Database Volume Testing

Database volume testing is a type of testing where the system is tested based on large volumes of data.

Challenge

Minimizing the risks related to performance degradation, possible breakdowns or failures under loads that are caused by increases of data in the database by promptly discovering performance problems in the system’s operability, localizing the “bottlenecks” and providing recommendations for their resolving during volume testing.

Deliverables

The report on volume testing includes:

• Information about changes in the system performance with increased data volumes within the parameters of the IT system response speed: response times of user operations (under different loads) and server-loading resources (CPU, Memory, I/O)
• Analysis of the “bottlenecks” in the system operation and recommendations for improvements to the architecture and infrastructure of the system

Scope of work

1. Creation of load testing methods
   • Collection and analysis of production environment statistics
   • Coordination of the performance requirements
   • Determination of business processes and load scenarios
   • Determination of components for reliability testing
   • Description of the interactions with the external systems
   • Calculation of the intensity and determination of the load profiles
   • Description of the requirements for the DB volumes
   • Creation of a test plan
2. Creation of a test model
   • Development of load scripts
   • Development of external system emulators
   • Creation of load scenarios
   • Creation of scripts for generation/depersonification of the database
   • Creation of data pulls
   • Guides for conducting the test
3. Test preparation
   • Checking the operability of the test environment
   • Installing the testing tool on the load stations
   • Tuning the monitoring tools
   • Conducting trial tests
4. Conducting trials
   • Launch tests for checking the system reliability in accordance with the load scenarios
   • Shutdown/restart of the chosen system components
   • Launch tests to check the fail-safety of the system
   • Results analysis
5. System analysis
   • Analysis of the bottlenecks in the system performance
   • Analysis of the influence of a shutdown/restart of the chosen components on the business processes
   • Analysis of the system restoration time after a shutdown/restart of the chosen components
   • Preparation of the recommendations for changes in the system architecture and infrastructure or the development of relevant regulations

Service Limitations

This testing is not functional and is not intended to discover functional bugs. However, all discovered functional defects will be noted and presented to the customer.

Related Services:

• Performance & load testing
• Reliability and stability testing
• Synthetic testing

Tools and licences

• LoadRunner
• Apache JMeter
• MS Visual Studio
• IBM Rational Performance Tester
• Silk Performer