How to make your software failure-free using Software Reliability Testing

When the entire global digital landscape is underpinned on the reliability or performance of software, the role of software reliability testing becomes critical. In the metrics of gauging performance, reliability is often pegged above efficiency owing to the following reasons:

·         The lack of product reliability can be telling on the brand value of a company. This may lead the end-users to shy away from buying the software, thus impacting sales.

·         For critical systems like navigation control in an aircraft or an embedded software in a medical device, any system failure can have serious consequences.

·         An inefficient system can be improved by working on small sections of the program suite. However, an unreliable system can be difficult to improve as the glitches leading to such unreliability are not localized but distributed throughout the suite.

·         Inefficient systems can lead to delays and have their own sets of issues. However, the consequences of unreliable systems can be more telling on their immediate surroundings or the people handling them.

·         Inefficient programs can take a long time to execute. This may help programmers or users to find out the issues and remedy them. However, unreliable systems may not sound any alarm until it is too late. For example, a design flaw in an aircraft may not be visible during testing but can manifest itself in the form of a crash.

·         Executing each function fully at least once.

·         Reducing the interaction between functions.

·         Checking the new functionality for its quality and accuracy.

·         Identifying bugs that could get into the system after the new addition or modification.

Since reliability is a critical factor when it comes to the execution of software, software reliability testing needs to be pursued in right earnest. However, let us first understand what software quality testing in terms of validating reliability is all about.

What is software reliability testing?

Reliability testing as a part of software quality assurance services ensures consistent performance and functioning of the software. This means the software should render fault-free performance in a given environment and time period. Importantly, the end-users tend to believe in the outcome of any software. They mostly have blind faith in the performance of software, which may lead to unforeseen consequences. For example, a glitch-prone banking software can be hacked into by cybercriminals with disastrous results. However, users do not brook such a possibility while using the software. Thus, software quality testing becomes the key to ensuring their trust.

How to make your software failure-free courtesy software testing services?

The reliability of the software can be assured by executing a number of tests as detailed below:

·         Feature testing: This type of software testing services check the features and functionality of the software. It tests if the application runs according to the expected outcomes. Also, it checks the interoperability of the software with other components and environments. The test comprises the following activities -

·         Regression testing: This type of testing is done when a new version of the software is added to the build. This validates the new version to be free of any glitches. The activities associated with this type of testing are as follows.

·         Load testing: This type of testing checks whether a particular functionality works to its optimum when subjected to the highest workload. The test ensures the software responds within a minimum time, say 5 seconds, to the user commands. If this test is not conducted, then the system can crash abruptly or suffer from latency. This can lead to frustrating user experiences and creating a negative impression of the brand.

·         Security testing: Given that a large number of software is dealing with sensitive personal and business information, security testing has become integral to reliability testing. It relates to identifying the vulnerabilities and preventing any unauthorized access. Also, the testing checks if the software complies with the industry-accepted rules, standards, etc. This is more apparent with software that deals with banking and financial transactions.

Conclusion

The reliability of software is arguably the most important facet of any software application. Also, it is relatively costly than other forms of testing thus necessitating proper test management. As the complexity of software increases with each passing day, software quality engineering can play a key role in driving reliability. Reliability testing can go a long way in ensuring better user experiences and maintain the competitive edge of businesses.

This article is already published on medium.com

The use of Automated Testing in a CI/CD Pipeline?

The rigors of the market and changing user preferences have focused on the need for developing quality applications. Since quality can be a relative term changing across processes and based on numerous in-situ parameters, methodologies like Continuous Improvement or Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) become important. In other words, any software needs to be upgraded continually based on user feedback and market trends. Enterprises are increasingly embracing Agile and DevOps to build new products and services within short turnarounds. However, such speedy development cycles can lead to the release of bug-infested software. This is due to the fact that both developers and testers get less time to validate all the quality parameters. Moreover, it is often observed that developers and testers focus on activities/elements like code repository management, integration, and CI servers. Surprisingly, automated testing services are often not on the list of developers notwithstanding the demand for quick release cycles and increasing complexity of software.

What is automated testing?

It involves the testing of software codes using scripts, frameworks, and tools. Here, preconfigured tests are executed to validate the features and functionalities of software against a given set of parameters. At the end of testing, the automated testing framework prepares a detailed report of the test including the glitches found.

Let us understand what benefits automated application testing brings to the table vis-a-vis the CI/CD pipeline.

Why the CI/CD pipeline needs automated testing services?

