Performance Testing Central Concepts

Click on an area of the graph to display more detail about that aspect of a performance testing project lifecycle.

For a successful performance testing project, the approach and the testing must be focused on the context of the project.

Identify the user, business and project success criteria related to the performance of the system. These frequently take the form of requirements, goals, objectives, targets and constraints.

Plan and Design Tests. Identify key scenarios, simulated user variances, and test data and metrics to be collected.

Install and prepare the test environment, tools, and resources necessary to execute tests as features and components become available. Instrument for resource monitoring as necessary.

Using your tool of choice, script the performance tests in accordance with the test design.

Run and monitor your tests. Validate the tests, test data, and results collection. Execute validated tests for analysis while monitoring the test and the test environment.

Analyze the data individually and as a cross-functional team. Use trends and ensure your conclusions are supported statistically.

Consolidate and share results data. Customize your reports to your audience, use well designed graphics. Short narrative summaries with intuitive charts and graphs are almost always a hit.

Reprioritize remaining tests and re-execute as needed. Or, as the shampoo commercial used to say "Lather, rinse, repeat" as necessary.

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