Performance testing is a non-functional software testing technique that determines how well an application’s stability, speed, scalability, and responsiveness hold up under a given workload.It’s an important step in ensuring software quality, but it’s often seen as an afterthought, to be done after functional testing is finished, and, in most cases, after the code is ready for release.
In a closed performance testing environment setup, various techniques can be used to verify the performance of a software. This involves,
- The simplest form of testing, i.e. Load testing, is conducted to comprehend how the system behaves under a certain particular load.
- Stress testing takes place to verify a software’s ability to cope with the increased load. It helps in determining the maximum capability of the system in place.
- Endurance testing is another type of testing which checks the system’s capacity to perform in scenarios of continuous load.
- By abruptly increasing the number of users of the system and then deciding how the system performs under that load is done in Spike testing.
There are various ways in which accuracy can be achieved, and better results can be ensured in the test. By using a better performance testing environment setup, this can be easily achieved. Below is a list of possible ways to do this.
1. Detailed knowledge of AUT Production and Test Environment
The performance testing engineer is responsible to have proper knowledge and awareness of the AUT production environment like load balancing, server machines, and all other components of the system. Before starting the process of performance testing, these details must be recorded properly.
Also, an engineer must have the basic knowledge and awareness about AUT architecture. He/she should be able to ensure that the same architecture is being performed in the test environment. If there is any difference between the two, it can lead to a waste of production cost, time, and efforts.
2. Isolating the test environment
Whenever someone is using the system, it is essential to make sure that no activity is being carried out in the performance test environment. As you know, the results of every test are going to be different so, it can get difficult to execute a new bottleneck every time in the system test environment when there are other users currently present and active on the system.
Other than this, when an application server is undergoing any heavy load, it affects its performance. In effect, this might not allow the other actual-time application users to properly complete their tasks when the execution of a performance task is already in process.
3. Network Isolation
To achieve proper and accurate output in the performance test, sufficient network bandwidth is necessary. One must ensure that a certain bandwidth is achieved to initiate and regulate the test.If in case the network bandwidth happens to be low, timeout errors are produced by user requests. This is why one must ensure that there is maximum network bandwidth provided to the test environment by keeping the test network isolated from other users.
4. Test Data Generators
While validating any test, Database records play an important role. Hence, Database writing, updating, reading, deletion are the most performance-based actions in any software.
If the test is conducted on lesser database records as compared to the test records, there are high chances of the performance test failing in the production environment. Hence, the performance test engineer is responsible to make sure that both the aspects, Database, and test environment are having the same number of test records. If the database is small, it is recommended to utilize a tool and generate the required test data for a more accurate framework.
5. Removing proxy servers from the network path
If there is a proxy server present between the web server and the proxy server, then performance results can be affected highly. In this case, the client will certainly be served with information and data in the cache and hence will stop sending requests to the web server. Due to this, the AUT response time is lowered.
By transferring the web server to a secluded environment, a performance tester could easily deal with this. It can also be done by striking directly to the web server, that is, by editing the HOSTS file by taking in the server IP address.
Performance Testing Production Environment
Conducting a performance test in the production environment can have multiple effects. There are several advantages and disadvantages to this process. Let’s have a look at them.
Advantages:
- The verification of the performance test results executed in a test environment is possible.
- The complexities and recovery process of the application is well known.
- The reproduction of the production site data set is not needed.
- The cost and time involved in the test infrastructure are reduced.
Disadvantages:
- It is hard to detect the bottleneck root cause with real software users present in the system.
- When generating larger data on the production database, the database can become slower even after the execution of the test.
- The actual user base of the application receives a slower and buggy application.
- To properly achieve the performance test results, it is most likely that access to real users is blocked.
In the initial stages of testing, once the performance testing setup is ready, you can compare it with the production environment based on various factors such as load balancing strategy, application components, number of servers, hardware and software resources, etc.
Conclusion
It is important to have a good performance testing environment setup, and we hope that this blog helped you to gain some insights about how to do it properly. Remember that, above all, it is important that the required tests are conducted properly. This ensures that there are no pending faults in the software when it gets released.
How VTEST can help
Executing software performance testing in the production stage and setting it up optimally and efficiently is no easy task, and VTEST is good at it. With expert professionals at the desk and in the managing team, VTEST completes any given test with complete devotion and sharp brainpower.
VTEST it!
