background image
<< Part 6 - Execute Tests | Validating a test environment >>
<< Part 6 - Execute Tests | Validating a test environment >>

Approach for Test Execution

Chapter 14 ­ Test Execution
Objectives
·
Understand common principles and considerations of performance test execution.
·
Understand the common activities of performance test execution.
Overview
Performance test execution is the activity that occurs between developing test scripts and
reporting and analyzing test results. Much of the performance testing­related training
available today treats this activity as little more than starting a test and monitoring it to
ensure that the test appears to be running as expected. In reality, this activity is
significantly more complex than just clicking a button and monitoring machines. This
chapter addresses these complexities based on numerous real-world project experiences.
How to Use this Chapter
Use this chapter to understand the key principles and considerations underlying
performance test execution and the various activities that it entails. To get the most from
this chapter:
·
Use the "Approach for Test Execution" section to get an overview of the approach for
performance test execution and as quick reference guide for you and your team.
·
Use the various activity sections to understand the details of each activity involved in
performance test execution.
Approach for Test Execution
The following activities are involved in performance test execution:
·
Validate the test environment
·
Validate tests
·
Run tests
·
Baseline and benchmark
·
Archive tests
The following sections discuss each of these activities in detail.
Validate the Test Environment
The goal is for the test environment to mirror your production environment as closely as
possible. Typically, any differences between the test and production environments are
noted and accounted for while designing tests. Before running your tests, it is important
to validate that the test environment matches the configuration that you were expecting
and/or designed your test for. If the test environment is even slightly different from the
environment you designed your tests to be run against, there is a high probability that
your tests might not work at all, or worse, that they will work but will provide misleading
data.