Types of Performance Testing

The Matrix Benefits of Performance Testing Types

• Capacity Planning: 1. Provides actual data to the capacity planners.
  2. Validates capacity planning models.
  3. Determines current usage and capacity.
  4. Provides usage and capacity data.
• Component : 1. This type Provides information to help detect and tune component-level performance issues.
  2. Provides a baseline of performance characteristics.
• Endurance : 1. Detects slow memory leaks.
  2. Detects insufficient file storage capacity.
  3. Identifies slowness due to volume of stored data.
  4. Is the most realistic scenario for predicting production conditions.
• Investigation : Collects useful information at various development stages.
• Load : 1. Determines throughput of the peak load.
  2. Determines hardware adequacy.
  3. Determines database capacity.
  4. Evaluates the adequacy of a load balancer.
  5. Collects scalability and capacity-planning data.
• Smoke : 1. Provides a quick assessment of current performance.
  2. Quickly compares one build to another.
  3. Quickly finds obvious performance issues.
  4. Quickly provides data to help prioritize next steps.
• Spike : 1. Detects memory leaks.
  2. Identifies disk I/O concerns (thrashing).
  3. Identifies slow returns to steady state.
• Stress : 1. Determines if data can be corrupted by overstressing the system.
  2. Estimates the conditions under which errors appear.
  3. Establishes application-monitoring triggers.
  4. Ensures that security holes are not opened up by stressful conditions.
• Unit : 1. Provides immediate feedback about code performance.
  2. Helps isolate and tune performance issues.
  3. Provides a baseline of performance characteristics.
  4. Allows testing middle tier and database layers in isolation.
• Validation : Determines what requirements and goals are and are not being met.