Operation IoT interoperability: Testing device compatibility

Developers must take three overarching steps before and during the launch of an IoT project to verify interoperability.

Plan. Before starting a testing procedure, developers must have a plan to execute the process. With IoT, the test conditions can’t be limited to individual devices or applications. The procedure should check the flow of data through the entire system, from software applications to the end device. Developers must evaluate the existing process to pinpoint causes of failure and identify issues of quality, performance or reliability.

Test. A blend of components make up IoT deployments, such as applications, sensors, gateways, networks and data centers. Typical test types include security, performance and compatibility assessments. Developers often use manual testing early in the process; however, they can undertake a mix of both automated and manual testing, as well as use negative tests to complement positive evaluations. Developers can run tests multiple times to correct bugs that remain in the system.

Automated testing focuses on developing simulated systems that model the layout of thousands of wireless nodes and devices over a virtual space. Simulation can test a specific IoT app or product. Running tests on simulated servers increases visibility into the weak spots of a given API and measures security and reliability at scale. Tests on simulated servers can also consider other data loads, traffic and devices without the risk of actual operational data loss.

Check. Testers must verify the results, identify any issues that occurred during testing and confirm problems have been resolved before an organization puts the system into widespread use.

Organizations might not have IT specialists to perform extensive IoT testing, particularly with a massive number of IoT devices and applications in use. As an alternative, organizations can enlist IoT testing providers to perform a comprehensive analysis of device and system readiness before an IoT application or project goes live. Vendors that handle IoT interoperability testing include ATT IoT Deployment Services, Intertek and QATestLab.