Types of Performance Testing

Load Testing:

Load testing is a part of a more general process known as performance testing.
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It tests system work under loading. This type of testing is very important for client-server systems including Web application (e-Communities, e-Auctions, etc.), ERP, CRM and other business systems with numerous concurrent users.
Examples of load testing include:

•  Downloading a series of large files from the Internet.
•  Running multiple applications on a computer or server simultaneously.
•  Assigning many jobs to a printer in a queue.
•  Subjecting a server to a large amount of e-mail traffic.
• Writing and reading data to and from a hard disk continuously.

Stress Testing:

Stress testing examines system behavior in unusual ("stress", or beyond the bounds of normal circumstances) situations. E.g., a system behavior under heavy loading, system crash, and lack of memory or hard disk space can be considered as a stress situation. Fool-proof testing is another case which is useful for GUI systems, especially if they are oriented at a wide circle of users.


Volume Testing :

Volume test shall check if there are any problems when running the system under test with realistic amounts of data, or even maximum or more.
Volume test helps to find problems with max amounts of data. System performance or usability often degrades when large amounts of data must be searched, ordered etc.
Test Procedure:

• The system is run with maximum amounts of data.
• Tables, databases, files, disks etc. are loaded with a maximum of data.
• Important functions where data volume may lead to trouble.