PERFORMANCE TESTING: ITS TYPES AND WHEN TO USE THEM

Every growing industry desires high-performance and high-quality software. However, it is common for most applications to fail to achieve the projected performance under peak demand or variable network circumstances. To keep up with the expectations and perform under all load levels, you need to execute performance testing. This test measures the speed, scalability, dependability, and stability of the performing software under various loads, ensuring consistent performance.

WHAT IS PERFORMANCE TESTING?

Performance testing is a non-functional software testing approach used to assess the existing system’s performance. It evaluates the system’s responsiveness, speed, and stability under varied workload situations. This test ensures that the application runs as intended regardless of network conditions such as fluctuating network, bandwidth availability, or traffic load. Runtime errors, optimization issues linked to speed, latency, load balancing, and other problems are detected with this form of testing. The aim of performance testing is to identify and remove performance bottlenecks in software applications.

Performance Testing aims to evaluate the performance of a software programme. It focuses on:

• Speed – Determines how quickly the application responds.
• Scalability – The maximum number of users that a software application can handle.
• Stability – Determines whether or not the application is stable under changing loads.

A correct set of mobile performance testing tools are essential to test the performance of the concerned devices, in an automated environment, before launching them in the market. Performance testing tools help in measuring stress, runtime, and other issues. Below we have discussed some critical performance testing tools.

1. HeadSpin– provides its users with the highest performance testing capabilities in the market with its products. HeadSpin removes uncertainty from thousands of devices, networks, and locations by providing precise, real-world data. Users may optimize their digital experiences by discovering and addressing performance issues across apps, devices, and networks using the HeadSpin Platform’s performance testing features. Users may employ powerful AI capabilities to detect performance issues in testing before they affect end-users.
2. LoadNinja is changing the way you may load tests. This cloud-based load testing solution enables teams to record and playback thorough load tests in real browsers at a large scale, without complicated dynamic correlation. Teams may expand test coverage and reduce load testing time by more than 60%.
3. Jmeter is one of the popular performance testing tools for evaluating the load on web and application servers.
4. HP LoadRunner is one of the most popular performance testing tools available today. Loadrunner includes a virtual user generator that mimics the activities of real human users. This programme may simulate hundreds of thousands of users while subjecting apps to real-world loads to assess their behaviour under predicted loads.

WHY DO WE DO PERFORMANCE TESTING?

A software system’s features and functionality aren’t the only things you need to consider. The performance of a software application, such as reaction time, dependability, resource utilization, and scalability, is essential. Performance testing aims to eliminate performance bottlenecks rather than uncover flaws. Performance testing is done to tell stakeholders about an application’s performance, stability, and scalability. Performance Testing, moreover, reveals what needs to be changed before a product gets to market. Without performance testing, the software is more likely to have issues like slowness when multiple people are using it simultaneously, inconsistencies across different operating systems, and poor usability.

WHEN SHOULD WE CONSIDER PERFORMANCE TESTING?

To determine the best time to execute performance testing, identify the process you need to utilize. There are typically two techniques for software testing: the agile approach and the waterfall approach. If you choose the elegant system, testing begins from the very beginning with unit tests. If you employ the waterfall approach, wait until the end of development before beginning testing. Performance tests will be conducted in the form of acceptance testing in this case, and if you meet the criteria, you can deploy the system to production. A continuous integration environment is required to run tests throughout the SDLC.

Though both strategies have advantages and disadvantages, it is preferable to choose an agile technique, which involves testing the system’s performance continuously throughout its existence. Also, because the agile approach helps to detect and fix issues earlier than the waterfall technique and decreases risk and obtains faster feedback, it is recommended that this test be conducted using the agile strategy.

TYPES OF PERFORMANCE TESTING

We have discussed the why and when of performance testing and performance testing tools that you should use. Here we will discuss the types of performance testing:

• Stress testing entails subjecting an application to extreme workloads to determine how well it handles high traffic or data processing. The goal is to determine an application’s breaking point.

• Spike testing – evaluates the software’s response to sudden large spikes in user load.

• Scalability testing – The purpose of scalability testing is to verify a software application’s effectiveness in “scaling up” to support increased user load.

• Load testing verifies the application’s ability to perform under expected user loads. The objective is to recognize performance bottlenecks before launching the software application.

• Endurance testing ensures that the programme can handle the predicted load for an extended time.

• Volume testing entails a vast number of tests. In this type of performance testing, you can enter the data into a database and monitor the general behaviour of the software system. The purpose is to put a software programme through its paces with varying database quantities.

CONCLUSION

High-performance software that runs effectively under all load levels is essential, yet many businesses strive to produce such quality software. Gartner says that the average cost of a network outage is roughly $5,600 per minute or over $300,000 per hour. Expecting your consumers to be patient while you get your site back in operation is the same as asking them to shop at your competitor’s website. Today, industries use various testing services to ensure the quality and stability of their software – performance testing is just one example. There are multiple reasons why you should test the performance of your system before launch and frequently afterwards. Mobile performance testing tools should be used rigorously even after launch to ensure the perfect working of the mobile application. One of the critical reasons is that your web or mobile application, software, database, and server should perform like in normal conditions, under increased traffic. Use performance testing services from a next-generation QA and software service provider to acquire high-quality software that operates well under all load levels and provides a fluid UX.