Selenium Grid

What is Selenium Grid?

Selenium Grid is a buzzword among testers. This testing tool is a part of the Selenium suite that enables to run several tests in parallel. With this, you can run automation testing on different types of operating systems, browsers as well as machines. This type of parallel test executions eventually saves time and effort. In simple words, Selenium Grid is used to run test suites on different browsers as well as browser versions. 

It is employed for test automation to cover more devices and increase the overall speed of the process. Selenium Grid allows you to run test scripts on Selenium servers with many nodes that are located in a remote area. With this tool, testers do not have to rely on one system for testing.

How does Selenium Grid work?

It runs on the concept of host and node. Here, the hub, the central system, controls text execution. The nodes are the end points where test scripts actually execute.

The tester connects Selenium tests to the hub, from where it routes to the right nodes. These endpoints are matched on the basis of platforms, browser versions, or any other specific requirements. The tester is free to scale Selenium Grid up. 

This kind of setup is perfect for large test suites that require running on different machines and browsers. It supports many Selenium servers at the same time. The most advanced versions even improve how grid components interact. 

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Saves time by running tests simultaneously on many nodes.
• Compatible with many web browsers, operating systems, and machines.
• Flexible enough to scale with nodes.
  

Cons:

• It is pretty difficult to install initially.
  
• A good network, as well as hardware, is required.
  
• Does not fit for small-scale testing.

Examples

• Many web development companies use Selenium Grid to test how their app works on different browsers like Chrome, Bing, and Firefox.
• Companies use the advanced fourth version of Selenium Grid for better testing and machining. This also saves a lot of time.
• It also helps testers to test in remotely located browsers.