Performance Testing: A Comprehensive Guide to Optimize Software

Retailers use their websites to engage customers, promote business, and conduct online transactions. Websites must be prepared to avoid user discontent, service outages, and other issues when these activities are executed constantly. 

Glitches or failures in websites can impact customers’ experience. According to a study by Vanson Bourne, a minor lag in a website’s reaction time can influence customer experience and site conversion rates. 

Therefore, this blog is curated by the skilled software developers team at the best software development company in Bangalore to help you know performance testing better and how it can run the software effectively.  

What is Performance Testing? 

Performance testing is a non-functional testing type to evaluate the behavior of a software application under diverse conditions. The testing method assesses key aspects such as an application response, its ability to handle increasing website loads, resource efficiency, and overall stability.

The primary objectives of performance testing are- 

1. Find and resolve bottlenecks 

Performance testing recognizes performance bottlenecks in the application that are delaying it. The causes of blockages include inadequate code, database queries, or hardware restrictions. 

2. Validate system stability 

Performance testing handles the desired number of users and transactions without cracking or becoming hazardous by the application. It is essential for applications that many individuals use or control sensitive data.

3. System responsiveness and speed 

Performance testing measures the utility’s response time, the time an application takes to process a request and return a response. A responsive utility is essential for a flattering customer experience.

Why Test Website Performance? 

A website includes hundreds of pages, documents, and files. Testing your website’s performance is crucial to:

• Allow the website to handle large and different patterns of traffic
• Examine the behavior of the website under several load levels
• Ensure that a website built using different technologies works perfectly on multiple browsers
• Check that the front-end operations and back-end operations work properly
• Locate bottlenecks in the website and applications incorporated with it

Types of Performance Testing 

Now let us know how the software works in user systems. The implementation of software tests is different for every test. It includes non-functional tests to decide whether a system will be prepared when tested.

• Stress Testing 

When the system software is pushed beyond normal limits to find its breaking point, stress test checks for queries under harsh conditions to ensure the system remains robust and free from bottlenecks.

• Load Testing 

This evaluates the application’s ability to perform under increasing workloads, simulating real-world user and transaction scenarios. It’s crucial to see if the system remains efficient under typical operating conditions.

• Spike Testing 

The spike test evaluates the application’s response to user traffic surges. It is essential to keep the system stable during undesirable peaks in need.

• Endurance Testing 

The endurance testing levies the system’s durability over time, like a marathon. It is necessary to monitor long-term performance to ensure the system’s dependability under further use.

• Scalability Testing 

Scalability testing assesses how well the application adapts to different site loads to adapt to growth or climbing down with the decrease in demand.

• Volume Testing 

This testing type focuses on the application’s capacity to regulate enormous data efficiently to ensure performance under data-intensive strategies.

Tools for Software Performance Testing 

The three popular software performance testing tools are as follows. 

1. LoadRunner 

LoadRunner is a software performance testing tool by Micro Focus that provides the best features for testing such as stress testing, load testing, and performance analysis.

Features 

• Integration with micro products for monitoring and testing. 
• The tool is scalable and robust to handle large-scale testing with millions of users. 
• It provides cutting-edge techniques to interpret test results.

Advantages

•  The tool is perfect for offering complete research mechanisms for specifying performance blockages.
•  LoadRunner manages complicated enterprise networks and applications.
• It supports a range of technologies, such as mobile, web, and API testing.

2. Apache JMeter 

Apache JMeter is a flexible software performance testing tool for functional, load, and stress testing. It is a powerful tool that can simulate user changes and workloads.

Features 

• The tool is scalable to handle large-scale testing for thousands of customers.
• It uses plugable architecture to support several plugins to extend its functionality.
• It is a free and open-source tool that can be used without licensing costs.  

Advantages

• It is a cost-effective tool that is freely available without licensing fees.
• It is fully flexible, and customizable, and supports plugins and scripting languages for different tests.
• A large community adopts the tool and includes extensive documentation.

3. Gatling 

Gatling is a performance testing tool written in the Scala language providing a flexible approach to performance analysis and load testing.

Features 

• Gatling supports distributed testing across several machines to increase load generation.
• Uses expression-based scripting to conduct dynamic test scripts.

Advantages 

• The Gatling tool uses domain-specific language or DSL to develop creative and maintainable test scripts.
• It includes extensive documentation and an active community for the desired support.
•  The tool integrates with CI tools to automate different performance tests.

Top Practices for Performance Testing 

Adequate performance testing is essential for software applications to deliver an optimal customer experience and meet real-life demands. By these best practices discussed here, you can maximize your performance testing value and determine performance issues earlier.

#Practice 1- Define Clear Performance Criteria 

Before software performance tests, use clear criteria that match the application’s use and customer expectations. The standards should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

• Specific 

Clarify the performance targets for fundamental metrics, like response period, throughput, and CPU use.

• Measurable 

The performance criteria must be quantifiable and objectively assessed.

• Achievable 

Establish practical performance objectives achieved with reasonable resources and effort.

• Relevant 

Match the performance measures with the application’s use and user requirements.

• Time-Bound  

Use deadlines for attaining the performance criteria.

#Practice 2- Use Realistic Test Environment

Conduct performance testing in environments that closely match the production environment where the application will be deployed. 

It involves factors, like hardware specifications, software compositions, network situations, and workloads.

#Practice 3- Monitor System Under Test 

The overall monitoring of the system under test gains insight into resource utilization, performance back-ups, and possible problems. It should contain several metrics, comprising network bandwidth, memory consumption, CPU use, and response times.

It specifies performance degradation, resource limitations, and probable bottlenecks that impact the application’s prevailing performance.

#Practice 4-Start Early with the Software Development Cycle  

Integrate performance tests early in the software development lifecycle (SDLC) for several benefits like

• Performance Regressions Prevention 

The regular performance testing in the SDLC prevents performance reversions and ensures constant performance with the evolution of the application.

• Proactive optimization

Early performance testing in the development cycle authorizes assertive application performance optimization.

• Early identification of performance bottlenecks

Dealing with performance issues in the early stage is cost-effective and slightly more disruptive than repairing them later in the development procedure.

Performance Testing Challenges 

Performance testing is an essential aspect of software development, but it can also be challenging to conduct effectively. Here are some common challenges that performance testers face.

1. Assuring test repeatability

The performance test outcomes should be repeatable for constant evaluation and comparison. Factors like network latency, hardware variability, and outer reliances can challenge accomplishing compatible test outcomes.

2. Handling specific performance blockages 

The cause of performance bottlenecks can be varied factors, such as hardware limitations, ineffective code, or database issues. Managing these blockages needs careful optimization and the right resource allocation.

3. Setting real test environments

Copying the production environment, including hardware, software, and network layouts is crucial for precise software performance outcomes. Yet, developing a practical test environment can be resource-intensive for large-scale applications.

4. Foreseeing customer patterns

Evaluating the application’s performance under load by simulating realistic user traffic patterns is necessary. However, anticipating customer behavior can be tough because user habits can differ depending on aspects, like time, location, and application use ways. 

Conclusion 

To conclude, software performance testing measures the application strength, scalability, speed, and responsiveness under various situations to determine possible stoppages. By following the best practices discussed in the blog and utilizing applicable tools, you can optimize your testing actions to improve your software performance and get the desired success.

As the top software development company in Bangalore, we let our customers attain software speed and efficiency using our performance testing services and a collection of testing tools. We also provide an AI-powered testing platform to allow developers to analyze the performance data and recognize problems. 

For more information, do not hesitate to book an appointment with us to discuss software development services in Bangalore further.