Load testing is a crucial subset of Performance Testing that is gaining immense significance in the present-day technology scenario. Performance testing gauges the ability of a web application to handle large volumes and patterns of traffic effectively, before it goes live.
Load testing of web applications and the APIs is a testing practice that essentially tests the performance of the system under peak traffic conditions. To perform load testing, testers create a model of expected usage of an application by simulating concurrent access of the application by multiple users. Some of the reasons why load testing is important have been listed below:
Measuring the Performance and Quality of Service of a WebsiteLoad testing allows a performance testing company to measure the quality of service (QOS) performance of an organization’s website based on actual user behavior. As part of this type of testing, testers evaluate the performance of the website ‘under load,’ using different frameworks and tools like Apache JMeter, BlazeMeter, Blitz, CloudTest, LoadRunner, Loader.io, and several others. The hardware and software statistics monitored by testers include the CPU, memory, response time of the physical servers, and throughput of the system under test (SUT).
Analyzing the OSI Protocol StackLoad testing tools are capable of analyzing the entire OSI protocol stack rather than focusing on only the GUI performance, as is the case in regression testing. A load testing tool sends out hypertexts transmitted by the web browser upon the click of the button by a user. When multiple-user environments are involved, load testing tools can send out hypertext for all users, each having a distinctive login ID and password.
Identifying Significant Parameters of Application PerformanceWith the help of load testing, the key parameters of an application can be effectively identified. These parameters comprise the response time per transaction of an application, performance under various load conditions of system/database components, design issues affecting the software, and network delays between the client request and server response.
In addition, problems with software configuration such as web server, application server, and database server – are also identified, along with the shortcomings rooted in hardware, such as CPU maximization, memory limitation, and network bottleneck.
Ascertaining the Maximum Operating Capacity of an ApplicationWith the help of load testing, an organization can efficiently ascertain the maximum operating capacity of its application. Since load testing examines how the system behaves under normal load conditions as well as anticipated peak load conditions, testers can spot the elements that cause degradation or hold-ups. Hence, load testing is also called reliability testing, concurrency testing, or volume testing, as it helps testers to check the capability of the existing infrastructure to run the application under test.
Gaining Insight into the Causes for Slow System PerformanceLoad testing can pave the way for top-notch performance testing services. The process mainly pivots around the evaluation of system performance, in order to ensure that there is no system downtime when numerous users access an application simultaneously. Testers can use load testing tools to learn about the reasons behind the slow system performance. These reasons may include application server or software, database server, network latency, network congestion, client-side processing, and load balancing between multiple servers.
Improving the Scalability of an ApplicationLoad testing allows testers to determine the highest possible user numbers that an application can support. This information can be very useful for testers when additional infrastructure is required to meet potential demand for scaling the application in the future. Besides application scalability, testers can also perform special load testing, over and above the regular load testing, during certain events such as Cyber Monday, Black Friday, music festivals or sporting events, and the likes – when there is an enormous spike in traffic due to flash sales or mass crowd interest.
Reducing Cost Implications of an Application’s FailureLoad testing is an important testing technique that can be used by testers for detecting issues in an application before they crop up. The early detection of issues and the subsequent prevention of defects can bring about a significant reduction in the cost implications of the failure of an application. In the absence of load testing, failures during production can lead to massive costs for an organization due to unavailability of the application in high-traffic conditions.
In Conclusion:
Load testing is a highly productive software testing mechanism that can enable an organization to understand the potential capacity limits of its application or website. Load testing ensures that the software performs to render high user satisfaction, making load testing a significant part of the web design and optimization process. Successful load testing lends the assurance of a high-quality application that can serve a large number of users of the organization. Connect with us to ensure the best quality of applications / software.
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