Performance testing, commonly known as ‘Perf Testing,’ is a type of testing used to determine how software or application performs under stress in terms of responsiveness and stability. The purpose of a Performance Test is to discover and eliminate performance bottlenecks in an application. In this tutorial series, we will cover complete details like – Performance Testing types, how it works, the processes, and tools among others. Let’s get to it.
What is Performance Testing?
Performance testing is a type of testing that assesses the speed, responsiveness, and stability of a computer, network, software application, or device under load. Organizations will conduct performance testing in order to discover performance bottlenecks.
The purpose of performance testing is to detect and eliminate performance bottlenecks in software applications, hence assisting in the assurance of software quality. Slow response times and uneven experiences between users and the operating system (OS) may harm system performance if no performance testing is in place.
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As a result, the whole user experience (UX) suffers. Performance testing determines whether a produced system meets speed, responsiveness, and stability criteria while under load, resulting in a more positive UX. After functional testing is done, performance testing should be performed.
Developers can write performance tests, and they can also be included in code review processes. Performance test case scenarios can be moved between environments, such as between development teams testing in a live environment and environments monitored by operations teams. Also, Performance testing can include quantitative tests conducted in a lab or in a manufacturing environment.
Performance testing should identify and test requirements. Processing speed, data transfer rates, network bandwidth and throughput, workload efficiency, and reliability are examples of typical criteria.
Types of Performance Testing
To begin, it is critical to comprehend how the software operates on the systems of its users. Different sorts of performance tests can be used during software testing. They are as follows:
#1. Load Testing
Load testing assesses system performance as the workload grows. This burden could include multiple concurrent users or transactions. As the workload rises, the system is monitored to determine response time and system staying power. This workload is within the bounds of normal working conditions.
#2. Stress Testing
Stress testing, also known as fatigue testing, is intended to measure system performance outside of the constraints of regular operating conditions, as opposed to load testing. More users or transactions can be managed by the software. The purpose of stress testing is to determine the stability of the software. When does software fail, and how does it recover from that failure?
#3. Spike Testing
Spike testing is a sort of stress testing that examines software performance while workloads are rapidly and repeatedly increased. For short periods of time, the workload exceeds normal expectations.
#4. Endurance Testing
Endurance testing, often known as soak testing, evaluates how the software operates with a typical workload over a long period of time. The purpose of endurance testing is to look for system issues such as memory leaks. (A memory leak happens when a system fails to properly dispose of spent memory. Memory leaks can degrade system performance or cause the system to malfunction.)
#5. Scalability Testing
Scalability testing is done to verify whether the software can handle increasing workloads adequately. This can be determined by increasing the user load or data volume progressively while monitoring system performance. Furthermore, the workload may remain constant while resources such as CPUs and memory are modified.
#6. Volume Testing
Volume testing determines how well software functions with enormous amounts of predicted data. Because the test floods the system with data, it is also known as flood testing.
How to Conduct Performance Testing
The particular phases of performance testing will differ depending on the company and application. It depends on which performance metrics are most significant to the company. Nonetheless, the main aims of performance testing are largely the same across the board, therefore most testing strategies will follow a similar approach.
#1. Determine the Testing Environment and Tools
Determine your production environment, testing environment, and testing tools. To maintain coherence, document the hardware, software, infrastructure specifications, and settings in both test and production environments. Some performance testing may occur in the production environment, but strict protections must be in place to prevent the testing from impacting production activities.
#2. Establish Acceptable Performance Criteria
Determine the limits, objectives, and thresholds that will indicate test success. Although the core criteria will be obtained directly from the project specifications, testers should be sufficiently empowered to design a broader set of tests and benchmarks.
#3. Plan and Create Tests
Consider how widely used is likely to vary, and then build test scenarios that cover all possible use situations. Create the appropriate tests and explain the metrics that should be collected.
#4. Set up the testing environment and tools
Before running the performance tests, set up the testing environment. Get your testing equipment ready.
#5. Execute the Performance Tests
Carry out the exams. Capture and track the outcomes.
#6. Determine and Retest
Test results should be consolidated and analyzed. Inform the project team of your results. Fine-tune the application by addressing the identified performance issues. Repeat the test to ensure that each problem has been definitively eradicated.
Cloud Performance Testing
Developers can also conduct performance testing in the cloud. Cloud performance testing allows you to test apps on a bigger scale while still reaping the economic benefits of being in the cloud.
Initially, enterprises believed that shifting performance testing to the cloud would make the process easier and more scalable. They reasoned that they could outsource the process to the cloud, which would address all of their difficulties. However, as corporations began to do so, they discovered that there were still challenges with doing performance testing in the cloud, as the company did not have in-depth expertise on the cloud provider’s side.
One of the difficulties in migrating an application from on-premises to the cloud is complacency. Developers and IT employees may expect that the application will continue to function in the cloud. They may decide to forego testing and quality assurance in favor of a speedy launch. Because the application is being tested on the hardware of another vendor, the testing may be less accurate than on-premises testing.
