Performance test types (load, stress, spike, soak) in Testing Fundamentals - Test Execution Trace

Test Overview

This test simulates different performance test types on a web application to verify how it handles various user loads and stress conditions.

It checks if the application responds correctly under normal load, heavy stress, sudden spikes, and prolonged usage.

Test Code - unittest

Testing Fundamentals

import unittest
import time

class PerformanceTest(unittest.TestCase):
    def simulate_load(self, users):
        # Simulate normal load by sending requests equal to users
        return users <= 100  # Assume system supports up to 100 users normally

    def simulate_stress(self, users):
        # Simulate stress by sending requests beyond normal capacity
        return users <= 150  # System should handle up to 150 users under stress

    def simulate_spike(self, spike_users):
        # Simulate sudden spike in users
        return spike_users <= 200  # System can handle sudden spike up to 200 users

    def simulate_soak(self, duration_hours):
        # Simulate prolonged usage
        return duration_hours <= 5  # System stable for up to 5 hours

    def test_load(self):
        self.assertTrue(self.simulate_load(80))

    def test_stress(self):
        self.assertTrue(self.simulate_stress(140))

    def test_spike(self):
        self.assertTrue(self.simulate_spike(180))

    def test_soak(self):
        self.assertTrue(self.simulate_soak(4))

if __name__ == '__main__':
    unittest.main()

Execution Trace - 6 Steps

Step	Action	System State	Assertion	Result
1	Test starts	Testing framework initialized, tests ready to run	-	PASS
2	Run test_load: simulate 80 users normal load	System simulates 80 users sending requests	Check if system supports 80 users under normal load	PASS
3	Run test_stress: simulate 140 users stress load	System simulates 140 users sending requests beyond normal capacity	Check if system handles 140 users under stress	PASS
4	Run test_spike: simulate sudden spike of 180 users	System simulates sudden spike of 180 users	Check if system handles sudden spike of 180 users	PASS
5	Run test_soak: simulate 4 hours of continuous usage	System simulates continuous usage for 4 hours	Check if system remains stable for 4 hours	PASS
6	All tests completed	Test results collected	-	PASS

Failure Scenario

Failing Condition: System fails to handle user load beyond its capacity in any test

Execution Trace Quiz - 3 Questions

What does the test_load check in the performance tests?

A System stability over long hours

B System behavior under sudden user spikes

C System behavior under normal user load

D System failure under extreme stress

Key Result

Performance tests should cover different scenarios: normal load, stress beyond capacity, sudden spikes, and prolonged usage to ensure system reliability.