Performance testing ensures that software systems meet requirements for speed, responsiveness, and reliability under different loads. It examines how systems perform under varying usage conditions by testing for factors like response times and scalability. There are several types of performance tests that are selected based on the testing goals, including load testing to determine maximum operating capacity and stress testing to identify points of failure. Proper performance testing requires defining metrics, configuring test environments, executing multiple test iterations, analyzing results, and retesting as needed to validate performance.

1. UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF
SOFTWARE PERFORMANCE TESTING AND
ITS TYPES

2. WHAT IS PERFORMANCE TESTING?
Software Performance testing is testing conducted to define the performance of the system
test and verify the quality characteristics of the system like responsiveness, Speed, Scalability,
Stability under varied load conditions. The system is examined under blended load conditions
and check the time expected by responding by the system under fluctuating workloads.

3. WHY DO PERFORMANCE TESTING?
Before introducing software to the market, the software system should be examined against
the Speed, Stability and scalability under different load conditions. Performance testing
comprises a variety of tests which allow an analysis of multiple aspects of the system.
Performance testing tells about what is required to fix before going live.

4. PERFORMANCE TEST TYPE
SINGLE USER
Performance testing life cycle is carried during the script design stage. For example, in the
case of web applications, tools like YSlow, HttpAnalyzer etc. are used for examining the
performance of the application.

5. CONTENTION
It is carried during the script design stage of the performance testing life cycle.
LIGHT LOAD
It is carried as a smoke test during the performance testing life cycle

6. LOAD
It is usually conducted at the very first performance run during the performance testing life
cycle.
STRESS / VOLUME
It is conducted if required during the performance testing lifecycle.

7. RESILIENCE
It is conducted if required during the performance testing lifecycle.
FAILURE
It is conducted if needed during the performance testing lifecycle. It might need multiple
cycles of a run for concluding anything.

8. RECOVERY
It is conducted if needed during the performance testing lifecycle.
SPIKE
It is conducted if needed during the performance testing lifecycle
SOAK
It is performed as the last run during the Performance Testing Lifecycle.

9. 1) PERFORMANCE TESTING PROCESS
Identifying the testing environment. Do individual requirement analysis regarding testing
purposes and its goals. Also, define the testing scope along with test Introduction Checklist.
Recognize the logical and physical production planning for performance testing, distinguish
the software, hardware and networks configurations needed to execute performance
testing.

10. 2) RECOGNIZE THE PERFORMANCE ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA
Recognize the desired performance characteristics of the application like Response time,
Throughput and Resource Utilization.

11. 3) PLAN & DESIGN PERFORMANCE TESTS
Planning and creating performance tests include classifying critical usage situations,
discovering relevant variability across users, classifying and creating test data, and
specifying the metrics to be collected. Ultimately, these items will provide the basis for
workloads and workload profiles.

12. 4) CONFIGURING THE TEST ENVIRONMENT
Plan with a conceptual approach, open tools, designed tests along with testing environment
before the performance. The output of this stage is set load-generation environment and
resource-monitoring tools.

13. 5) EXECUTE THE TESTS
Create the Performance study reports containing all performance characteristics of the
application. Based on the analysis, prepare a proposal report.

14. 7) ANALYZE RESULTS, REPORT, AND RETEST
Based on the test report re-prioritize the test & re-execute the same. If any specific test
result within the defined metric limit & all results are within the thresholds limits, then
testing of the same situation on appropriate configuration is finished.

15. CONCLUSION
For the success of the Software system, Performance testing plays a vital role in software
testing life cycle.