Benefits Of Automated Performance Testing

What is automated performance testing?

Automated performance testing is a critical aspect of software development that involves evaluating how a system performs under various conditions using automated tools. This type of testing is designed to assess the responsiveness, stability, scalability, and speed of a software application. By using automated performance testing, developers can simulate a range of scenarios, from peak user load to typical operational conditions, to identify any performance bottlenecks or weaknesses in the system.

One of the primary benefits of automating performance testing is its ability to consistently reproduce test conditions, ensuring that results are reliable and repeatable. This is particularly important in agile and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) environments, where rapid and frequent releases are common. Automated performance testing tools can quickly execute extensive test suites, providing detailed metrics and insights that help teams make informed decisions about optimizations and improvements.

Furthermore, automating performance testing saves significant time and effort compared to manual testing. Automated scripts can run continuously, even outside of business hours, enabling comprehensive testing without human intervention. This not only increases the efficiency of the testing process but also allows for early detection of performance issues, reducing the risk of costly fixes later in the development cycle.

By incorporating automated performance testing into the development workflow, organizations can ensure their applications meet user expectations and perform reliably under various conditions. This proactive approach to performance validation is essential for delivering high-quality software that meets the demands of today’s fast-paced digital landscape.

It is the study of the app’s response rate to external influences at loads of different nature and intensity.

An automatic performance testing is needed to assess the app performance and health under various workloads and conditions. As a rule, people use several types of performance testing, each of which is suitable for specific tasks.

This is:

• Load testing (performance under standard conditions).

• Endurance testing (study of the long-term performance under the standard conditions).

• Volume testing (system testing with increased volumes of processed data).

• Stress testing (how does the app behave itself under extreme loads).

• Spike testing (how does the system show itself when increasing the number of users).

• Each of them has its purposes and features. Any of them become much more effective with test automation benefits.

Introduction to Automated Performance Testing

Automated performance testing is a type of software testing that utilizes automated tools and scripts to evaluate the performance of a system, application, or website under various workloads and conditions. The primary purpose of automated performance testing is to identify performance bottlenecks, determine system capacity, and optimize performance to deliver a better user experience.

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, ensuring that applications perform reliably and efficiently is crucial. Automated performance testing allows developers to simulate different user scenarios and workloads, providing valuable insights into how the system behaves under stress. By identifying potential performance issues early in the development process, teams can make necessary adjustments to enhance system stability and responsiveness.

Automated performance testing is particularly beneficial in agile and CI/CD environments, where rapid and frequent releases are common. By integrating automated performance tests into the development workflow, organizations can ensure that their applications meet performance standards and provide a seamless user experience.

Definition and Purpose

When is performance testing necessary?

All kinds of applications must pass automated performance testing. This type of testing can, among other things, improve the indicators of the system’s usability, security, safety, and survivability. This is necessary for all types of apps: E-Commerce, Social Media Platforms, On-demand Mobile Apps, SAAS-based Apps, etc.

A complete performance testing strategy encompasses a variety of testing methods beyond just automation within CI/CD pipelines. It is important to integrate different approaches, such as cron-based and manual tests, to fulfill diverse testing objectives and encourage a more holistic evaluation of performance.

Automated performance testing and performance optimization allow early software development to identify a wide range of potential problems that are not detected by other tests. By integrating these tests early in the development cycle, developers can ensure that their applications are robust and reliable, ultimately leading to a better user experience and higher satisfaction among users.

It has several purposes and is used to assess:

• the time and sequence of performing operations;

• reactions to changes in the number of users that work with the app;

• the limits of the load intensity, which affects the performance;

• scalability of the app indicators.

All kinds of applications must pass this testing. That’s not the only reason why automation testing is important. Performance testing can, among other things, improve the indicators of usability, security, safety, and survivability of the system.

Overall, performance testing is of great importance.

It is used by everyone who wants their products to be:

1. Fast.

2. Reliable.

3. Stable.

4. Scalable.

And most importantly, they are popular with users. It is impossible to overestimate the benefits of test automation for a startup or business, of which there are quite a few.

What are the benefits of performance testing for businesses?

Performance testing is a must-have for a successful strategy of app or website development. It is directly related to product quality and business efficiency.

