Software Testing Fundamentals

Performance Testing

PERFORMANCE TESTING is a type of software testing that intends to determine how a system performs in terms of responsiveness and stability under a certain load. It falls under non-functional testing.

ISTQB Definition

  • performance testing: Testing to determine the performance efficiency of a component or system.
  • performance testing tool: A test tool that generates load for a designated test item and that measures and records its performance during test execution.

Focus Attributes

Performance Testing mainly focuses on the following software quality attributes:

  • Responsiveness: The ability of software to respond quickly or complete assigned tasks within a reasonable time.
  • Concurrency: The ability of software to service multiple requests to the same resources at the same time.
  • Reliability: The ability of software to perform a required function under stated conditions for the stated period of time without any errors.
  • Stability: The ability of software to remain stable under varying loads or over time.
  • Scalability: The measure of software’s ability to increase or decrease in performance in response to changes in software’s processing demands.

Performance Testing Types

There are basically four kinds of performance testing:

  • Load Testing is a type of performance testing conducted to evaluate the behavior of a system at increasing workload.
  • Stress Testing is a type of performance testing conducted to evaluate the behavior of a system at or beyond the limits of its anticipated workload.
  • Endurance Testing is a type of performance testing conducted to evaluate the behavior of a system when a significant workload is given continuously.
  • Spike Testing is a type of performance testing conducted to evaluate the behavior of a system when the load is suddenly and substantially increased.

Tips

  • Establish a test environment as close to the production environment as possible.
  • Isolate the test environment even from the QA or UAT environment.
  • Though there’s no perfect tool for performance testing, research and decide on the tool that best fits your purpose.
  • Do not rely on the results of one test. Conduct multiple tests to arrive at an average number. Be wary of any changes to the test environment from one test to the other.

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Last Updated on September 2, 2020 by STF