Execute your Suite on Cloud (Serial/Parallel)

SimplifyQA provides with powerful execution models for running test suites in the cloud: Serial Cloud Execution and Parallel Cloud Execution. These options are designed to give users flexibility, speed, and control over how tests are executed based on their specific project needs.

Prerequisites

Before initiating suite execution on Serial or Parallel Cloud, ensure the following are in place:

• Cloud Configuration is completed and saved within SimplifyQA.

• Agent is installed, registered, and active.

• The suite to be executed is created and assigned with valid automation test cases.

Serial Cloud Execution

In Serial Cloud execution, the test cases within a suite are executed one after another in a single thread, on a single cloud agent or machine. This allow users to:

• Execute test cases sequentially.

• Utilise a single agent/machine for the entire suite.

• Ideal for smaller suites or where test case order matters (e.g., when data dependencies exist).

• Helps in maintaining state across test cases.

Use Cases

• Functional regression with a small number of test cases.

• Testing scenarios where the output of one test is the input for the next.

• Resource-limited environments with only one available agent.

Parallel Cloud Execution

Parallel Cloud execution runs test cases in a suite simultaneously across multiple cloud machines. It is designed to speed up execution and optimise resource usage. This allow users to:

• Execute test cases concurrently, reducing total execution time.

• Distribute test cases across multiple available machines/containers in the cloud.

• Automatically handles allocation and parallelisation logic based on available resources.

How it works?

1. SimplifyQA identifies the test cases in a suite.

2. Available cloud agents are checked for health and readiness.

3. Test cases are evenly distributed across 5 machines/containers.

4. Each containers executes its assigned test cases independently and concurrently.

5. Once all containers complete their executions, results are merged and reported centrally.

Use Cases

• Executing large regression suites during nightly builds.

• Running smoke tests quickly after each deployment.

• Parallel execution as part of CI/CD pipelines for quicker feedback.

• Reducing test cycle time in Agile sprints.

Additional Notes:

• Parallel execution depends on the number of available machines.

• For consistent results, ensure all agents machines identical environments and access rights to the application under test.

How to trigger suite execution?

1. Navigate to the Suites module from the left panel.

1. Choose the suite you want to execute.

2. Select the Test cases in the suite that you want to execute.

1. Select the Execution type as 'Cloud' and Browser of your choice.

   The Browser field is particularly useful for bulk updating the execution platform for multiple test cases. This means you can set the same browser for several test cases at once instead of configuring them individually. You can perform this bulk update in two ways:

   1. Using the Browser field dropdown above the test case table to apply the selected browser to all test cases.

   2. Directly updating the browser column in the test case table row by row, if specific tests require different browsers.

1. Click on the 'Run' icon, select execution type as Serial Cloud or Parallel Cloud.

1. Configure relevant parameters such as environment, release, and sprint.

2. Start execution and monitor real-time status in the reports tab.

An Example Use case

A healthcare technology provider offers an integrated patient management and billing system. Their application is mission-critical and must be compliant with strict regulations like HIPAA, while ensuring zero downtime during updates.

Testing Challenge:

• The QA team maintains over 20,000 automated test cases.

• These cover modules like:

  • Patient Registration

  • Appointment Scheduling

  • Billing and Insurance Claims

  • Lab Reports

  • Pharmacy and Prescriptions

• Frequent builds are pushed across different environments (UAT, Staging, Production).

• The requirement is to complete full suite testing within 2 hours before each release window.

Solution: Using Parallel Cloud Execution in SimplifyQA

By configuring their suite for Parallel Cloud Execution, the client:

• Spun up 50+ cloud nodes using their integrated cloud provider setup.

• Distributed the 20,000 test cases across multiple machines simultaneously.

• Reduced execution time from 18 hours (serial) to 1 hour 35 minutes (parallel).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I switch between Serial and Parallel execution for the same suite?

Yes, users can configure their execution preferences while scheduling the suite in SimplifyQA based on the test strategy.

Does Parallel execution require more system resources?

Yes, since multiple tests run concurrently, it utilises more machines/VMs or containers compared to serial execution.

Can I monitor individual test cases during Parallel execution?

Absolutely. SimplifyQA provides logs and execution reports for each test case, even during parallel execution.

What happens if one of the parallel tests fails?

If one of the parallel tests fails in SimplifyQA, the execution does not stop—all remaining test cases continue to run independently. The failed test will be marked as "Failed" in the suite report, and the overall suite status will also reflect a failure. This ensures that you get a complete report of all test results without interrupting execution due to a single failure.