The Art of Application Performance Testing, 2nd Edition

Chapter 8. Integrating External Monitoring and Performance Testing

It’s performance, Jim, but not as we know it.

Anonymous

After the explanation of external monitoring in Chapter 7, this chapter continues the discussion by focusing on how to integrate external monitoring with static performance testing. The development and increasing uptake of new frontend (i.e., client-side) technologies represent a challenge to traditional models of performance testing. It is becoming ever more important to ensure end-user performance, rather than continue to rely on infrastructure-based, thin-client testing models. Examples are many, but include the following:

Comet implementations

Comet interactions involve the use of persistent, server-initiated connections and data transfer. They have the effect of breaking the traditional GET-POST/discrete page-based model of web applications. Therefore, pages do not unload, marking completion of delivery, but rather continue indefinitely while data (e.g., live chat, sport results, new tickers) continues to be delivered. Comet is a generic term for such connections. Several key variants exist, all of which have a common underlying philosophy (designed to reduce delivery latency). One example is HTTP long polling (aka server push). This can be initiated either directly (typically using JavaScript tagging), or via proxy server (to facilitate cross-domain delivery). Among others, HTML5 has a defined method (specified within the WebSocket API) for creating ...