Case Study: Scaling Real Device Testing with RF Shielded Enclosures
Kform Rogue RF Shielded Server Rack deploys seamlessly in a datacenter environment.
Background
Mobile apps have become an integral part of personal and professional life. Popularization of Continuous Integration (CI) quality testing model allows developers to build better solutions faster. Pre-production testing through emulators and simulators aids CI but has significant shortcomings for high reliability and high security application requirements.
A Kform customer desired to implement real device testing across the organization and provide access to key partners. The proprietary and secure nature of work disallowed the use of public real device testing services. The solution had to scale from lab use to datacenter use and support dense installations of mobile phones, tablets, and other smart devices.
The customer selected Kform RF shielded server racks to segregate wireless networks propagating inside the enclosure from ambient environment networks. The solution allowed them to populate a datacenter with multiple racks without interference or eavesdropping concerns.
Real Device Testing Advantages
Understand how software or firmware impacts the physical device
Evaluate battery usage
Monitor heat issues
Identify unexpected behavior of Bluetooth, GPS, Wi-Fi, and sensors
Receive accurate testing feedback by truly mirroring the use case
Observe the application behavior end-users would see
Reduce the risks of generic software mimicry. Android emulators and simulators use the base OS. Real devices use custom installations from handset manufacturers. Android fragmentation causes unexpected outcomes outside of quality testing. Apple iOS testing uses software simulators which does not run the actual operating system. Virtual tools guarantee variation from quality testing to production. For critical applications, variance is an unacceptable risk.
Communications
Communicating with the devices is a barrier. Many devices, such as cell phones and IoT products, lack wired network connectivity using IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth, Cellular, or other wireless technologies (like Zigbee, etc.) for communication.
Even moderately sized testing applications require multiple wireless network connections across various protocols. The lab or datacenter cannot allow the needed wireless communication to propagate.
Even if security and isolation were not issues, the overlapping frequencies would render communication impossible through congestion.
Solution: Segregate wireless signals with shielded enclosures.
Infrastructure Cost
Cost of purchasing a range of devices is high. Testing is the most accurate when incorporating each key device with each OS version. The approach requires a higher infrastructure investment but facilitates accurate testing.
Solution: Develop a scalable solution capable of being used in both development and cybersecurity across the organization. Customers build a valuable resource opposed to a cost center.
RF Shielded Enclosures to Scale Real Device Testing
The Rogue RF Shielded Rack is specifically designed to address the growing demand for real device testing in development and cybersecurity. Kform designed the performance, size, weight, power, connectivity, and cooling for this specific use. Customers can tailor the enclosure to meet requirements.
Implementing Rogue allows organizations to scale from lab to datacenter to multi-site systems as the application use increases. Customers pilot shielded racks in labs at lower quantities to develop the processes and requirements. As the need grows, customers repurpose the same racks into a datacenter environment for more broad organization access.
Although the initial applications are commonly for app or hardware testing, leading organizations can leverage the solution for additional purposes.
Deploy next generation cybersecurity practices
Lease infrastructure access to partners
Test specialized, innovative products like IoT appliances and smart devices
Next Generation Cybersecurity
The next generation application of the Rogue RF shielded rack is intentionally testing malicious code and zero-day exploits on devices. Understanding how an exploit impacts an organization’s software, firmware, or device is a critical level of assurance in controlling risk. More than other applications, the devices under test require complete segregation from functioning systems.
