Backend Testing: The Specifics

Performance testing means a lot of things to a lot of different people. Breaking the terminology down, and separating the term into two functional parts helps to simplify the terminology. As previously mentioned, Backend Testing and Functional Testing are key components to performance testing on a whole. Backend Testing, however, is the more crucial element from an engineering standpoint.

When most testers in the industry refer to performance testing, they are referring to backend testing, and tweaking server performance to meet load needs.

Traditionally, this includes tests that focus on API integrations, mobile performance, as well as the performance capabilities of your website in a browser, across servers, and ultimately from end-user devices (phones, tablets, PCs).

Breaking down the goals of performance testing helps to further categorize test into three key components. During testing, performance testers hope to gain insight into website functionality (APIs), performance (server response times, etc), and system stability while a server us under increased load.

In the sections immediately following this page, we will be reviewing the main tools used for performance testing backend processes. These tests help use focus in on functionality, performance, and stability issues that may arise.

These tests include:

As we move through the aforementioned test sections, specific backend testing techniques will receive more attention, and we will discuss further details test-by-test, starting with the capacity test.

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