All You Need to Know About Performance Testing

Performance testing is an important part of software development. It helps determine how quickly an application works when handling a certain amount of usage or workload.

Performance testing measures things like how fast the application responds, the number of tasks handled per minute, how many system resources are used, etc.

These measurements determine if the system is stable and fast enough. This blog explains basic performance testing essentials that everyone should know.

What is Performance testing?

Performance testing evaluates the speed, reactivity, and load of an application so that any problems can be detected. It is used to deal with the bug before it reaches the end-user; thus, ensuring that the software application runs as designed.

The main goal of performance testing is to eliminate performance issues. Performance testing determines if the system architecture will hold up under the expected load. It also checks consistency in performance across different parameters.

Why is Performance Testing important

Performance testing is important. Research shows that even a 1-second slower page load could lead to 7% fewer conversions. Also, 53% of mobile site users will leave a site if it performs poorly. So, performance issues directly impact sales and revenue. This is why performance testing matters.

Key Reasons Performance Testing is Must

● It provides confidence that the system won’t crash under high loads thereby impacting business functions.

● Early identification of bottlenecks helps optimize application performance before production release.

● Comparing metrics vs benchmarks determines the production readiness of the system.

● Ensures a smooth user experience for end customers.

● Reduces infrastructure costs by right-sizing resources.

When to Perform Performance Testing

Ideally, performance testing should be done throughout the development lifecycle.

It can be first done on prototypes to gauge feasibility. During active development, localized testing helps optimize modules.

Rigorous tests are executed during pre-production on a version identical to the production setup. This testing determines production readiness.

Post-production release, performance testing is carried out after infrastructure or application changes to prevent production issues.

Key Performance Testing Types

Some key performance testing types are:

Load Testing  

Increasing load is applied to gauge system behavior as user load goes up. It determines the maximum operating capacity of an application.

Stress Testing  

Extreme workloads beyond normal capacity are given to understand the system’s breaking point. The tests reveal bottlenecks that impact stability under high loads.

Spike Testing

Sudden spikes in user traffic are simulated to see if applications can handle drastic load changes without crashing. This verifies recovery capabilities.

Endurance Testing

Application is subjected to expected load over an extended period to determine longer-term effects. System issues like memory leaks are discovered.

Scalability Testing

System capacity is expanded to handle increasing workflows. Tests determine if expanding users/data impacts performance. This ensures the system can scale appropriately.  

Conclusion

Performance testing plays a crucial role in releasing a stable software with a smooth user experience. Using the right testing methodology and tools, companies can identify and eliminate performance bottlenecks early. This saves last-minute infrastructure upgrades or application rework. Opkey, a leading no-code testing platform, provides an automated approach to enterprise testing that is simple yet powerful. It enables both technical and non-technical users to create automated performance tests through an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, eliminating the need for specialized programming skills.

Opkey seamlessly converts functional tests into performance tests with one click, ensuring tests remain up-to-date. It facilitates collaboration by allowing diverse teams to work efficiently from a single interface to rapidly test application performance across browsers. Opkey delivers consistency, automation, collaboration, and reuse across the testing spectrum.