A software needs periodic upgrades to remain aligned with the market needs and technology changes. A robust continuous integration and testing mechanism can ensure quick feedback on the changes. It helps to identify glitches quickly before the product hits the market. To enable the same, automated testing solutions should be harnessed. These can provide stakeholders with accurate information on the inherent risks thereby helping them to take informed decisions. By implementing a robust test automation strategy wherein various tests are run continually, the resultant product turns out to be glitch-free and delivering superior user experience.

Benefits of using an automated testing strategy in CI/CD pipeline

With the complexity of software applications increasing and delivery schedules reducing, it has become imperative to validate their functionalities across devices, operating platforms, browsers, and networks. This is where an automated testing strategy can help in the following ways -

• Quicker tests: Since CI/CD pipeline requires speed and a minimum turnaround time, automation testing can validate various aspects of the software quickly than say, manual testing. Also, automated tests can be run for any number of times and not let glitches go undetected.
• Faster regression tests: The CI/CD process involves receiving speedy feedback from the users. The impact of changes made in the software can be validated better by using automated testing. Also, such testing can run in parallel, thereby shortening the execution time.
• Consistency: No software should have anomalies, especially during the execution of continuous integration. Automated testing can identify the glitches or anomalies present in the software and ensure a consistent performance. Also, it ensures expectations are met until the product is finally released. 
• Efficient release of software updates: Frequent software updates can face challenges in removing bugs in a continuous delivery pipeline. Thus, the risk of bug infested build can increase thereby impacting the end-user experience. Automated testing can take care of such occurrences and streamline the delivery process.
• Agility: In a continuous integration and delivery pipeline, the technology, frameworks, and configurations should be amenable to changes based on the business requirements. In the absence of an automated testing framework, it would be virtually impossible to implement and validate such builds in the expected time frame. Also, it would amount to being inefficient if the QA team must wait to rewrite or reconfigure the test suites. Since test automation can reconfigure the test suites automatically, crucial build time can be saved.
• Better product visibility: Tests such as interface or unit testing can deliver greater visibility about the product at any given point in time. Test automation can provide instant feedback for developers in the CI/CD pipeline so that the latter can administer a quick-fix to the build later.

Conclusion

Software developers and testers can start small when it comes to implementing the CI/CD pipeline. As you gain experience in writing test suites and automation, the challenges that come with the job can be used as a learning phase. The benefits will soon become apparent as they go about following the best technical approach and using the right framework. In a fast-growing digital landscape, automated testing services shall be your best bet in ensuring faster release of glitch-free products.

This article is already been published on dev.to

How To Approach The Testing of ERP Application

ERP applications have become critical for the smooth running of enterprises. Since these comprise myriad modules, functions, and processes, the need to validate them becomes critical.

Enterprises are realizing the need to leverage the SMAC (Social, Mobile, Analytics, and Cloud) model to accelerate growth. However, overhauling core processes administered by legacy ERP applications is equally critical. ERP applications help enterprises manage various functions, departments, and processes, including the data generated therein.

These applications help enterprises to run as one single unit and, in the process, generate outcomes such as improved productivity, better efficiency, reduced waste, enhanced customer experience, and increased ROI. In view of the criticality of ERP applications for organizations, they should be tested and validated. Testing ERP applications can ensure the smooth functioning of multiple tasks within organizations. These may include tracking inventory and customer transactions, managing finances and human resources, among many others.

What is ERP?

Enterprise Resource Planning aka ERP is a comprehensive software that integrates the various functions of an organization into a single system. The software has a shared database containing all information pertaining to the various functions or units of an organization. The ERP system helps to streamline the processes and access to information across the organization 24×7.

Why is ERP software testing needed?

ERP software is cost-intensive and requires a lot of investment in time and effort. Every ERP software comes with multiple versions and requires customization to suit specific business requisites. Moreover, since every element in the application is connected to some other module, upgrading them can be a challenging task. For example, creating a sales order would need access to the inventory management module. If any of the modules does not function to its optimum, the entire ERP application may be impacted. This can have a cascading effect on the performance of the company as well as create bad customer experiences. Hence, testing ERP applications shall ensure the correct implementation of the software and prevent crashes.

ERP software testing, besides checking the software’s functionalities, should ensure the generation of reports and forms accurately. By identifying and removing bugs during the testing phase, testers can avoid facing post-implementation blues. Moreover, it can lead to an early adoption of software and ensure its smooth running. ERP application testing services validate business processes, functions, and the rules governing them. They help reduce operational risks within the constraints of available resources and time.

