Connecting to SUTs

With Eggplant's testing products, you can make connections to many types of systems under test (SUTs). From within Eggplant Functional, you can create connections to a variety of mobile devices, desktop operating systems, as well as other devices, such as point-of-sale (POS) or human machine interface (HMI) systems, to enable automated testing. Additionally, you can also connect to Sauce Labs, where you can access a plethora of browsers and mobile devices without having to host them yourself.

Desktop Connections

Eggplant Functional supports Virtual Network Computing (VNC) and Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connections for testing desktop systems. See Eggplant Functional Connection Types: VNC vs. RDP to learn more about the differences between these protocols. For information about installing a VNC server on your SUTs, see VNC Servers. See Using the Connection List or the Connect Command for more information about creating connections to SUTs.

If you are connecting to a desktop so that you can test a browser-based application, you also have the option of connecting to your application using Sauce Labs. Sauce Labs allows you to access virtual browsers without having to host them yourself. Please refer to Sauce Labs Connections below for more information.

Mobile Device Connections

You can test Android OS and iOS SUTs with Eggplant Functional. You can test mobile devices that you own or you can test mobile devices hosted by Sauce Labs. To test mobile devices hosted by Sauce Labs, please refer to Sauce Labs Connections below for more information. To test mobile devices that you own, please refer to Connecting to Mobile Devices for more information.

WebDriver Connections

You can use Eggplant Functional to perform object-based testing with Selenium WebDriver for web browsers and web apps. You have the option of hosting the browser sessions yourself or you can access Sauce Labs' comprehensive suite of hosted browsers.

If you are hosting the browsers locally, you must install the Selenium server and the appropriate driver for your web browser on the SUT. For additional information about configuring and using WebDriver in Eggplant Functional, see Selenium WebDriver Testing with Eggplant Functional.

If you are planning to use Sauce Labs to host your browser, you simply need to connect to Sauce Labs using Eggplant, which will automatically provide a WebDriver connection to that SUT. Please refer to Sauce Labs Connections below for more information.

You can also do object-based testing of applications on mobile devices with WebDriver. For more information about this method and how to set up your environment for both iOS and Android devices, see Mobile WebDriver Testing.

Sauce Labs Connections

Eggplant Functional supports Sauce Labs Connections via both the VNC and WebDriver protocols. This capability allows you to test browsers and mobile devices using Eggplant's image based testing (via the VNC connection) and/or using object-based testing (via the webdriver connection). For information on Sauce Labs and their product offerings, visit their website. For information on configuring and managing Sauce Labs Connections in Eggplant, see Using the Eggplant Functional Connection List or the SenseTalk Connect Command.

Citrix Connections (Windows Only)

Using Citrix connections, you will be able to test Applications and Desktops that are available within your organization's Citrix environment. Citrix connections are available through Eggplant Functional but only on Windows platforms. The Citrix Workspace App, which is normally available within organizations that use Citrix, must be installed on the system running Eggplant Functional before Citrix connections can be created. For more information about Citrix connections, including how to make a Citrix connection on Eggplant Functional, please see Using the Eggplant Functional Connection List or the SenseTalk Connect Command.

Single System Connections (Windows Only)

Using the Single System connection type in EPF, you can use the same machine where you are running EPF as a SUT. This connection type is only available on Windows. This capability allows you to automate tests on your own machine, does not require a second machine, does not require any ports to be opened, and is not vulnerable to network disruptions. For more information about single-system testing, see Single Machine Testing and Single System Specific Options.

Other SUT Connections

Eggplant Functional can automate other types of SUTs, too, including set-top boxes of various types, as well as point-of-sale (POS) and human machine interface (HMI) systems with connections enabled through a KVM switch. See Using a KVM-Over-IP Device for more information.