Improved performance

Logically, the timely detection of bugs, problems, and other shortcomings improves the system’s performance.

This is directly related to your business performance because your team can more quickly assess the system’s scalability, efficiency, and speed. By integrating performance test automation, you ensure that all bugs and errors are identified and fixed before your users encounter them.

Improved performance not only enhances user satisfaction but also increases the reliability and robustness of your applications. Automated performance testing provides a comprehensive analysis of system behavior under various conditions, allowing for precise identification of potential bottlenecks. This results in optimized resource utilization, reduced downtime, and a more responsive application, all of which contribute to the overall efficiency and effectiveness of your business operations. Accordingly, you will identify all bugs and fix all errors before your users see them, maintaining a high standard of quality and performance.

Loyal users

Loyal users are crucial to the success of any product, especially when it comes to automated performance testing. This type of testing ensures that your application runs efficiently, leading to a faster loading time, which is something that most users expect. In fact, polls show that users anticipate a web application to load in no more than 2 seconds.

This expectation highlights the importance of performance testing in shaping a customer’s first impression, which is critical to your business’s success. When your application performs well, it becomes more popular and in demand, attracting and retaining more loyal users.

Clear and reliable results

Clear and reliable results are a significant benefit of automated performance testing. This testing approach ensures that you have a solid knowledge of your application’s performance, which is crucial for preventing failures, delivering stable software, and maintaining high quality.

Effective test execution is essential for achieving these clear and reliable results. It involves controlled execution and real-time analysis to manage potentially risky tests that could overload systems, and selecting appropriate automation tools that facilitate test execution, planning, and bug capturing.

Performance testing is about meeting standards and exceeding them with accurate test modeling and risk mitigation. By consistently achieving clear and reliable results, automated performance testing helps in upholding high-quality standards and ensuring that your software performs optimally under various conditions. This thorough understanding and meticulous approach contribute to the overall stability and success of your product.

Automated performance testing is crucial for ensuring your application can handle real-world usage without slowdowns or failures. It helps catch performance issues early, before they impact users, by simulating heavy loads and identifying bottlenecks. Integrate it into your development process to boost reliability and user satisfaction.Mikhail BodnarchukCDO, ZappleTech Inc.

No performance bottlenecks

No bottleneck is another critical advantage of automated performance testing. Bottlenecks in a system can occur due to incorrect code or hardware issues that reduce the bandwidth of the data stream, slowing down or pausing data transfer. Conducting tests in a performance testing environment helps identify and eliminate these bottlenecks, ensuring smooth and efficient data flow.

By detecting these issues early, you can prevent them from escalating into more significant problems that could hinder your application’s performance. This proactive approach not only enhances the overall performance but also contributes to the stability and reliability of your software, ensuring that your users have a seamless experience.

You will know your app

Performance testing will help you find out three key parameters of your application:

• How quickly your app responds to user action.

• How stable is it under various loads?

• How accurate is your application?

This will help improve and optimize your app so that it delights users with excellent quality.

High speed

High speed is another crucial benefit of automation testing performance. It is executed several times faster, allows even more volume, and makes fewer mistakes due to the absence of a human factor.

That is, performance testing is an indispensable part of a development strategy. It provides everything you need for an enhancement business: high conversions, user loyalty, confidence in your product reliability, and protection against product disruptions.

But to achieve even more outstanding results and faster, many startups strive to automate these processes.

Types of Performance Tests

Performance testing encompasses various types of tests, each addressing different aspects of system performance. These types of performance tests are not mutually exclusive, and multiple types can be combined based on specific testing goals and requirements.

Load Testing

Load testing is a type of performance testing that simulates a large number of users accessing the application simultaneously. It helps identify performance problems and fix them before they affect the user experience. Load testing can be used to test the performance of an application under various scenarios, such as high traffic, high usage, and high load.

By conducting load tests, developers can determine how the application handles concurrent user requests and identify any performance bottlenecks that may arise. This proactive approach ensures that the application can maintain optimal performance even during peak usage periods, providing a reliable and responsive experience for users.