The importance of automated ERP testing

Since the ERP system contains huge volumes of data, testing the manual procedures can be time and cost intensive. Automated testing can help to validate all the features and functionalities in minimum time and cost. Also, since multiple business units of an organization can have different processes or procedures, automated testing can check the accuracy of their output against specific parameters. Further, the ERP system needs to be updated periodically with the advent of new technologies like Cloud, Big Data, and Mobility, among others. Such updates help the organization to validate transactions in real-time, which is not possible manually.

Best available ERP testing tools

Since the ERP systems are available in multiple versions targeting multiple domains, units, and customers, the best testing tools available are:

·         Microsoft Dynamics NAV – For SMEs

·         SAP Insurance – For insurance companies

·         Microsoft Dynamics AX – For large scale enterprises

·         SAP Banking – For the banking sector

Approaching the testing of ERP applications

It is imperative for enterprises to set up a robust testing strategy. The strategy should prioritize the testing of processes depending on the short and long-term goals.

Setting up KPIs:

At the outset, testers should setup the KPIs or performance metrics and evaluate how they will impact the overall organizational goal as well as departmental objectives. Thus, establishing the KPIs will help derive the right ROI for the organization.

All-encompassing:

ERP implementation for a large organization with many departments and processes can be a complex and challenging job. However, it is important that all stakeholders are taken into confidence and involved in the process. The process also includes making the necessary investment in training. When everyone is involved in ERP implementation, there is more cohesiveness in the administration of the software.

Data migration:

An organization can plan its strategic moves if it can make use of its data emanating from various processes over a period. To ensure real data is not lost or distorted in any way during ERP validation and testing, its proper migration process should be planned beforehand.

Selecting the right automation tools:

As ERP software can have myriad variables interfacing with various processes, they need to be validated. This requires choosing the right test automation tools – open-source or premium ones. Automated ERP testing can validate many variables for various processes against expected outcomes. The right automation tool will help testers to write and execute test cases.

Identifying test cases:

Since it is not possible to test every sinew of an ERP application, proper test cases should be written to ensure the maximum test coverage. Thus, testers should identify the test cases for each test and document them as well. Also, since ERP processes are linked to each other, and even to third-party applications or modules, they should undergo automated ERP testing.

Conducting performance, regression, and security tests:

As an ERP system helps to run the operations of an enterprise as a single unit, it should run some critical tests. These include regression, performance, integration, security, and usability tests. This way the enterprise can ensure continuous monitoring of the system, save time and cost, and prevent any sudden downtime or latency.

Proper documentation:

Post testing of components in the ERP system, the documented glitches ought to be analyzed to preempt any failure in a real environment. Moreover, the reports can be used for future reference.

Conclusion

To sustain in the competitive business environment of today, businesses need to take digital initiatives such as implementing an ERP solution. However, to ensure the successful running of such a solution and derive benefits out of it, enterprises should carry out ERP testing. The approach for such a testing should involve automation and carrying out various types of testing.

This article is already published on softwaretestingmaterial.com

How to address the Performance Testing challenges of IoT

The digital age aka industry 4.0 has been redefined by intelligent solutions that are merging the digital and physical worlds across verticals. These intelligent solutions are leveraged by organizations to enhance scalability, enable customization, realize efficiencies, improve customer experience, and achieve ROI. The Internet of Things or IoT technology is driving synergies between smart machines, industrial processes, and software applications. This requires organizations to build end-to-end systems with enhanced capabilities, driving outcomes such as product enhancement, innovation through collaboration, greater operational visibility, better equipment performance, and quicker decision making - all based on contextual data obtained in real-time.

The Internet of Things (IoT) connects smart devices to the internet using sensors. It also connects such devices to digital technologies constituting big data, artificial intelligence, and wireless networks. The main objective of establishing such a network is to collate and share intelligence among devices without any human intervention. The data obtained from IoT helps organizations to analyze their digital ecosystem and pre-empt equipment malfunction, downtime, and other glitches. It gives them insights into the performance of products and how they are utilized by the users. The insights can be leveraged to enhance the differentiating features of products, create value chains, and build new business models to drive growth.

IoT helps organizations to

• Track and monitor assets in real-time with respect to their performance and availability
• Analyze data from sensors for predictive maintenance
• Take critical business decisions
• Generate greater efficiency, enhance safety and customer experience and create new business models and revenue streams

However, IoT can present a host of challenges, especially concerning performance testing.

