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• Dec 16,2010
• In: Articles

The terminology in the load testing

To discuss approaches to load testing and the problem solved with its help, offering to start with terminology. Understanding the various terms under the same entity can speak to the "same language".

Exercise testing and performance testing – is automated testing that simulates the work of a certain number of business users in what a general (partial to) share. An example is the work of employees of a modern bank, which all operate with the same software applications installed on the bank servers. Or use a software application web store, here visitors, load the server will be Internet users.

Simulation of loading occurs by means of special products and techniques. Well, what and how we are going to simulate? In order to understand this and need to decide on terminology:

1. Virtual User – a software process, cyclically performing the simulated operation
2. Lration – this is a repetition performed in a series of operations
3. Operation Intensity – frequency of operation per unit time in the test script given interval of time between iterations
4. Loading – the cumulative performance of operations on the share (Tr. / sec, hits / sec)
5. Performance – number of operations performed over a period of time (N operations for M hours)
6. Application Scalability – proportional increase in performance with increasing load
7. Performance Profile – a set of operations with a given intensity, derived from the collection of statistical data or by analysis of specific requirements for test system
8. Load point is calculated (or defined by the customer) the number of virtual users in groups that perform with a certain intensity

Now consider how these entities are related. Expressing the intensity after a time interval between iterations, we see that the increase in the intensity of the operations that reduce the time interval. Load growth is proportional to the increase in intensity. It is also natural that, as the intensity increases productivity. This increases the degree of utilization  of resources. From a certain point, productivity growth is terminated (and the load can continue to grow), and then saturate the degradation system. In addition, you will notice that when testing changes in the intensity of operations may be subject to any above the law (eg, Poisson) or be uniform throughout the test.

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