues that may arise on specific devices.

The uninterrupted power supply within the device lab ensures that the devices remain operational, allowing for continuous testing without any disruptions. Preserving a stable power environment empowers testers to focus on their crucial tasks and ensures that devices operate reliably and consistently throughout the testing process.

Types of hardware utilized in Device Lab

As per client needs, we provide various deployment options to choose from:

Single Tenant Enterprise Cloud

To test applications in real-world situations, TestGrid deploys its device lab at multiple locations worldwide as per location and device type chosen by the clients. In this option, configurations, data, and customer service are all isolated in a private subnet.

Multiple Tenant Enterprise Cloud

With this option, you get access to TestGrid’s shared device pool. Here users do not have specific demands on devices and location.

On-Premise

In this scenario, TestGrid deploys the device lab at the client premises with all the devices. This is entirely managed by the client and users can ensure no traffic leaves their isolated network.

Create Your Own Lab:

In this deployment, physical plugging of the test device into the device lab is not required, as devices can be connected to the TestGrid TestOS through local machines.

Why Choose TestGrid Device Lab?

Now that you have a basic understanding of how TestGrid’s device lab works, here are the top reasons why you should choose it:

With the ability to host up to 50 real devices, the device lab can provide a secure, scalable, portable, and temperature-controlled testing environment.
The TestGrid device lab also comes equipped with TestGrid’s TestOS, a platform allowing end-to-end AI+codeless automation and performance testing.
Users can easily author and execute test cases without manual coding or worrying about firewall breaches.

By providing access to a range of real devices, secure and scalable infrastructure, and robust testing tools, our device lab makes it easy to ensure optimal app performance.

Prerequisites of Setting Up the Device Lab:

To set up a TestGrid device lab, clients must perform the following steps:

Add the hostnames and service names to their internal DNS.
Allocate local static IP addresses for the hosts.
Provide the Apple developer account to register iOS devices (if applicable).

Deployment Process of Device Lab At Client Premises:

Here is the step-by-step guide to deploying the device lab for hosting devices at a client premise:

Configuration Requirements: The client provides configuration requirements to our team, including the number and types of devices they want to host.
Configuration by TestGrid: We configure the device labs according to the client’s technical specifications.
Shipping: The team then ships the device labs to the client’s location, where they will be set up.
Plugging in: The client team then plugs in the device lab on the client premises.
Maintenance and Upgrades: Our team performs regular maintenance and upgrades on the device labs, like hard reset and device plug-in, to ensure they are operating optimally.

Conclusion

As the app testing landscape evolves, TestGrid’s device lab emerges as a game-changer, offering unparalleled testing capabilities and propelling app performance to new heights.

Source: This article was originally published at testgrid.io/blog/device-lab.