The stable operation of a website is one of the most important factors for a successful project. However, even the most well-developed websites can experience unexpected failures under high loads, which can lead to loss of users and financial losses. Load testing helps to anticipate such problems, identifying weak points in the system before they cause serious failures. Using a modern website load testing tool allows testers to simulate real high-load scenarios to assess the performance and reliability of the site. There are many quality tools available today and in this article you will learn about some of them.
What is Load Testing?
Load testing is an assessment of the performance of a system or application by increasing the load to real operating conditions. It helps to identify weak points and prevent failures during peak activity.
The types of testing differ depending on the purpose and specifics of the area in which the software is used:
- Load testing. This testing allows you to check how the system works under a given load, whether it can process the required number of requests under specified conditions.
- Stress testing. During this testing, the site is subjected to extreme loads that exceed normal values. Testing helps to identify the limits of operability and the system’s recovery properties.
- Endurance testing. This testing checks how the site will work over a long period of time under constant load. It helps to identify potential problems associated with resource leakage or error accumulation.
- Spike testing. This testing involves sharply increasing or decreasing the number of requests to check how the resource responds to sudden changes in load, such as an advertising campaign.
- Failover testing. This is an assessment of the software’s efficiency in emergency situations. Testing helps to check whether the system has switched to a backup server when an error occurs.
- Volume testing. This testing demonstrates how the site operates under conditions of increasing data volume, and whether the amount of information affects performance.
What Is The Importance of Load Testing?
Developers use load testing to:
- Determine performance. Testing allows them to find out how quickly and efficiently the system processes requests under different load levels.
- Identify bottlenecks. Testing helps them find areas of the system where performance is declining and failures occur.
- Ensure system reliability during peak periods. Testing allows them to assess whether the program is able to operate stably, without errors and server problems.
- Identify the limits of the load on the site, and application. Testing allows them to determine the limitations in processing information.
- Evaluate software performance under increased load and check scalability.
- Check system recoverability. Artificial failures help find out whether the software is able to continue working after the errors are fixed.
Comparison of Load Testing With Other Types of Testing
In addition to load testing, there are two other types of testing, manual functional and automated functional. But what is the difference between them?
Manual functional testing is the type of testing that is used more often than others. It serves as a preliminary check, and then the product moves to the next level of testing.
When choosing this approach to checking a product, the tester performs all processes manually. Thus, he simulates the behavior of a real user. This type of testing does not involve the use of automation tools. The specialist independently examines all the functions and, if bugs are found, documents everything.
Automated functional testing is a type of testing that is designed to simplify the development and testing process. This testing involves the use of additional services that are active instead of the tester. The task of the specialist with this testing algorithm is to write scripts to simulate increased activity. Of course, with this method of testing, the entire process takes several times less time.
Best Tools For Load Testing
Choosing the right website load testing tools is an important step to ensure the stable and reliable operation of a website. Modern solutions offer a wide range of functionality, allowing you to simulate real load scenarios. The following tools are popular today:
- Apache JMeter. It has open source code, a user-friendly interface, the ability to work in Java, advanced built-in options and plugins. The tool does not support JavaScript, does not test desktop applications.
Among the advantages:
- support for writing your own cases;
- the HTTP, LDAP, JDBC, SOAP, JMS, and FTP protocols are supported;
- there is the possibility of integration with Selenium and Bean Shell for automated testing;
2. Gatling. This is a fairly powerful tool for performing load testing, which supports the Scala programming language. The program has 2 files: one provides a recording of test scenarios, the second – their execution.
Among the advantages of Gatling:
- flexibility in the process of interaction with various browsers and OS;
- reports are visualized in the form of graphical tables;
- easy interaction with Jenkins is provided, there is the possibility of testing through Gradle and Maven (the corresponding plugins are used);
- debugging test cases is simplified;
- it is possible to easily search for software defects even at the first stages of development.
3. The Grinder. This is a tool for load testing, which is based on Java. When writing scripts, the Jython language is used (an implementation of Java in Python). The Grinder provides a fairly powerful script engine with a script recording function.
Among the advantages of The Grinder:
- any platform that runs JVM is suitable for work;
- most protocols are supported;
- setting parameters is simplified;
- you can create your own plugins for the interface;
- development of test scripts is easy and fast;
- Jira is supported.
Conclusion
Load testing plays a crucial role in preventing failures that can damage the reputation and finances of a project. Using modern website load-testing solutions, testers can detect bottlenecks in advance, test the site under different scenarios and optimize its operation. Incorporating regular testing into the workflow not only minimizes risks, but also contributes to increased user satisfaction. If you are looking for a reliable provider of testing services using the best website load testing tools, then you should pay attention to PFLB.
