Performance testing is a software testing practice designed to assess how a system performs under various conditions, focusing on parameters such as speed, scalability, stability, and responsiveness. The goal of performance testing is to identify potential bottlenecks, determine system limits, and ensure that the application can handle expected workloads effectively.

There are several types of performance testing:

Load Testing assesses how a system performs under typical user load.
Stress Testing pushes the system beyond its operational limits to identify breaking points.
Endurance Testing checks the system’s performance over extended periods to uncover degradation issues.
Spike Testing measures the system’s reaction to sudden increases in load.
Performance testing is critical for ensuring user satisfaction, especially in applications that require high availability, such as e-commerce platforms, banking systems, or SaaS applications. Performance issues, if undetected, can lead to system downtime, poor user experience, and loss of revenue.

Performance testing tools such as Apache JMeter, LoadRunner, and Gatling allow testers to simulate different traffic levels and monitor system performance metrics like response time, throughput, and error rates.