Challenges in application performance testing of IoT devices

• Increased complexity: Since data communication takes place between smart devices such as televisions, air conditioners, washing machines, refrigerators, or smartphones, they need to be considered for performance testing. However, the plethora of devices can increase the level of complexity while drawing a specific performance testing strategy. Also, recording data from mobile devices, and web browsers, among others by using a load tester is relatively easy compared to testing the above-mentioned devices without changing their settings.
• Tackling the impact of factors: In IoT, factors such as network bandwidth, load, latency, or packet loss, among others can be critical when it comes to executing application performance testing. For example, if the above-mentioned factors are not tested for a web or mobile application, the same may crash.
• Stateless operation: Typical software applications are connected through a sequence of steps aka context or state. However, since IoT sensors do not follow any well-defined context, the IoT applications ought to manage such context or state elements.
•  Diverse device interfaces: With changes in IoT devices and the addition of new ones with different connection protocols and data formats, the performance testing methodology needs to change as well. This is because every new addition would require the execution of performance testing. 
• Absence of subjective feedback: In most testing procedures, data can be inserted to test the effectiveness of UI or response time. However, the same cannot be provided by the IoT networks.

The performance testing approach to tackle the challenges?

To begin with, testers should prioritize test cases, especially the key areas that can take the longest testing time. Testers must understand to choose such areas as the consequences of performance issues can be devastating for some businesses compared to the rest. Also, given the fact that a great deal of standardization has taken place in the technology field, the testers should ensure their compliance while providing performance testing services. Any updates being pushed for these devices would present challenges of security and usability. The core functionality of IoT devices should include monitoring their current status as they are connected to a network 24x7.

Implementing IoT can include devices that do not have IoT in them. These may include communication networks, instrumentation, and storage, among others. The complexity of such devices and the lack of an IoT label would require testers to first understand how the pieces would fit in the jigsaw. Thereafter, testers should streamline the complexity and communicate the importance of each device and make it work.

Conclusion

The efficient way of driving the performance of an IoT based application is to implement a robust testingplan. It should be followed by determining the peak load factor faced by the device at any point in time. The testers should use appropriate testing tools to validate performance efficiently. By implementing performance testing, businesses can integrate IoT in their processes and achieve success.

This article is already published on medium.com.

How to Secure your Web Applications - Complete Guide

Digitization has led to the development of web applications, websites, and other tools. Besides changing the way that we share information, interact, or do business, these digital elements have transformed our lives for the better. Enterprises, in order to stay flexible, profitable, and competitive, are moving their operations online. This way, they allow their employees, clients, customers, and other stakeholders to stay connected 24x7. Also, employees working in remote offices across countries can interact and collaborate in real-time by using such technologies.

The introduction of Web 2.0 has brought convenience, speed, choices, and quality on a platter for the customers. The growing customers’ appetite for top-notch web applications has led businesses or entities to share sensitive data all across the value chain. The examples of e-commerce stores and online banking exemplify this trend. If such advancements have brought enormous benefits for individuals, businesses, and organizations, they have attracted hackers and scammers as well.

The news about malware, ransomware, trojans, and viruses playing havoc has become common now. In fact, cybercrime has become a $1.5 trillion industry as we move into the year 2020. It has the potential to push individuals, businesses, and organizations into a downward spiral. The cumulative effect of cybercrime has given rise to the industry of web application security.

Let us take you through the ways to secure your web applications in the form of a guide. Here, the focus would be on conducting a comprehensive web application security audit encompassing web application security testing.

Assessing the Target Web Application: The process can involve the use of an automated web vulnerability scanner provided the pre-scan activities are already done. However, the procedure is not foolproof and can give rise to several false positives as well. This happens as the web vulnerability scanners are meant to scan a number of complex web applications. The users, thus, need to align these scanners to the specific business needs.

The web application security testing can begin by conducting a manual assessment of the target web application. Thus, you can get familiarized with the architecture and topology of the web application. Find out about the directory, file structure, number of pages, and files present in the application. Also, know about the application’s root directory, source code, online forms, and URL structure. Since there are a number of vulnerabilities specific to web technologies, it is better you know the one used to develop the application - PHP and .NET, among others. Find out if the web application had crawled from the black-box scanner before launching the scan. Remember, if the web application is not crawled and leaves out some parts or parameters, then securing the application will not happen.