Stress Testing

Stress testing is a type of performance testing that pushes the application to its limits by simulating extreme user loads. The goal is to identify the maximum load that an application can handle before it breaks. Stress testing helps uncover potential weaknesses in the system, such as memory leaks, resource limitations, and other performance bottlenecks.

By understanding the breaking point of the application, developers can make informed decisions about necessary improvements and optimizations. Stress testing is essential for ensuring that the application remains stable and reliable under extreme conditions, preventing unexpected failures and downtime.

Endurance (Soak) Testing

Endurance testing, also known as soak testing, evaluates how well the application performs under a sustained load over an extended period. This type of performance testing helps identify performance problems that may not be apparent during short-term tests. Endurance testing can reveal issues such as memory leaks, resource exhaustion, and performance degradation over time.

By conducting endurance tests, developers can ensure that the application maintains consistent performance and stability during prolonged usage. This is particularly important for applications that are expected to run continuously or handle long-term user sessions. Identifying and addressing performance issues early in the software development lifecycle helps improve overall system reliability and user satisfaction.

These types of performance tests are essential in ensuring that systems and applications meet performance requirements and deliver a seamless user experience. By incorporating automated performance testing into the software development lifecycle, organizations can identify and resolve performance issues early on, reducing the risk of performance-related problems and improving overall system reliability.

Top 5 performance testing tools

Today’s software marketplace is full of various load testing tools ranging from open source applications to premium automated load testing tools. However, it is sometimes difficult to choose the best one with so many available options.

Therefore, understanding the top performance testing tools is crucial. A few of the most influential and popular performance testing tools show the best results.

Apache JMeter

Apache JMeter is widely recognized as one of the leading open-source tools for automated performance testing. Developed in Java, it offers robust cross-platform capabilities, making it versatile for various operating systems. Users can leverage its graphical user interface (GUI) for interactive testing and also utilize its console mode for automated, scriptable performance testing scenarios.

As a load testing tool, Apache JMeter excels in simulating heavy loads on servers, networks, or objects to measure their performance under stress. It’s known for its scalability and extensive support for protocols like HTTP, FTP, JDBC, and more, making it suitable for testing a wide range of applications and services. Its flexibility in both GUI and console modes makes it a preferred choice among developers and testers for comprehensive performance testing and analysis.

Apache JMeter has many advantages:

• Convenient interface.

• Results analysis and caching.

• Suitable work with multithreading.

• Data analysis and visualization.

• Dynamic input.

Also, JMeter supports work with various network protocols of HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, LDAP, SOAP, TCP, mail protocols, and shell scripts.

In addition, it, as a java-based tool, provides capabilities for working with JDBC, Message-oriented middleware (MOM) through JMS and Java Objects.

Locust

Locust is a powerful open-source tool designed for automated performance testing by allowing users to write load testing scripts in Python. This framework is highly flexible, supporting both local and distributed testing setups to simulate various levels of load on web applications.

Scalability testing is essential for evaluating an application’s capability to adjust to varying demands, such as increases in user load. It helps in planning future capacity, identifying performance issues, and determining how much an application can grow without significant architectural changes.

Primarily used for testing web applications, Locust stands out for its simplicity and scalability. Users can easily write and maintain test scripts using Python, leveraging its intuitive syntax and structure. While it focuses on web applications, Locust’s modular architecture enables specialists to develop plugins to extend its functionality for testing other protocols or systems as needed.

With Locust, teams can simulate thousands of concurrent users to assess how their application performs under different loads, identifying potential bottlenecks or performance issues early in the development lifecycle. Its ability to handle distributed testing setups efficiently makes it a popular choice among developers and QA professionals looking for effective and scalable performance testing solutions.

The Locust advantages are following, for example:

• Simple documentation.

• Easy requirements for the programmer and his skills.

• Python support, which is especially liked by those who work in this language.

• Cross-platform for running tests.

• Own web server in Flask for displaying test results.

The only nuances are that you need to open its Web UI, written in Flask, and the lack of support for receiving reports in xUnit format to run it. This causes a lot of inconveniences when using it in CI.

K6 automated performance tests

K6 is gaining popularity as a modern open-source tool focused on automated performance testing, particularly targeting developers. Known for its user-friendly design and developer-centric approach, K6 enables teams to conduct robust load testing directly from their development environment.

