Performance Testing

Performance testing is a type of software testing that evaluates how a system performs under a particular workload. It aims to identify performance bottlenecks, establish baselines, and verify that the system meets performance requirements.

In performance testing, the system is subjected to workloads that simulate real-world conditions, such as maximum user load or peak transaction volumes. Various performance metrics are measured, like response times, throughput, resource utilization, and stability. Common performance testing types include load testing, stress testing, soak testing, spike testing, and scalability testing. For example, load testing gradually increases the workload to evaluate system behavior under different loads. Stress testing subjects the system to workloads beyond normal operational capacity to find its breaking point. Performance testing provides quantitative data to help optimize the system architecture, configuration, code, or infrastructure to improve speed, scalability, and stability. It is an essential practice in development and operations to build robust, high-performance systems that can handle real-world workloads and meet end-user expectations.