Denial of Service (DOS) Checklist: Web applications cannot distinguish between valid traffic and a malicious attack. Among the reasons, the uselessness of IP addresses as identification credentials comes at the top. For example, during a distributed attack the web application cannot identify a real attack from multiple users reloading at the same time. In this type of software application security testing, the number of sessions per user should be checked and regulated, if need be.

Penetration Testing: Make sure all the web penetration tools are available in a centralized repository supporting the import and export of data. The application security testing services should use penetration testing - manually as well as using tools to check for logical vulnerabilities and to audit the application.

Web Application Firewall (WAF): It can analyze web traffic emanating from IP addresses containing both HTTP and HTTPS. This way WAF can identify malicious traffic that works at the application layer. It can block connections to known vulnerabilities in a web application thereby preempting any malicious attack. However, it comes with a few shortcomings as well:

• Ability to detect only known security vulnerabilities
• Depends on the expertise of the user
• No fixing of security holes in web applications

The software application security testing should be conducted throughout the SDLC and not when the application goes live. It comprises of several methods such as:

• Using a black-box scanner
• Conducting a manual source code audit
• Identifying coding issues using an automated white-box scanner
• Penetration testing
• Conducting a manual security audit

Conclusion

Web applications can be the ideal conduit for the ingress of malicious codes into an IT system. However, the quality of such applications can be enhanced, and security strengthened by using the right vulnerability scanner. By employing a focused application security testing methodology, both logical and technical vulnerabilities can be identified and fixed. The other avenues include limiting remote access, switching off unnecessary functionalities, using accounts with limited privileges, segregating live environments from development and testing, installing security patches, and staying informed.

How to ensure Digital Transformation by Testing Transformation

Digital technologies, no matter how complex or challenging for businesses to implement, have been accepted as an inevitable facet of modern times. The examples of hovering drones delivering products, virtual assistants like Siri or Alexa answering customer queries, or smart devices like Google Home or Amazon Echo has become commonplace. The advent of new technologies is a testimony to the growing customer expectations of glitch-free products or services. Enterprises, in order to stay competitive and deliver great customer experiences, are embracing digital transformation in a big way. Accordingly, legacy systems are being replaced or upgraded with newer technologies embracing SMAC (Social media, mobility solutions, Analytics, and Cloud).

As customer experience becomes the catalyst for driving enterprises to invest in competitive solutions for sustainable growth, QA assumes significance. To make digital transformation implementation effective on the ground, the software and systems need to be tested rigorously. This is all the more important as digital transformation services touch the most important aspect of people’s lives. Rigorous QA testing helps in identifying glitches in software and makes it fit for customer acceptance. The success of any digital transformation journey is underpinned on the usage of the right tools, standards, processes, protocols, and methodologies. When the ultimate objective is to deliver a superior customer experience, then QA should be a part of the digital transformation strategy. In fact, enterprises should look at the quality transformation to realize the impact of digital transformation implementation.

Why quality transformation is required to deliver digital transformation?

Quality, as the most critical attribute of a product, can only be ensured if every process or department in an organization enforces it. It calls for implementing a set of protocols and regulations cutting across departments or processes for every transaction or activity. It is important to realize the DevOps outcomes of Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery of builds. So, how to achieve quality transformation in the first place?

Achieve a speed of testing through test automation: Since the testing of codes should be for multiple channels, the QA teams should use test automation. The automated test suites can run quick tests by leveraging virtual users to achieve DevOps and Agile goals.

Activate the feedback loop: Silo-driven processes can often be the impediments in giving the right feedback about a product. This leads enterprises to identify any fault later in the SDLC and rendering mitigation, time-consuming and costly. However, by incorporating the shift-left approach where the development and QA teams work in tandem, feedback on glitches can be exchanged fast.

Incorporate AI-driven analytics: Artificial Intelligence has come as a shot in the arm for testers and developers. It analyzes past patterns of data to identify the presence of glitches in processes. This helps in speeding up the QA process and ensuring a seamless CI/CD pipeline. Moreover, when the security of applications has become a critical quality requisite, AI-driven analytics can help in creating robust software.

Let us understand with an example as to why testing transformation is essential to realize the benefits of digital transformation solutions:

A retail chain going for digital transformation implementation to deliver great customer experiences can court trouble if the software contains glitches. This can expose the software to security breaches and the loss of sensitive customer data. If not addressed in time, the same can have implications for the retail chain. These may include the loss of customer trust, inviting regulatory censure or penalties, or class suits from clients/customers.

