Software Performance Testing - Tasks To Undertake

Tasks To Undertake

Tasks to perform such a test would include:

• Decide whether to use internal or external resources to perform the tests, depending on inhouse expertise (or lack thereof)
• Gather or elicit performance requirements (specifications) from users and/or business analysts
• Develop a high-level plan (or project charter), including requirements, resources, timelines and milestones
• Develop a detailed performance test plan (including detailed scenarios and test cases, workloads, environment info, etc.)
• Choose test tool(s)
• Specify test data needed and charter effort (often overlooked, but often the death of a valid performance test)
• Develop proof-of-concept scripts for each application/component under test, using chosen test tools and strategies
• Develop detailed performance test project plan, including all dependencies and associated time-lines
• Install and configure injectors/controller
• Configure the test environment (ideally identical hardware to the production platform), router configuration, quiet network (we don’t want results upset by other users), deployment of server instrumentation, database test sets developed, etc.
• Execute tests – probably repeatedly (iteratively) in order to see whether any unaccounted for factor might affect the results
• Analyze the results - either pass/fail, or investigation of critical path and recommendation of corrective action