Service virtualization mimics the component behavior, so it can take its place in the testing process. In other words, service virtualization acts as the real component and does its jobs. So whenever the actual component is not available, the service virtualization does the job. Meaning you don’t have to depend on the actual component.
In real life, we have a lot of scenarios where physical and actual testing is not practical to be carried out or it is prohibited to do so. One of the classic examples is, said a nationwide mega enterprise application that can be served nationwide where the instance count is touching concurrently for millions or billions of concurrent users. Where you want to find that much of the concurrency in real life during testing, or the testing involves 3rd party production API, which each of the testing will actually cost for each transaction. Under the example cited, the best approach is service virtualization or API testing simulation.
The characteristics of the Service virtualization are as below:
It can mimic the behavior of a specific component or the entire application.
It can always be reconfigured according to the needs.
The same tool can be used again even if it was used in the past.
Service Virtualization has several benefits. Some of these benefits are:
→ Reducing cost
By using Service Virtualization, you have the ability to easily reconfigure the testing environment many times as needed for each project. Thus you don’t have to buy different hardware for each project every time you want to test the project. In other words, instead of providing servers or mainframes, virtual testing environments can take their places and thus you can save money.
→ Improving productivity
Physical testing environments have constraints that service virtualization does not have. For example, in the physical testing environment, sometimes the component needed to complete the testing may not be available, meaning the tester’s time will be wasted waiting for the component until it is available. Thus using service virtualization will increase productivity since it will take the place of these unavailable components and time will be saved.
→ Reducing risk
Service virtualization can reduce risk when software is tested earlier in the process. So you can know what’s wrong and need to be fixed. It enables you to do so before publishing the software and the small problem becomes a big problem.
→ Increasing quality
When service virtualization can reduce risk it means it increases its quality at the same time. When problems are discovered early, it will be fixed, which means the software will be delivered with higher quality.
In this post, we have mentioned the definition of service virtualization, its Characteristics, and its benefits. We hope the post helps to open the door for you when the service virtualization is the right scenario and option to go with, in particular complex and large scale testing is involved. Feel free to contact E-SPIN for service virtualization, API testing solutions, from end to end testing or point solution.
