How to do Internet of Things testing?

Question

How do I perform testing for 'the internet of things'?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_of_Things the network of physical objects or "things" embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and network connectivity, which enables these objects to collect and exchange data...

Currently I am a quality engineer with programming background. Is there any Internet of Things simulator by which I can test without actual hardware.

Answer 1

I assume by "iot" you mean "Internet of Things". That term refers generally to anything with an Internet connection, and more specifically to anything with an Internet connection other than a computer, e.g. toasters, themostats, refrigerators, sprinkler systems, and automobiles.

In order to create a simulator, you need a definition of what you want to simulate: in this case, a network protocol. There is no universal "Internet of Things" protocol (except perhaps for TCP/IP), and so there is no universal Internet of Things simulator.

That said, any vendor who wants software vendors to support their platform will need to provide a simulator and/or publish their protocol.

Answer 2

I think the premise of question is very broad. So when you say

How to learn and do internet of things testing

It covers a very broad scope of IoT testing. You can't do each and every type of testing for IoT. It's very difficult and due to various issues, seems to be a herculean task.

To learn how to start with IoT testing- let's say Performance Testing, I would suggest you to explore following topics :

• Testing using/in Protocol Simulation
• Use of Data recorders in Testing
• Use of Virtualization

I came across a very good paper on IoT testing and challenges and how to overcome it, here.

-As for second question, I don't think it will be hard to get any actual simulator for such things- although you can try out some options suggested by Micheal- they seem to be good starting options.

Answer 3

You test each device separately. Yup

• installed browsers, e.g. chrome, firefox, safari, internet explorer
• browsers through virtual machines, e.g. Parallels, Virtual Box
• browsers through services, e.g. sauce labs, browserstack
• android phones through Android Studio and it's simulator tools
• iPhones through xCode and the iOS simulator

Answer 4

Forget about fancy titles, think about it methodologically and you'll be fine.

Start with what you know about "Internet" and "Things", read products definitions and requirements, think about user expectations and add lot of common sense.

One small tip- I would start with one of the micro computer/controllers such as arduino, raspberry pi or beagle board.