Word of the Day: performance testing

Word of the Day Daily updates on the latest technology terms |April 24, 2017

performance testing Performance testing is the process of determining the speed or effectiveness of a computer, network, software program or device. This process can involve quantitative tests done in a lab, such as measuring the response time or the number of MIPS (millions of instructions per second) at which a system functions. Qualitative attributes such as reliability, scalability and interoperability may also be evaluated. Performance testing is often done in conjunction with stress testing. Performance testing can verify that a system meets the specifications claimed by its manufacturer or vendor. The process can compare two or more devices or programs in terms of parameters such as speed, data transfer rate, bandwidth, throughput, efficiency or reliability. Performance testing can also be used as a diagnostic aid in locating communications bottlenecks. Often a system will work much better if a problem is resolved at a single point or in a single component. For example, even the fastest computer will function poorly on today's Web if the connection occurs at only 40 to 50 Kbps (kilobits per second). Slow data transfer rate may be inherent in hardware but can also result from software-related problems. Effective performance testing can quickly identify the nature or location of a software-related performance problem, such as: Too many applications running at the same time A corrupted file in a Web browser A security exploit Heavy-handed antivirus software The existence of active malware on the hard disk. Quote of the Day "Many software development businesses fail to take performance testing seriously. It deserves focused effort, including time to design full performance test development." - Amy Reichert   Trending Terms stress testing bottleneck load testing MIPS interoperability   Learning Center Native tools prove useful in AWS performance testing Developers can use chains of Lambda functions to simulate application load and adapt AWS performance testing. We explore how one company uses Lambda for test. Performance testing .NET applications secrets to success Performance testing .NET applications takes patience and thoughtful consideration of the right tools. Expert Matt Heusser explains. Why testing in production is going to be the next big thing Manual testers used to think their jobs stopped at app release. Not anymore. Expert Gerie Owen explains why testing in production is vital today. What to look for when buying application testing tools Learn how to evaluate application testing tools by employing these key tactics and paying attention to these features of app testing software. FAQ: Load testing software and application performance management Managing performance with load testing software still happens too late in the lifecycle. This FAQ explains the business value of addressing performance issues early. Writing for Business The purpose of regression testing is to ______ that the software continues to function as expected under specific conditions. a. ensure b. assure Answer       Stay In Touch For feedback about any of our definitions or to suggest a new definition, please contact me at: mrouse@techtarget.com   Visit the Word of the Day Archives and catch up on what you've missed!   FOLLOW US About This E-Newsletter This e-newsletter is published by the TechTarget network. To unsubscribe from Whatis.com, click here. Please note, this will not affect any other subscriptions you have signed up for. TechTarget, Whatis, 275 Grove Street, Newton, MA 02466. Contact: webmaster@techtarget.com Copyright 2016 TechTarget. All rights reserved.