An endurance test, sometimes referred to as a long duration test or SOAK testing, determines whether a system can sustain continuous expected load. Endurance test can last anywhere between 8 hours, or 2 weeks depending on typical application usage patterns.

Endurance tests are important tools used to understand how an application performs during these high-load times. Whether or not an application returns to previous levels once load subsides is also a primary feature of an endurance test.

While an application may be able to handle short load "bursts", an endurance test provides insight on how it performs with an abnormally high load, over an extended period of time.

Key benefits to performing an endurance test include:

• Identifying "memory leaks"
• Finding other issues that could arise during prolonged "peak load" times

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