Art of Application Performance Testing

Originally hailing from Auckland, New Zealand, Ian Molyneaux ended up in IT purely by chance after applying for an interesting looking job advertised as "junior computer operator" in the mid '70s. The rest is history; 35 years later, Ian has held many roles in IT but is a techie at heart. His current role is Head of Performance at Intechnica, a software consultancy based in Manchester UK, specializing in .NET development and performance assurance for the enterprise with a strong focus on Cloud. He currently resides in Buckinghamshire, U.K. with wife Sarah, daughter Sasha, and three cats and is trying to get used to the idea of turning 55!

Chapter 1Why Performance Test?
What Is Performance? The End-User Perspective
Bad Performance: Why It’s So Common
Summary
Chapter 2Choosing an Appropriate Performance Testing Tool
Performance Testing Tool Architecture
Choosing a Performance Testing Tool
Performance Testing Toolset: Proof of Concept
Summary
Chapter 3The Fundamentals of Effective Application Performance Testing
Making Sure Your Application Is Ready
Allocating Enough Time to Performance Test
Obtaining a Code Freeze
Designing a Performance Test Environment
Setting Realistic Performance Targets
Identifying and Scripting the Business-Critical Use Cases
Providing Test Data
Ensuring Accurate Performance-Test Design
Identifying the KPIs
Summary
Chapter 4The Process of Performance Testing
Activity Duration Guidelines
Performance Testing Approach
Case Study 1: Online Banking
Case Study 2: Call Center
Summary
Chapter 5Interpreting Results: Effective Root-Cause Analysis
The Analysis Process
Types of Output from a Performance Test
Root-Cause Analysis
Analysis Checklist
Summary
Chapter 6Performance Testing and the Mobile Client
What’s Different About a Mobile Client?
Mobile Testing Automation
Mobile Design Considerations
Mobile Testing Considerations
Mobile Test Design
Summary
Chapter 7End-User Experience Monitoring and Performance
What Is External Monitoring?
Why Monitor Externally?
External Monitoring Categories
Active Monitoring
Passive Monitoring
Pros and Cons of Active Versus Passive Monitoring
Tooling for External Monitoring of Internet Applications
Creating an External Monitoring Testing Framework
Isolating and Characterizing Issues Using External Monitoring
Monitoring Native Mobile Applications
Essential Considerations for CDN Monitoring
Performance Results Interpretation
The Application Performance Index (APDEX)
Management Information
Effective Reporting
Competitive Understanding
Alerting
Summary
Chapter 8Integrating External Monitoring and Performance Testing
Tooling Choices
Active and Passive Integration with Static Performance Testing
Test Approach
Useful Source Materials
Summary
Chapter 9Application Technology and Its Impact on Performance Testing
Asynchronous Java and XML (AJAX)
Citrix
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure
HTTP Protocol
Java
Oracle
SAP
Service-Oriented Architecture
Web 2.0
Oddball Application Technologies: Help, My Load Testing Tool Won’t Record It!
Summary
Chapter 10Conclusion
Appendix Use-Case Definition Example
Appendix Proof of Concept and Performance Test Quick Reference
Appendix Performance and Testing Tool Vendors
Appendix Sample Monitoring Templates: Infrastructure Key Performance Indicator Metrics
Appendix Sample Project Plan