Load and performance test tools

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Software Testing Portal

Load and Performance testing is to test software intended for a multi-user audience for the desired performance by subjecting it with an equal amount of virtual users and then monitoring the performance under the specified load, usually in a test enviromnent identical to the production, before going live. For example if a web site with a shopping cart is intended for 100 concurrent users who are doing the following functions:

  • 25 VUsers are browsing through the items and logging off
  • 25 Vusers are adding items to the shopping cart and checking out and logging off
  • 25 VUsers are returning items previously purchased and logging off
  • 25 VUsers are just logged in without any activity

Using various tools available to generate these VUsers the application is subjected to a 100 VUser load as shown above and its performance is monitored. The pass fail criteria is different for each individual organization and there are no standards on what an acceptable criteria should be, across the board.

It is a common misconception that these are record and playback tools like regression testing tools, however it must be clarified that the similarity ends just there. The Load testing tools work at the protocol level where as the regression testing tools work at the GUI object level. To give an example a regression testing tool will simulate a mouse click on an OK button on the browser, but a load testing tool will send out the hypertext that the browser will send after the user clicks the OK button, and again it will send out the hypertext for multiple users each having a unique login ID and password.

Various tools are also available to find out the causes for slow performance which could be in the following areas:

  • Application
  • Database
  • Network
  • Client side processing
  • Load Balancer