Implementing the right digital testing strategy

To gain a competitive edge in the market and deliver the right customer experiences, enterprises need to tune into the latest trends. These include big data, mobility services, AI-driven analytics, and cloud services, among others. In fact, QA transformation can help enterprises to adopt new and disruptive technologies.

Digital transformation envisions the adoption and integration of disruptive technologies to provide an omnichannel experience to the customers. However, enterprises face a slew of challenges when embracing such technologies. These are mainly related to the integration of both technologies (new and existing), changing the work culture, and training the workforce, among others. This is where QA transformation can help enterprises to take a gradual approach in managing, measuring, and implementing technologies.

Conclusion

To address the diverse needs and challenges concerning digital transformation, the quality testing process should be changed accordingly. It is only by testing the transformation of processes or workflows that the fruits of digital transformation can be obtained. This encompasses the conduct of rigorous testing across the value chain comprising cloud, web portals, devices, browsers, operating systems, and networks.

This article is originally published on digitaldoughnut.com

Building the right Performance Testing strategy

In our digitally-connected world where companies are churning out umpteen number of products or services to be accessed over digital devices, performance becomes a sticky issue. The word ‘sticky’ has been used deliberately as the performance of a product or service depends on a host of factors. And delivering a glitch-proof product is no guarantee of its smooth performance. In fact, factors like responsiveness, network bandwidth, and others can deal a body blow to the performance of an application. Just think of an airlines portal catering to thousands of transactions every second. If the portal does not follow a robust performance testing strategy and selects a threshold for load, it is likely to crash midway or show latency. This can adversely impact the user experience.

What is performance testing?

It is a form of software testing where the application under test needs to be checked for its load handling capacity. The load performance testing process determines the stability, speed, throughput, and responsiveness of an application or system when working under a load. It is a non-functional testing that comprises various tests such as load test, capacity test, scalability test, soak/endurance test, volume test, and spike test.

To build the right performance testing strategy, one must be aware of the associated challenges. These include

·         Testing the software under realistic scenarios

·         Picking the right tool to simulate real users

·         Lack of test data

·         Limited test coverage area

·         Poor scalability not allowing the handling of concurrent tasks

·         Poor network configuration

·         Insufficient hardware resources like low performing CPUs

·         Insufficient capacity to handle the workload

The performance testing methodology should define the scope, load policy, and SLAs surrounding the application. Since everything about the software cannot be tested, a decision should be taken to identify the specific area, feature, or functionality of the application for testing. It has been observed that around 10-15% of test scenarios contain around 75-90% of bugs. So, it is better to focus on those scenarios and mitigate the lion’s share of glitches.

How to build the right Application Performance Testing strategy?

Selecting the right strategy would determine if the performance of the application covers all the right areas and load scenarios.

Test environment: Set up a robust test environment by identifying elements like hardware, network configurations, and test tools. This will help the QA team to identify challenges pertaining to performance testing early on in the SDLC. In fact, QA experts can have a number of options in setting up the test environment. These include:

·         A production system containing a smaller number of servers of lower specification

·         A production system comprising a smaller number of servers of similar specification

·         Using the actual production system or its replica

Baseline for user experience: At the beginning of conducting load performance testing, the QA testers should know the level of user satisfaction. So, it is not merely about the number of load times or responsiveness of the application. Identify a baseline for user experience that the application should be tested for.

Performance metrics: Choosing the right performance metrics is important to plan for testing. These include throughput, response time, and constraints. For example, response metrics deal with measuring the performance of an application from a user’s perspective. While volume metrics is about measuring traffic generated by the load testing tool vis-a-vis the application.

Realistic tests: Allowing umpteen number of virtual users to face a server or cluster of servers may not be the right way of measuring load in a real-world scenario. While setting up such a scenario, the focus should be on choosing the devices or environments that would be used to access the application in real-time. This is important because the traffic is likely to come from a host of mobile devices, operating systems, and browsers. Also, the realistic test scenario should vary the test environment. This is to allow the organization to become resilient to the changing market dynamics.

Performance testing a part of Agile: Performance testing should not be conducted at the end of the development process. This makes it too late and expensive to fix glitches. So, load performance testing should be integrated with the development process a la Agile. In fact, performance engineering should be a part of the scrum and entrusted with measuring the performance of code during development.

Conclusion

In a competitive business environment where the quality of software application determines the latter’s success, building the right strategy for performance testing is critical. It ensures the smooth performance of application against a definitive user load scenario.