Performance Testing, Load Testing, and Stress Testing

Performance Testing, Load Testing, and Stress Testing
Performance tests most typically fall into one of the following three categories:

Performance Testing: It is a kind of testing to determine or validate the speed, scalability, and/or stability, characteristics of the system under test. Performance is concerned with achieving response times, throughput, and resource utilization levels that meet the performance objectives for the application under test.

Load Testing: It is a type of performance test focused on determining or validating performance characteristics of the product under test when subjected to workload models and load volumes anticipated during production operations. These tests are designed to answer questions in such as "How many?", "How big?", and "How much?".

Stress testing: This type of performance test focused on determining or validating performance characteristics of the product under test when subjected to workload models, and load volumes beyond those anticipated during production operations. Stress tests may also include tests focused on determining or validating performance characteristics of the product under test when subjected to workload models and load volumes when the product is subjected to other stressful conditions, such as limited memory, insufficient disk space, or server failure. These tests are designed to determine:

• Under what conditions an application will fail
• How it will fail
• What indicators can be monitored to warn of an impending failure.