Development and operations teams should look for security flaws, perform load testing, evaluate scalability, consider user experience, and map servers, ports, and pathways. Interapplication communication can be one of the most challenging aspects of migrating a program to the cloud. Internal communications in cloud systems are often subject to tighter security limitations than in on-premises environments. Before migrating to the cloud, a business should create a detailed map of the servers, ports, and communication pathways that the application uses. Monitoring performance may also be beneficial.
Most Common Problems Observed in Performance Testing
During software performance testing, engineers check for performance symptoms and concerns. Speed concerns, such as slow answers and extended load times, are frequently reported and rectified. Other performance issues can be seen:
- Bottlenecking — Bottlenecking happens when data flow is interrupted or halted due to a lack of capacity to manage the task.
- bad scalability – When software is unable to manage the necessary number of concurrent processes, results may be delayed, errors may increase, or other unexpected behavior may occur, affecting disk consumption, CPU usage, memory leaks, operating system limits, and bad network configuration.
- Issues with software configuration – Frequently, settings are not adjusted to a sufficient level to handle the demand.
- Inadequate hardware resources – Performance testing may uncover physical memory limits or CPUs that perform poorly.
Performance Testing Tools
Depending on its objectives and preferences, an IT team might employ a range of performance testing technologies. The following are some examples of performance testing tools:
#1. Akamai CloudTest
This is used for mobile and web application performance and functional testing. For load testing, it can also simulate millions of concurrent users. Customizable dashboards; stress testing on AWS, Microsoft Azure, and other clouds; a visual playback editor; and visual test generation are among its capabilities.
#2. BlazeMeter
Perforce Software acquired this software, which simulates a variety of test situations and does load and performance testing. It supports real-time reporting and integrates with open-source tools, application programming interfaces, and other technologies. Continuous testing for mobile and mainframe apps, as well as real-time reporting and analytics, are all included in this testing solution.
#3. JMeter
Load tests on web and application services can be generated by an Apache performance testing tool.JMeter plugins provide load-testing capabilities by covering topics such as graphs, thread groups, timers, functions, and logic controllers. JMeter includes an integrated development environment for recording test results for browsers or web applications, as well as a command-line mode for load testing Java-based operating systems.
#4. LoadRunner
Micro Focus developed a tool that tests and measures the performance of apps under load. LoadRunner is capable of simulating thousands of end users and recording and analyzing load tests. The software generates messages between application components and end-user activities as part of the simulation, analogous to key clicks or mouse movements. LoadRunner also comes in cloud-optimized variants.
#5. LoadStorm
CustomerCentrix created a scalable, cloud-based testing platform for online and mobile applications. It is suitable for applications with high daily traffic and simulates a large number of virtual users to do real-time load testing. Scalability checks on web and mobile applications, as well as reporting for performance statistics under load tests, are important aspects.
#6. NeoLoad
Neotys’ load and stress tests for web and mobile applications are specifically developed to test apps prior to release for DevOps and continuous delivery. The tool can be used by an IT team to monitor web, database, and application servers. NeoLoad can simulate millions of users and do tests on-premises or in the cloud.
What is the difference between Performance Testing vs. Performance Engineering?
Performance testing and performance engineering are two distinct but related terms. Performance Testing is a subset of Performance Engineering that is primarily concerned with determining an application’s present performance under various loads.
To satisfy the needs of quick application delivery, modern software teams require a more developed strategy that includes end-to-end, integrated performance engineering in addition to traditional performance testing. The testing and tuning of software to achieve a certain performance goal is known as performance engineering. Performance engineering takes place much earlier in the software development process and aims to prevent performance issues from the start.
What Are the Different Types of Performance Testing?
There are five main forms of performance testing:
- Capacity Testing.
- Load Testing.
- Volume Testing.
- Stress Testing.
- Soak Testing.
What Is Performance Test Cycle?
The Performance Testing Life Cycle is a methodical approach to the non-functional testing of a software system or application. Most software businesses use this technique to schedule performance testing activities and identify performance bottlenecks in software systems.
Which Factor Affects Performance Testing?
The following elements influence performance testing:
- Throughput
- Response Time
- Latency
- Tuning
- Benchmarking
- Capacity Planning
How Is Performance Testing Done?
Performance testing can include quantitative tests conducted in a lab or in a manufacturing environment. Performance testing should identify and test requirements. Processing speed, data transfer rates, network bandwidth and throughput, workload efficiency, and reliability are examples of typical criteria.
What Is the Purpose of Performance Test?
The practice of examining how a system performs in terms of responsiveness and stability under a specific workload is known as performance testing. Typically, performance tests are carried out to evaluate speed, resilience, dependability, and application size. The purpose of performance testing is to detect and eliminate performance bottlenecks in software applications, hence assisting in the assurance of software quality.
How Do You Perform a Performance Test?
How to Perform Performance Testing includes the following steps:
- Identify the Test Environment and Tools
- Define Acceptable Performance Criteria
- Plan and Design Tests
- Prepare Test Environment and Tools
- Run the Performance Tests.
- Resolve and Retest.
Conclusion
Performance testing is a type of software testing that focuses on how a system performs under a specific load. I’m confident that this lesson has provided you with a wealth of information about performance testing and how to execute a successful performance test using our tried-and-true strategy outlined above.
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