Performance testing is a vital method to gain information about a specific software application or environment that a company is using. There are a variety of types of performance testing, including load testing, stress testing, and endurance testing. In this blog, we will be covering different types of performance testing and what they can provide an organization.
Some common examples of a performance test are increasing the number of users until a specific program ultimately crashes, checking the memory and CPU performance under peak load conditions, and testing response times during differing levels of workloads.
Performance Testing Metrics
Determining how or why your software application failed from a performance test is crucial for making the necessary changes to ensure positive business outcomes. There are metrics and key performance indicators (KPI) that you need to keep track of in order to have a successful test. Measuring and recording response KPIs like average response time, error rate, and peak response time is always recommended for performing any kind of stress or load test.
The metrics that you need to track will vary slightly depending on the software you are using and your end goals for the test. CPU and memory utilization are two important metrics to track as they are key indicators of how well your application is performing. Knowing how long it takes for the CPU to process a request will give you an idea of how powerful the CPU is and how fast it will be able to work during high-stress situations. Learning when your memory maxes out during a test will inform your team of when all the resources are expended to process a request, giving your team an even better idea of what the tool can handle. Other key metrics to include are average load time, concurrent users, throughput, and requests per second.
Performance Testing vs Load Testing
Load testing will check an application’s ability to perform tasks under a set number of anticipated user loads. The goal of a load test is to discover where the performance starts to bottleneck before your team makes the application live to the public.
A stress test is similar to a load test, and it involves putting the application under extreme workloads in order to see how it handles this high-level demand. The goal is to identify what the breaking point of the application is. The last thing you want is to launch a new product and it crumbles under the demand of the users.
Other types of performance testing include endurance, spike, scalability, volume, and security testing. While all of these tests could be performed manually, it is by far more efficient to automate these processes. The help ensure the highest quality results, reach out to a trusted consultant like Foulk Consulting.
Is Performance Testing Done Before UAT?
User acceptance tests or UAT are the last steps before a product goes live to the public. This step comes after the product is tested in the system testing stage, or in other words, after performance testing. The aim of UAT testing is to confirm the entirety of the business flow and to make sure the product is ready to launch. This test does not focus on cosmetic or system errors as it is performed by clients, end-users, or someone that represents the end-user.
Performance Testing Best Practices
The best and most simple practice to exercise as it relates to performance testing is to test often. Regardless of what type of test you are performing and what is being tested, you need to relentlessly test the product. Waiting to test until there is an almost finished product available can increase the likelihood of errors that can no longer be fixed being discovered. This causes more time, money, and resources to be spent on a problem that could have been avoided through continuous testing.
Quality IT Testing with Foulk Consulting
For more than 18 years, we at Foulk Consulting have provided high-caliber industry-leading services for the entire IT landscape. With our automated test strategies, we can help you introduce new techniques and strategies that reduce repetitive tasks and speed development time. Contact us today if you are ready to transform the IT side of your business.
