Monitoring is important to analyzing individual component(s) of the application.

During performance testing virtual users create load on an application, and the tester's direct involvement in process is less (and tools involvement is more). Thus, it is important to monitor the system and its individual components.

What should you monitor during a test?

• The application server and all the activities happening;
• The database server and all the activities happening;
• The Web server and all the activities happening;
• The network and bandwidth availability;
• All client side activities;
• Firewalls;
• Any intrusion software or solution if used.

The importance of monitoring

There are three main reasons monitoring is critical to performance testing:

• It enables you to pin point any issues quickly;
• It provides sponsors a true picture of the capacity of the existing infrastructure and helps them make decisions on weather to invest more or decrease investments in the infrastructure;
• It provides product owners confidence on the results observed

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