Introduction to Web Services Testing
In this article, we will learn about Web Services Testing. The functionality of the software that enables the communication between Applications/machines over the internet is called Web Services. This exchange of data is possible irrespective of their platforms. This communication happens over the widely used, HTTP and the file formats used are XML and JSON. It is implemented using either of these protocols, that use XML for data exchange:
- SOAP: Simple Object Access Protocol uses XML format to exchange information between the web services and clients.
- REST: Representational State Transfer uses the HTTP protocol and therefore, is lightweight. It is more efficient than web services using the SOAP protocol. It is a set of Architectural Principles that is used for data transmission over a standardized interface.
Testing of the functionality of these services and interfaces is called Web Services Testing.
What is Web Services Testing?
Web Services are pieces of information services available over the internet that are deployed in modern application development in order to add features and advantages. Some of these are:
- It can support cross-platform.
- It is available outside the network, thus allows faster loading and processing information.
- Continuous improvement on the client-side to provide accurate and better quality.
- The secured and reusable part that’s available for a developer to use as per the business requirement.
Now, these are scattered across servers globally and the developer has integrated them in his software in order to equip his product with the benefits and advantages. The product features are dependent on the interface. Therefore, these web services are tested step-by-step to ensure the final product is able to deliver the outcome, it is expected to.
Types of Web Services Testing
The testing of Web services and its Protocols, we can opt for any of these methodologies:
1. Manual Testing: The developer can write test cases and scenarios that can
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2. Automation Testing: It can be done in two ways:
- Develop your own Automation test code in line with the expected outcome of the APIs
- Use an Off-the-shelf product like SOAPUI, Testmaker, Web injects, Etc
3. Hybrid Testing: This is a combination of Manual testing and automation testing, where an open-source off-the-shelf code is used to run a set of regression testing or load testing and also manually customized to the system structure and environment.
The different types of tests conducted in Web Services testing are as follows:
- Functionality Test: This test is conducted to validate the functionality of Web Service. The exchange of information and the quality of response is analyzed. It helps ensure the outcome is in line with the purpose of inducing this web service.
- Performance Test: It is done to test the performance with a defined threshold. It is executed at the unit level and service level to ensure the product outcome is consistent under load conditions.
- Regression test: Being platform-independent, Web Services interface with different network, architecture, and environment. Therefore, different levels of functionality and performance can be expected. Regression testing helps to ensure that these interfaces are working smoothly and providing correct outcomes consistently.
- Security Test: As communication happens over the internet, it is open to a variety of threats including infiltration, DOS, and more. In order to ensure the product outcome, as well as the network, is safe, we need to have a Service Oriented Architecture(SOA) incorporated at the network level.
- Load Test: The web services are a quick method to add features and functionalities to a new Application or software. This makes it immensely popular and off late, a lot of applications are deploying them in their products. This will potentially add millions of users to the most popular web services. Therefore, it is critical to take it through a load test in every build and release for stability and scalability.
Why Do We Test Web Services?
- The web services and client applications communicate over the world wide web and there are abundant chances of the security breach. That makes it important to test Web services.
- Another reason to test web Services is, that the host maintains and improves the services periodically. On the other hand, the development team also puts in regular effort to improve the product, which involves changes through different builds and releases. It is critical to check every code by code and module by module to ensure the outcome of the web services integration is still secured, efficient and accurate, irrespective of the changes on client or host sides.
- Webservices are small applications that have specific functionality and are incorporated in the larger software, sometimes in combinations to fetch the desired outcome of the product based on business requirements. The quality of the information received also impacts the outcome of the product. Therefore, a test is necessary that can validate the functionality and quality of these services.
- With the increasing popularity, the web Services, that’s working great today, may or may not work so well with increasing users. Hence a regression and load testing can help ensure the application is reliable, stable, consistent and provides accurate information even at stress conditions.
- Ideally, the purpose of any test remains to identify, analyze and correct any defect that’s found. Here, the tester validates the functionality, performance, usability, reliability, security and compliance and performance of web services in the application and in Network.
Conclusion
The web Services are gaining popularity as the developer today does not have to code everything from scratch. He can use the widely available services that can be plugged in to add the features and functionality to his application. It also helps the developer to make it more robust and equipped with real-time inputs so that the user has the data translated to intelligence and found exactly where it needs to be. This popularity makes the web services found in more and more applications developed lately. It has changed the norm of data exchange across platforms. The fact that Application on one device interfaces securely with services located remotely to fetch the outcome on a user screen with accuracy and efficiency is amazing!
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