Cloud performance testing measures different load profiles under a changing number of parallel users accessing your application.
This write-up will help you understand about the various tests performed to set up an effective strategy of performance testing in the cloud to take advantage of simplicity, global adaptability, platform diversity, and environment diversity.
1. Strategy for Performance Testing in the Cloud
With the digital transformation wave, there has been a significant increase in cloud adoption. Software
development is one of the few niches that has embraced the cloud wholeheartedly. The cloud offers limitless
opportunities to software developers, from collaborative development to access.
The cloud offers developers and testers the requisite tools and empowers them to test their solutions and launch
error-free solutions. Performance testing is key to a quality software solution, and the cloud has allowed greater
flexibility and scalability for these tests.
This guide will take you through what is performance testing and the ideal strategy for the best outcomes.
What is Cloud Performance Testing?
It is important to answer what is performance testing before moving forward. Cloud performance testing is an
integral part of the quality assurance assessment. It helps assess if the application will function as expected in the
cloud environment. The tests determine the bottlenecks within the system that hamper the performance. It will
check how the application will perform during peak loads versus when the loads are lowered significantly.
In the cloud performance evaluation, all parameters are tested in the cloud environment using different
workloads. The cloud allows the software testing team to increase or reduce the workloads and scale the
resources to meet the different live environment scenarios.
Top Benefits Of Cloud Performance Testing
Let’s look at the top benefits of testing the cloud application’s performance in different environments using
various workloads.
It is an easy-to-configure and hassle-free form of cloud testing. It is not too complex, either
Testing the performance under different workloads in different scenarios can cost a lot. However, with
cloud app testing, companies can release a high-performance application within the budget
It is easy to scale up or down the total users and workload for the application in the cloud environment.
Given the increasing number of remote working companies, cloud performance testing allows
companies to test their performance from anywhere
The cloud solutions are integrated with standardizations, which results in high-quality results
2. The cloud-based performance testing allows the software development company to handle multiple
clients and requests without compromising quality.
You can easily add or delete the infrastructure to match your outcomes. You can employ the hardware
needed to assess your application without implementing them.
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Types of Cloud Performance Tests
Here are all the cloud performance tests you should conduct while assessing your app before release. Make sure
you understand what is performance testing in each case.
The Load Test: It is important to check the application’s performance under various load conditions.
You should test the application for normal versus peak performance by adding or deleting the users.
Stress Test: If the application has been designed to handle multiple requests simultaneously, it is
important to check if it can handle the demand. The stress testing will check the impact of the
increased requests on the application’s performance. If it crashes, the reports will determine the
causes and identify the solutions.
Latency Test: It is important to check how long the app takes to move data from one point within the
app to the other. This will determine the seconds or minutes the user has to wait and whether it will
impact the experience.
Browser Test: This test checks if the system is compatible with the different browsers
Failover Test: The test determines if the system has initiated the call for additional resources in case
the load goes above the pre-determined number
Capacity Test: This test will help determine the maximum amount of traffic a system can handle at any
given time.
Soak Test: This test helps determine if the application can handle heavy loads for more time.
Infrastructure Test: In this test, each part of the system is segregated and tested individually. This helps
determine if the isolated segment can deliver the requisite performance.
Cloud Performance Testing Strategy
It is important to create a proper strategy to help with the ideal outcome of cloud performance testing.
3. Determine the Work Scope
Before you begin the actual testing process, it is important to know the scope of work. What are you planning to
cover during the test? Do you aim to increase the load to a specific amount to check the application’s
performance?
Check the requirements of the testing, the business goals, and the ultimate performance objectives of the
development team. What are some of the desired responses for the application?
During this point, you need to check the software and hardware configurations to ensure you have the perfect
production environment for testing.
Create the Test Plans
Create the test cases based on your understanding of the performance testing goals and objectives. You will need
to design the tests for a wide range of scenarios. You will need to determine the expected results for each
scenario. At the same time, you need to define the metric and reporting foundations for each test scenario.
Design the Environment
The next part of your strategy involves creating a production-like environment for the application. You must
implement the same hardware and software configurations as the software application. It is desired to identify
the hardware devices and test environments for all use cases that you have designed. Make sure you have the
apt monitoring tools to study your software application. This will help capture the bugs and report them in the
later stage.
Execute the Tests
This is the most important part of your cloud performance test strategy. You should individually test each of the
test cases that you have written. Analyze each data that you have received as part of the outcome.
Monitor and Fix Bugs
You should analyse the results, monitor the application, and fix the bugs at this stage. This is a continuous testing
process. You might want to check what causes the performance errors. It is also a good idea to check if the
application returns the same error or if it was a one-time issue before reporting them.
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Cloud Vs Inhouse Performance Testing
As a software testing team, you should know whether to go with cloud testing or on-premise.
Cloud Performance Testing Inhouse Testing
No on-premise infrastructure is needed to
capture your system’s latency or throughput
issues.
Requires complex infrastructure, the right hardware and
software solutions
Can easily change the total number of users You will need to physically add or remove the users,
resulting in a tedious process of checking the workload
outcomes.
A cost-effective way of scaling your resources up
or down to check the system’s performance
Extremely expensive to check if the application performs as
expected under different scenarios.
4. Conclusion
We saw what is performance testing and the different types of tests that you should conduct. Cloud performance
testing can enhance the user’s experience, ensure the app functions properly under heavy load, and can endure
duress. The cloud offers a range of tools and promises an exquisite environment that enables proper
performance testing.
ImpactQA is a leading software testing company with expertise in cloud performance testing. We have curated a
usable methodology and process that helps us meet the timeline, cost, and quality goals. If you want to release a
high-quality software solution, connect with our team for development-to-testing or only testing services.