Performance Testing: 3 Tips To Effectively Test Application Performance

Application performance testing is undertaken by companies to determine the performance, availability, speed and reliability of applications. IT departments usually undertake performance testing to note how applications perform under different types of workload. Performance testing of applications is used for different purposes: it can be used to identify performance bottlenecks, to ensure that the applications meet set criteria or to compare the performance of two applications. Performance testing of applications hence helps IT managers in IT service management and also to meet terms of service level agreements by ensuring application availability and reliability.

The following are three tips for performance testing that can make the process easier for you:

1. Set Specific Performance Criteria

Application performance criteria need to be set keeping the end users in mind. Without an idea of their expectations, performance testing may be rendered useless. Take inputs from end users regarding the problems they generally face and what they expect from applications. Companies dealing in various industrial verticals are increasingly using performance testing solutions to ensure that their IT service management meets customer expectations. Only if end user expectations are satisfied can the performance testing activities prove successful.



2. Take the Database into Consideration for Performance Testing

Simultaneous user sessions and their response timings are usually taken into consideration while undertaking performance testing. Load testing is also performed on applications to check the effect of multiple simultaneous user sessions. Such steps are essentially important for companies involved in IT service management. However, the database affects the end user experience drastically. For example, a transaction for a user can be very fast in case it is inserted into a table which is empty; however, the response time deteriorates once the table grows. Taking the database into consideration is hence vitally important for performance testing of applications.



3. Don't Overdo it

You need to take some points into consideration in order to optimize application performance. For example, before even getting involved in performance testing, optimum application performance can be ensured through scalable architecture and strong hardware resources. Performance testing of applications is then done by IT managers to double check that all applications are available according to the service level agreement requirements. However, you should not overdo it. Talk to end users about which parts of the application they use most frequently and concentrate on optimizing those parts for performance. Don't spend more time than required on performance testing of rarely-used application features.

Application Monitoring: Types Of Solutions Available

Organizations in literally all industries today undertake application monitoring for knowing the performance of applications which are critical to their functioning. Through application monitoring tools, an IT administrator can not only know application performance, but can also check for unauthorized access or data theft, if any, within the network. IT administrators can also ensure that service level agreement terms are met by ensuring that all applications are performing impeccably. However, with today's businesses becoming more complicated and using multiple applications across various levels, it has become tough to get visibility into all applications and network technologies within the business. Such complex applications can be monitored through a custom-made application monitoring solution which covers the entire organization. But for the monitoring to be accurate and complete, the type of application monitoring needed must be identified. The following are the types of monitoring available for various applications:

1. Monitoring for Security



Business applications now have a global connection, and hence need to be monitored for security. Application monitoring for security ensures that the application, database as well as servers are implemented with security patches. Software products generally include a security warning, which needs to be studied and implemented in order to ensure that security standards are complied with and the application is safe from hackers. Generally, application monitoring tools are equipped to ensure that applications are updated with the latest versions of softwares. Security monitoring helps administrators with IT service management and also helps them avoid ongoing security threats through newsletters and other mediums.

2. Application Monitoring for Errors



An error in any application can result in failure to submit or display the requested information. In such a case, end users are the ones who are severely impacted. Such errors can be resultant to software problems related to the application like its code or the data base or servers. Problems can also arise due to hardware-related issues of CPU processing, network or memory. In such a scenario, application monitoring for errors is undertaken, which can pinpoint the cause for the error. Custom-made application monitoring tools are available today, which take into account the architecture of the application, platform, error messages, documentation etc. Error monitoring in applications is especially important in companies involved in IT service management.

3. Performance Monitoring



Application monitoring is also undertaken to judge performance of application, so that a good end user experience can be ensured. Application performance can be judged by monitoring the code of the application, which determines that a certain number of actual user requests can be handled. Application monitoring for performance is also derived from the supporting hardware, which provides capabilities for handling user requests through memory, processing etc.
Application monitoring can determine the performance of applications by noting the time taken for access and request processing in the logs. One can judge the actual user experience by sending requests to applications for different location and then observing the real response time.

4. Health Monitoring



Application health monitoring helps IT professionals foresee any problems and solve them before they start affecting end users. Application health needs to be constantly monitored so that any issues can be solved before they become major problems. Application monitoring for health consists of comparing snapshots of system and application parameters to the standard benchmarks. Hence, IT professionals may, as part of application health monitoring, set up alerts in case response time for transactions increases more than the normal level.

5. Configuration Monitoring



IT professionals can avoid untested and undocumented configuration elements through configuration monitoring for applications. Releases of new applications and operating system changes can affect hardware as well as software configuration of any machine. In this scenario, IT professionals need to monitor each configuration change for any unauthorized change. The best application monitoring for configuration is a process within which change is implemented only on approval by authorized personnel. Through such application monitoring, the person in charge is always aware of the changes that have taken place in the configuration.

4 Features To Look For In Your Application Performance Management Solution

An application performance management solution is required when a business has critical aspects being handled by applications at the back end. Even a small glitch in important applications can result in a downtime, which can affect bottom lines of a business. Thus an application performance management solution is a must for businesses which use applications for service support. There is a confusing array of APM solutions available in the market today and selecting the appropriate one is a tough task. Mentioned below are 4 features in an APM solution must have in order to effectively undertake application monitoring.

1. Capable of monitoring end user experience

End user monitoring tools help in judging application performance. Such tools do not require any installation and are a simple plug and play solution. In the event of your end user monitoring tool showing any latency, the application performance management tool needs to be able to spot them. Only if your APM solution is able to monitor end user experience effectively, will you be able to solve the problem. Such an application performance management tool should also be affordable for your business.



2. Help in management of the data center

Applications being used by businesses today are complex, interdependent and scattered, which creates a requirement for data center management. Application performance can only be judged through an APM solution which enables data center management. The data center as a whole needs to be taken into consideration if the application performance management solution has to solve the problem. But due to the fact that data center management tools use information of softwares of server management from various tiers, there is a lot of resource consumption metrics which will not make a connection of application performance and what the end user experiences. In such cases, if the end users are not monitored, problems will come to the fore only in case users call up the service desk to complain.



3. Capability in monitoring network performance

Monitoring of network performance is also an integral part of application performance management. This is because if the latencies being shown in the applications do not match with end user experience, the APM solution will not be effective. Effective application monitoring can be done only if the APM solution monitors network performance.



4. Business transaction management

In order to cover all the important issues given above, each business transaction within the organization needs to be monitored. This means that each and every transaction right from the end user to the network to the data center needs to be monitored. This process is called Business Transaction Management.