Performance Testing

Common types of performance testing include load testing, stress testing, endurance testing, and spike testing. Performance testing is often performed using specialised tools and software that simulate different levels of user activity or network traffic. The results of performance testing can help developers and system administrators identify and resolve performance issues before the application or system is deployed to production.

Performance testing is typically conducted to determine the following:

The system's response time under different levels of load and stress

The system's ability to handle concurrent users or transactions

The system's scalability and its ability to handle future growth

The system's stability and reliability under heavy loads

The system's resource usage, including memory, CPU, and disk usage


Approach

The approach to performance testing typically involves the following steps:

Determine the performance metrics that need to be tested and define the expected performance levels, such as response time, throughput, and resource utilisation. Develop a detailed test plan, set up the test environment, develop the test scripts that will be used to simulate the user workload. Run the performance tests using the prepared test environment and test scripts. The tests should be executed under different workload scenarios and conditions to simulate real-world usage patterns. Collect and analyse the test results, report the performance test results and retest the system after any performance issues have been addressed to ensure that the changes have been resolved.




service

service

Tools

There are a number of performance testing tools available that can be used to automate the performance testing process. Here are some popular performance testing tools:

LoadRunner is a popular commercial performance testing tool that can simulate thousands of users and can be used to test a wide range of applications and protocols. NeoLoad is a commercial load testing tool that can simulate complex user scenarios and can be integrated with continuous integration tools. WebLOAD is a commercial tool for load and performance testing of web applications, it supports a range of protocols and can simulate a high number of users.

LoadComplete is a commercial tool for load testing of web and mobile applications, it allows for the creation of realistic user scenarios and supports a range of protocols. Silk Performer: A commercial load testing tool that can simulate user behaviour for web and mobile applications, Silk Performer includes features for test analysis and reporting. BlazeMeter is a cloud-based load testing platform that can simulate user traffic from multiple geographical locations, allowing for realistic testing of distributed systems. Gatling is an open-source load testing tool designed for web applications, Gatling can simulate high traffic loads and provides real-time monitoring and analysis. These tools provide a range of features for load and performance testing, and the choice of tool depends on the specific needs of the project, including the type of application or system being tested, the number of users and transactions being simulated, and the level of analysis and reporting required.