Performance testing in NeoLoad Web

Performance testing validates whether your application can handle the load you expect. You design tests in NeoLoad, the desktop application, and run them through NeoLoad Web. This topic breaks down what performance testing is, highlights common challenges, and explains available solutions. The Get started section helps you put your chosen solution into action.

What performance testing is

Every time you run a performance test, you simulate users that follow realistic paths through your application. They authenticate, browse pages, submit forms, and call APIs. The goal isn't to check whether features work. It's to check whether they can handle hundreds or thousands of users at the same time.

In NeoLoad Web, you organize your test assets in a project and define the load profile in a scenario. The scenario controls how many virtual users participate, which populations you use, and for how long the test runs. You can configure constant load, ramp-up, peaks, or custom profiles depending on what you're testing.

To run the test, you select a zone. A zone groups the infrastructure that does the work: at least one controller to orchestrate the run and one or more load generators to simulate virtual users. If multiple teams share the same infrastructure, you can create a reservation to lock resources for a specific time slot.

After the test, NeoLoad Web stores the results in your workspace. Results include response times, throughput, error rates, and other metrics organized into dashboards and graphs. Your entire team can access them from one place.

Common challenges

Performance testing can present a few challenges:

• You need a repeatable process. It's hard to reproduce results consistently when you run tests on individual machines.

• You need shared infrastructure. It takes time to set up controllers, load generators, and zones without specialized knowledge.

• You need centralized results. It's hard to share or compare data when results live on different machines.

Solutions in NeoLoad Web

When it comes to creating performance test runs, your approach to running tests impacts speed, maintainability, and overall effectiveness.

You could run tests manually every time, but that's the least efficient route. NeoLoad Web offers more advanced options: one that significantly improves efficiency, and another that takes you straight to "best practice" level.

Least efficient: Manual test runs

Here, you upload a project, configure a scenario, select a zone, and run the test from the NeoLoad Web interface. NeoLoad Web stores results centrally and makes them visible to everyone in your workspace.

This is a big step up from running tests on individual machines. But someone still needs to start and monitor every test.

More efficient: Scheduled and reserved test runs

Here, you reserve resources in advance and schedule tests to run at specific times. No one needs to sit and wait. You define when the test runs and what resources it uses, NeoLoad Web does the rest.

Scheduled test runs work well for nightly regression tests, weekend load tests, or pre-release checks.

Best practice: CI/CD-integrated testing

Here you use the NeoLoad Web API to integrate your performance tests directly into your CI/CD pipeline. Every build, every deployment, every pull request can trigger a performance test.

The NeoLoad CLI is the tool for this. It lets you run and monitor tests directly from your pipeline scripts. You can also use ready-made examples for Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab, and Azure DevOps.

With this approach, you test continuously. You catch regressions early, collect historical data for every release, and make performance part of every team's work.

Get started

Ready to boost efficiency with NeoLoad Web? Choose your use case: