The document discusses techniques for performance testing web applications, including staging the testing environment, building test assets, running tests, and analyzing metrics. It describes deploying a testbed, eliminating deployment issues, analyzing client data to develop test scenarios, executing manual and automated tests, and gathering metrics on system performance, databases, and applications. The goal is to identify potential performance issues before load testing at higher user volumes expected by clients.

1. Performance Testing for Web Applications
Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
Ștefan Popa
Software Test Automation Specialist

2. Agenda
Techniques
 Stage the environment
 Build test assets
 Test procedure
Metrics analysis
 System analysis
 Database analysis
Profiling
 Application profiling
 Topology profiling
Performance Testing for Web Applications: Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
Slide 2 of 18

3. Performance testing for web applications
1. Techniques
Stage the environment:
Deploy testbed
Eliminate deployment issues
Build tests assets:
Analyze client data to develop an approach strategy
Build scenarios
Test procedure:
Manual & automated tests
Automate data collecting and processing
Performance Testing for Web Applications: Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
Slide 3 of 18

4. Stage the environment: Deploy testbed
Create a testbed similar to client’s production
Administrator /
Management
Users
Frontend
Database
Backend
Performance Testing for Web Applications: Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
Payment
Aggregator
Slide 4 of 18

5. Stage the environment: Eliminate deployment issues
 Client’s working infrastructure
 Application server tuning:
-
Network issues
Data compression
Connection pools
Memory allocation
 Test DB server tuning:
-
Best practices or DBA expertise
Resource allocation for the shared pool
Database parameters
Performance Testing for Web Applications: Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
Slide 5 of 18

6. Build test’s assets: Investigate logs and database
Analyze client data
 Investigate logs
 Investigate database
Build scenarios
Performance Testing for Web Applications: Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
Slide 6 of 18

7. Build test’s assets: Analyze client data to develop an approach strategy
Analyze client’s previous product logs or establish new possible scenarios based on
existing clients
Performance Testing for Web Applications: Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
Slide 7 of 18

8. Build test’s assets: Build the scenarios
Create the actions
Set the goals
(expected latencies)
Performance Testing for Web Applications: Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
Slide 8 of 18

9. Build test’s assets: Manual performance tests: Fiddler / httpwatch
Manual testing:
Finding issues/bugs with minimal effort
Have a reference for
automated tests
Performance Testing for Web Applications: Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
Slide 9 of 18

10. Build test’s assets: Manual performance tests: results
Test RUN ID
Test Tool
# of users
# of cycles
1
Login
2
Press "Existing customer" button.
3
Enter the account's Billing Name. Click the "Find" button
4
Click the "Continue" button.
5
Click the button "Update Resources".
6
Select a value from the "Service Number" drop down list.
7
Insert an available "IMEI“. Click the "Retrieve" button.
8
Press add to cart
9
Click the "Service payments" button.
10
Fill in a value for "Amount to pay” Press "Add to cart"
11
Press "Check Out" button.
12
Press "Cash" button.
13
Press "Submit"
14
Press "Finish Sale"
Performance Testing for Web Applications: Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
1
Manual - Fiddler
1
10
2
Manual - Fiddler
1
10
3
Manual - Fiddler
1
10
1.42
0.33
0.29
1.88
0.16
0.68
0.45
2.58
0.49
1.66
1.75
0.33
3.50
0.23
0.68
0.23
0.17
1.53
0.21
0.78
0.5
2.56
0.17
1.37
1.06
0.2
2.81
0.12
0.59
0.31
0.03
1.12
0.03
0.43
0.21
1.85
0.17
1.21
0.78
0.17
2.17
0.06
Slide 10 of 18

11. Build test’s assets: Develop an automated solution for testing
Transposing the manual scenario into an automated script
Performance Testing for Web Applications: Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
Slide 11 of 18

12. Build test’s assets: Calibrate tests
Validate script by running with 1 user as in previous manual run.
Test RUN ID
3
4
Test Tool
Manual Fiddler
Automatic jMeter
# of users
# of cycles
1
3
1
10
0.57
0.53
0.03
0.06
0.07
0.08
0.7
0.76
Click "Update Service"
0.17
0.17
Select Service Number
1.4
1.36
0.51
0.51
0.1
0.1
Add to cart.
2.17
2.03
Click Check Out
0.75
0.91
Press "Check"
0.29
0.31
Submit Check number and press Submit
2.51
2.55
Press Close & Finish sale button.
0.35
0.15
Login
Data must be consistent
Press "Existing customer" button.
with manual tests Enter the first name/last name Click the "Find" button
Click the "Continue" button.
Validate actual results
Change "Rate Plan"
Set "Effective Date" (Immediate)
Differences between manual
and automated tests
Performance Testing for Web Applications: Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
Slide 12 of 18

13. Test runs, analyze results
First stage – Detect low load performance issues
Run ID
Test Tool
# of users
Raise limit to
client’s expected load
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Open OnlineStore main page.
Sort by provider: LG
Select a preconfigured phone model with promo
Add to cart the phone.
Enter a valid ZIP code and click the Submit button.
Click the Continue button.
Click on the "Postpaid plan type" hyperlink.
Select a rate plan.
Acknowledge age restrictions
Click the "Add to cart" button.
Skip add to cart an accessory.
Click the Check Out button.
Select New Account
Enter new user information. Press Continue Checkout
Enter Account Owner Info
Select Personal address or Postal Service address
Verify Cart
Select Subscriber info and select “new number"
Select Personal address or Postal Service address
Select Shipping Details & select Shipping method
Review cart and confirm Checkout
Agree License and Contract
Enter & submit credit card details.
Order Complete. Press Continue Shopping
Main page loads. Press logout
Performance Testing for Web Applications: Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
5
6
7
Automatic
(jmeter)
Automatic
(jmeter)
Automatic
(jmeter)
1
0.62
10
0.16
20
0.94
50
0.14
50
0.08
50
0.07
100
0.08
0.07
0.04
0.46
0.13
0.06
0.05
0.05
0.42
0.35
1.38
6.8
3.1
0.08
0.09
0.03
0.02
0.25
0.08
0.05
0.01
0.02
1.41
1.52
2.97
13.96
0.05
0.87
0.94
0.82
0.88
2.58
6.21
1.24
0.6
0.63
0.06
0.03
0.49
0.04
1.16
0.03
0.03
0.02
0.01
0.37
0.02
0.01
0.02
0.03
0.05
0.03
0.25
0.05
0.02
0.03
0.04
0.3
0.37
1.14
7.14
2.67
0.06
0.07
0.06
0.06
0.4
0.1
0.02
0.04
0.04
0.05
0.03
0.53
0.05
0.03
0.07
0.08
0.42
0.81
1.69
4.06
0.71
0.32
0.37
0.49
0.98
2.15
3.76
0.59
0.35
0.37
0.38
0.44
1.32
4.7
0.24
0.24
0.25
1.32
4.6
9.44
47.06 28.18 7.46 11.04
0.05
0.03
0.32
0.12
0.02
0.03
0.03
0.17
0.24
0.8
5.54
0.19
1.47
1.62
1.99
3.17
5.75
10.34
1.91
0.07
0.08
0.5
1.09
2.24
5.31
0.99
0.66
0.87
1.43
2.63
5.79
6.42
3.89
0.04
0.05
3.23
3.54
4.87
4.76
0.41
0.33
0.33
2.21
5.64
9.53
27.89
6.67
3.01
2.88
0.11
0.09
0.8
0.14
0.06
0.05
0.06
0.09
0.1
0.52
0.12
0.05
0.06
0.06
Slide 13 of 18
8
9
10
11
Automatic Automatic Automatic Automati
(jmeter)
(jmeter)
(jmeter) c (jmeter)

14. Performance testing for web applications
Metrics analysis
Automatic data gathering
Automatic data processing
Metrics analysis
Performance Testing for Web Applications: Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
Slide 14 of 18

