Test as a Service: A New Architecture for Embedded Systems

The classic models adopted in test automation today-guaranteeing ease of test implementation rather than extendibility of the test architecture-are inadequate for the unprecedented complexity of today’s embedded software market. Because many embedded software solutions must be designed and developed for multiple deployments on different and rapidly changing hardware platforms, testers need something new. Raniero Virgilio describes a novel approach he calls Test as a Service (TaaS), in which test logic is implemented in self-consistent components on a shared test automation infrastructure. These test components are deployed at runtime to make the test process completely dynamic. The TaaS architecture provides specific high-level test services to testers as they need them. Through a case study, Raniero shows how to make the most of the TaaS model by employing open source solutions, exploiting the architecture's major benefits, and mitigating the most common risks.