What is Load Testing

• Load Testing is creation of a simulated load on a real computer system by using virtual users who submit work as real users would do at real client workstations and thus testing the systems ability to support such workload.

  Load testing is the measure of an entire Web application’s ability to sustain a number of simultaneous users and transactions, while maintaining adequate response times. It is the only way to accurately test the end-to-end performance of a Web site prior to going live.

  Two common methods for implementing this load testing process are manual and automated testing. Manual testing would involve

  • Coordination of the operations of users
  • Measure response times
  • Repeat tests in a consistent way
  • Compare results

  Testing of critical web applications during its development and before its deployment should include functional testing to confirm to the specifications, performance testing to check if it offers an acceptable response time and load testing to see what hardware or software configuration will be required to provide acceptable response time and handle the load that will created by the real users of the system

  Why is load testing important ?

  Load Testing increases the uptime for critical web applications by helping you spot the bottlenecks in the system under large user stress scenarios before they happen in a production environment

  When should load testing be done?

  Load testing should be done when the probable cost of the load test is likely less than the cost of a failed application deployment. Thus a load testing is accomplished by stressing the real application under simulated load provided by virtual users.

  Load testing generally refers to the practice of modeling the expected usage of a software program by simulating multiple users accessing the program’s services concurrently. As such, this testing is most relevant for multi-user systems. When the load placed on the system is raised beyond normal usage patterns, in order to test the system’s response at unusually high or peak loads, it is known as Stress testing. The load is usually so great that error conditions are the expected result.