Word of the Day: stress testing

Word of the Day Daily updates on the latest technology terms | September 13, 2018 stress testing Stress testing is the process of determining the ability of a computer, network, program or device to maintain a certain level of effectiveness under unfavorable conditions. The process can involve quantitative tests done in a lab, such as measuring the frequency of errors or system crashes. The term also refers to qualitative evaluation of factors such as availability or resistance to denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. Stress testing is often done in conjunction with the more general process of performance testing. When conducting a stress test, an adverse environment is deliberately created and maintained. Actions involved may include: Running several resource-intensive applications in a single computer at the same time Attempting to hack into a computer and use it as a zombie to spread spam Flooding a server with useless e-mail messages Making numerous, concurrent attempts to access a single Web site Attempting to infect a system with viruses, Trojans, spyware or other malware. The adverse condition is progressively and methodically worsened, until the performance level falls below a certain minimum or the system fails altogether. In order to obtain the most meaningful results, individual stressors are varied one by one, leaving the others constant. This makes it possible to pinpoint specific weaknesses and vulnerabilities. For example, a computer may have adequate memory but inadequate security. Such a system, while able to run numerous applications simultaneously without trouble, may crash easily when attacked by a hacker intent on shutting it down. Stress testing can be time-consuming and tedious. Nevertheless, some test personnel enjoy watching a system break down under increasingly intense attacks or stress factors. Stress testing can provide a means to measure graceful degradation, the ability of a system to maintain limited functionality even when a large part of it has been compromised. Once the testing process has caused a failure, the final component of stress testing is determining how well or how fast a system can recover after an adverse event. Quote of the Day "Stress testing helps determine an application infrastructure's breaking point and assists in exposing traffic bottlenecks." - Amy Reichert Trending Terms performance testing graceful degradation load testing chaos engineering automated test equipment escalation plan Learning Center Windows troubleshooting tools to improve VM performance Despite all the technological advancements in the data center over the last several years, administrators still need to roll up their sleeves and look under the hood of VMs with help from these Windows troubleshooting tools to keep workloads running smoothly. Cloud application performance hinges on a solid testing plan With the underlying hardware out of their reach, dev teams face a challenge when it comes to ensuring cloud application performance. Learn how quality control testing and related tools can help. Learn the value of exploratory testing vs. scripted testing In this episode of the Test and Release podcast, we dive into exploratory testing vs. scripted testing with Matt Heusser of Excelon Development. While each approach can be effective, these software testing methods can also supplement each other. Five critical tests for cloud application performance, security To ensure optimal cloud application performance and security, development teams must conduct regular tests around load, latency, user experience and more. Which software testing tool best fits your project? Expert Tom Nolle dug deep into two AI strategies and explained which software testing tool is best for your project and organization. Applitools focuses on new technology, while Functionize uses a more traditional style. Quiz Yourself Ethical hacking is also known as penetration testing, intrusion _________________. a. testing, and red teaming b. testing and red teaming 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 2018 TechTarget. All rights reserved.