A large number of organizations fall prey to performance problems with their system, websites, apps, and other online sites. This happens since they fail to have these tested under real world conditions, and also because they remain unaware of the performance testing errors that need to be prevented. A proficient and expert software testing partner would be able to conduct performance tests without the errors, thereby ensuring top quality software. Here are some of the common performance testing errors:
Ambiguity in Defining Goals
Load testing needs clear and quantifiable goals else the testing exercise is simply a guessing game. The goals should be based on the actual requirements of the business of the client. These could be performance under normal and heavy load conditions, response time per activity, or the volume of data the system is expected to manage, and other such goals.
Incomplete/Shoddy Planning
Performance considerations of software must be in the forefront even in the design stage – ignoring this is bound to cause problems later. In fact, organizations must ensure that performance testing assurance be part of the SLAs as part of the designing phase.
Delaying Performance Testing
Some organizations believe that conducting performance testing can wait to the end of the SLDC. This is false, and an expert performance testing company would advise the client on the benefits of running performance tests throughout the development lifecycle without delay. They would also be able to provide insights with regard to the kind of performance levels that the business can expect post conducting the entire set of tests.
Too Much Emphasis on Time
This error has to do with regard to using inadequate stop and think times – that is forgetting to add the reading and reaction time of users. A meticulous performance testing regime would emulate the actual interaction that users would have with the application. However, not simulating these actual scenarios would bring up unrealistic results, causing concern and panic. Avoiding this performance testing error would be critical to success.
Testing on Single Use Case
Inexperienced software testing teams would use a single test case setting when conducting performance testing. This would not only create problems but also skew results with regard to the kind of scenarios the application would encounter in real world situations. Expert performance testers would apply appropriate and easy to use tools that would enable a variety of statistical approaches that would bring up several kinds of variances. This in turn would offer a much more realistic indication of real world use cases.
Running Tests from a Single Location
Technical reasons or budget concerns sometimes makes software testing teams run performance testing services from within the firewall. This obviously will not be a true measure of the kind of performance the application would be able to provide in a real world scenario/or under load conditions.
Incomplete Analysis/Using Assumptions
The job of a tool while running a test is to collect data/KPIs (key performance indicators). It is necessary to allow the test run to be complete before trying to analyze the data. Using the data midway amounts to using assumptions since it would be impossible to identify trends. The errors presented at the end of the test cycle are what need to be analyzed thoroughly. While this is extremely critical, it is also one of the most challenging tasks faced by testers – using an experienced performance testing company will ensure process rigor.
Applying Small Amounts of Hardcoded Data
Some testers take the easy route by using a comparatively smaller set of hardcoded static data. This in no way can provide a realistic picture of the actual performance of a live application. An expert company undertaking performance testing services would generate inexpensive data to create huge amounts of realistic evidence. This would provide a better indication of the expected performance of the app/software product once it is in the market.
Lack of Test Run Documentation
Repeating tests and comparing results from each test is an essential part of load testing services. However, without adequate documentation for the multiple tests, the parameters applied, application versions, and the varying test settings – it would be a nightmare to track the changes and compare results. A proficient testing company would provide easy to use, efficient, and transparent documentation each time.
In Conclusion
There are already a number of things that could potentially lower the performance of your product, in addition to these errors. It would make business sense to partner with a top class performance testing company to ensure that these errors are avoided at the start. Efficient performance testing forms the basis of a high quality product – and most companies are unable to get it right despite their best intentions. Connect with our experts and leave all the worrying to us – top quality products guaranteed every time.
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