What is load testing?
Load testing simulates many simultaneous users or requests to see how a system behaves at expected traffic levels.
A load test ramps traffic up to a target level, holds it and measures response times and errors. It answers whether the system can handle normal and peak demand.
Stress testing pushes beyond expected load to find the breaking point. Spike testing applies sudden bursts, such as a flash sale.
Example
Before Black Friday, an online store runs a load test at three times normal traffic and finds the checkout service runs out of database connections at 2.4 times.
Best practices
- Base targets on real traffic, plus headroom
- Ramp gradually and watch for knee points
- Monitor the whole stack during the test
- Retest after fixes to confirm improvement
Ship without fear.
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