15. Metrics analysis: Automate collecting and processing test data
Performance Testing for Web Applications: Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
Slide 15 of 18

16. Metrics analysis: Analyze database issues
Performance Testing for Web Applications: Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
Slide 16 of 18

17. Metrics analysis: Analyze application server issues
Performance Testing for Web Applications: Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
Slide 17 of 18

18. Metrics analysis: Analyze network issues
Analyze system’s working
parameters to help build
system requirements.
Performance Testing for Web Applications: Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
Slide 18 of 18

19. Performance testing for web applications
Profiling
System-wide load distribution analysis
Database profiling
Application profiling
Performance Testing for Web Applications: Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
Slide 19 of 18

20. Profiling: System-wide load distribution analysis
Performance profiling of staging
environment’s overview
Use of APM tools
Performance Testing for Web Applications: Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
Slide 20 of 18

21. Profiling: Database profiling
Workload summary & CPU load
Performance Testing for Web Applications: Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
Slide 21 of 18

22. Profiling: Database profiling
SQL query analysis
Performance Testing for Web Applications: Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
Slide 22 of 18

23. Profiling: Database profiling
Execution plan analysis
Performance Testing for Web Applications: Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
Slide 23 of 18

24. Profiling: Application profiling
Breaking down the problems
Finding atomic method’s elapsed time to reduce application server load
Performance Testing for Web Applications: Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
Slide 24 of 18

25. Performance tests: Publish the results after multiple iterations
Run ID
# of users
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Open OnlineStore main page.
Sort by provider: LG
Select a preconfigured phone model with promo
Add to cart the phone.
Enter a valid ZIP code (57722) and click the Submit button.
Click the Continue button.
Click on the "Postpaid plan type" hyperlink.
Select a rate plan.
Acknowledge age restrictions
Click the "Add to cart" button.
Skip add to cart an accessory.
Click the Check Out button.
Select New Account
Enter new user information. Press Continue Checkout
Enter Account Owner Info
Select Personal address or Postal Service address
Verify Cart
Select Subscriber info and select "Give me an Viaero number"
Select Personal address or Postal Service address
Select Shipping Details & select Shipping method
Review cart and confirm Checkout
Agree License and Contract
Enter & submit credit card details.
Order Complete. Press Continue Shopping
Site Loads. Press logout
30
1
0.98
31
10
0.3
66
10
0.09
68
50
0.07
72
50
0.07
73
50
0.06
0.52
0.28
0.05
0.05
0.04
0.05
1.38
1.18
0.09
0.08
0.08
0.08
0.15
0.11
0.01
0.01
0.01
0.01
1.19
1.37
1.28
0.87
0.85
0.91
0.88
1.04
0.82
0.6
0.58
0.61
0.66
0.27
0.03
0.03
0.02
0.04
0.07
0.07
0.02
0.02
0.02
0.02
0.66
0.28
0.03
0.03
0.03
0.02
1.27
0.97
0.06
0.06
0.06
0.07
0.19
0.24
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.2
0.14
0.07
0.07
0.07
0.07
0.49
0.56
0.28
0.32
0.29
0.3
0.84
0.86
0.34
0.35
0.34
0.35
0.47
0.9
0.2
0.24
0.19
0.35
9.16
9.33
6.65
7.46
5.41
3.38
0.24
0.18
0.03
0.03
0.03
0.04
0.49
0.5
1.34
1.47
1.37
0.49
2.79
2.24
0.07
0.07
0.07
0.07
0.95
1.05
0.62
0.66
0.61
0.74
1.77
1.92
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.04
0.72
0.71
0.29
0.33
0.3
0.42
4.73
5.26
3.01
3.01
2.73
2.15
0.37
0.24
0.06
0.05
0.05
0.05
0.13
0.26
0.07
0.06
0.06
0.04
Performance Testing for Web Applications: Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
Slide 25 of 18

26. Ștefan Popa - Software Test Automation Specialist
Performance Testing for Web Applications: Techniques, Metrics and Profiling
Slide 26 of 18