Performance Testing: The What, Why, and How

Performance testing is a crucial aspect of non-functional testing that involves using workflows in parallel to test a system's infrastructure to ensure it can handle multiple users simultaneously, providing a successful experience for many users at once. Unlike functional testing, which focuses on individual user interactions, performance testing evaluates the system's capacity to handle load and its ability to scale with increased traffic. The type of performance testing used depends on the specific needs of the business, including stress/capacity testing, load testing, soak/endurance testing, volume testing, scalability testing, spike testing, availability and resilience testing, failover testing, disaster recovery, and others. Understanding how these different types of performance tests intersect with each other and with other departments is critical to effective performance testing, as it requires collaboration between teams and stakeholders to manage risk and improve the overall quality of the product.