Unlike traditional performance testing tools, K6 emphasizes ease of use and integration with modern development workflows. It allows developers to write performance tests using JavaScript, making it accessible and familiar for those already working with web technologies. This approach supports rapid test scripting and execution, facilitating quick iteration and feedback on application performance.

K6 is designed to handle scenarios ranging from simple HTTP requests to complex load testing scenarios involving thousands of virtual users. It supports both local and cloud-based testing environments, enabling teams to simulate realistic user loads and assess application performance under various conditions.

Overall, K6’s focus on developer productivity, scalability, and modern testing practices makes it a preferred choice for teams looking to integrate performance testing seamlessly into their automated testing pipelines and development cycles.

Its advantages are as follows:

• Integration with CI tools is available.

• The ability to create custom metrics.

• Designed for developers according to the “everything is code” concept.

K6 has an open-source version and a paid cloud version with additional functionality and load scaling.

It is excellent for developers who are interested in testing and want to write high-performance code and companies that can’t organize independent testing.

Yandex Tank

Yandex Tank, originating in 2006, has evolved significantly into a versatile tool for automated performance testing. Its appeal lies in its flexibility and ability to accommodate various load generation methods.

One of Yandex Tank’s notable features is its integration capability with other tools like JMeter, enabling scenario-based testing across multiple protocols supported by JMeter. This integration enhances its utility for comprehensive performance testing scenarios, ensuring compatibility and scalability across different testing environments.

Additionally, Yandex Tank supports the BFG-Python generator and Pandora, written in Go, further expanding its capabilities for generating diverse and realistic loads on applications. These features make Yandex Tank suitable for handling complex performance testing tasks, from simulating heavy loads to evaluating application performance under stress.

Overall, Yandex Tank’s evolution and integration capabilities make it a valuable tool for developers and testers looking to conduct robust and scalable performance testing across a wide range of applications and environments.

Yandex Tank features are as follows:

• Automatic test stop function.

• Built-in server monitoring via ssh protocol.

• Open configuration for creating your modules.

• Integration with Graphite is available.

Yandex Tank itself is implemented in Python and can only be used on Unix systems.

Gatling

Gatling is a highly regarded open-source tool for automated performance testing, leveraging Scala, Netty, and Akka technologies. Known for its scalability and efficiency, Gatling is favored by developers and testers for its robust capabilities in simulating heavy loads on web applications.

One of Gatling’s standout features is its automatic report generation, simplifying the post-test analysis process. After conducting performance tests, Gatling generates comprehensive reports that provide detailed insights into key performance metrics and potential bottlenecks. This streamlined reporting feature enhances the tool’s usability and effectiveness in identifying performance issues early in the development cycle.

Choosing the right performance testing tools is key to ensuring your project’s success. Look for tools that fit your project’s tech stack, offer scalability for future growth, and provide detailed insights into performance metrics. Tools like Gatling, K6, and JMeter are popular choices known for their reliability and versatility. Experiment with different tools to find the one that best suits your specific testing needs and integrates smoothly into your development workflow.

Mykhailo Poliarush

CEO, ZappleTech Inc.

Gatling’s script development is also noteworthy, allowing testers to write performance scenarios using a DSL (Domain-Specific Language) in Scala. This approach not only facilitates precise test scripting but also supports advanced scripting techniques for complex testing scenarios.

Overall, Gatling’s combination of advanced technologies, automatic reporting, and powerful scripting capabilities makes it a preferred choice for teams seeking a robust solution for performance testing that integrates seamlessly into their automated testing workflows.

It also has some advantages:

• It may perform better under high loads than other free tools, especially when testing WebSockets.

• Optimally for Scala programmers.

• Has official and unofficial plugins for testing Kafka, RabbitMQ, JDBC, etc.

As for the protocol support, according to the official documentation, HTTP (s)/1, WebSocket, JMS, MQTT are supported.

Performance automation and manual testing.

Test automation is a natural step in the development of the IT industry. It opens up many possibilities and has many advantages of automation testing over manual:

• Speeds up the immediate testing process;

• Uploads the team;

• Covers many more items to test;

• Performs tests that cannot be done manually;

• Allows you to identify bugs faster and more accurately;

• Promotes accelerated product release;

• Enables round-the-clock testing;

This approach pays off in helping you stay ahead of the market and outperform the competition.

Of course, everything has some cons, and so does automated testing. For example, it does not allow for effective usability testing of design, such as the button’s position and, in general, how comfortable the application is to use. Manual testing is still used to find out all of this.

But automation testing opens up more possibilities, at least. It frees your hands for more essential tasks and cuts costs. Also, it simplifies programs development for users and allows them to be technologically advanced and competitive in the market.

It’s essential, if there are benefits of automation testing, then there are some disadvantages somewhere. First of all, this problem lies in cost. Some automation tools can be expensive, and this also affects the price of the test project.

In addition, you may also encounter:

• Debugging a test script.

• Some technical glitches.

• Each tool has its technical limitations.

It also does not allow random testing, whereas the manual method does.

3 reasons why performance testing is needed for your project

The performance of a digital solution is one of the main factors affecting both the performance of the application and the UX. That is why this parameter is especially important in software development and testing. But beyond this, performance testing solves a number of additional tasks during the search for bugs.

Performance testing is crucial for ensuring your project can handle the demands of real-world users. It helps identify and fix bottlenecks that could slow down or crash your application under heavy loads. By testing early and regularly, you can optimize performance, enhance user satisfaction, and prevent costly downtime or performance issues post-launch.

Sergey Almyashev

COO, ZappleTech Inc.

Determining the cause of software problems

Often, performance problems with individual apps or systems are due to a number of third-party factors. For example, unstable connections or high memory consumption by other digital solutions. But beyond that, they can also occur within an IT product, in its code, modules, or communication protocols for information exchange.

To identify them and carry out performance testing. Usually, the errors are already evident during the script’s first run and then eliminated by the developers.

Avoiding future problems

For preventive purposes, you can test performance even on the finished product, but the efficiency will be lower than with checks during development.

This testing allows you to identify weak code fragments, poor integrations, or other problematic areas of a digital solution. If they are corrected in advance, the risk of errors in the final version of the IT solution is significantly reduced, as are the costs of fixing them.

Checking the reliability and stability of an app

Performance testing can be performed together with load testing, checking the stress tolerance of the code and all software components. This allows us not only to determine the maximum allowable load but also to describe it in the specifications.

Also, thanks to this, it is possible to immediately improve the performance of a digital product by migrating it to another, more flexible, technical stack. But such a step is possible only in the early stages of development when there is still time to upgrade the platform.

These are the answers to the question: why performance testing is necessary in literally every QA process.

In general, performance testing plays one of the key roles in project development since it can be used to identify weaknesses in a digital solution. We recommend deploying this process early in the creation of an IT product to maximize the coverage of test tasks and application components.

Final word

Performance testing plays a pivotal role in ensuring the successful deployment of applications and websites. In today’s digital landscape, users have high expectations for IT products, placing a significant emphasis on performance and responsiveness. Research indicates that users often form their opinions about an application’s performance within seconds, making performance testing a critical aspect of quality assurance.

Automated performance testing tools like Gatling, Yandex Tank, K6, and others mentioned earlier are invaluable in this regard. They allow developers and QA teams to simulate real-world user loads, identify potential bottlenecks, and ensure that applications can handle expected levels of traffic without compromising performance.

By leveraging these tools, teams can proactively address performance issues early in the development cycle, improving the overall user experience and minimizing the risk of performance-related setbacks post-launch. This proactive approach not only enhances user satisfaction but also contributes to the long-term success and competitiveness of digital products in today’s demanding market.

Performance testing helps identify any bugs or issues before product release and take appropriate action.

Several types of testing are used, depending on the required parameters:

• Stress testing.

• Load testing.

• Endurance testing.

• Spike testing.

• Volume testing.

Many believe that it is advisable to automate all these processes, given the benefits of test automation:

• Accelerated processes and high data coverage.

• The team unloads.

• Accurate results without human error, etc.

This approach also requires some investment, and automated testing can be expensive. But, on the other side, it pays off quickly and gives the business a great start. And with it, you will gain high conversions and popularity of the product.