Key reasons for Integrating Performance Testing Tools in the world of DevOps

Precisely, the ultimate goal of DevOps has been to reorganize the software development process and to further enable a cultural shift. The way it gets evolved within an organization totally depends on the goals and objectives that the system holds for it. DevOps adoption is mainly encouraged to bring speed to the delivery process and, Performance Testing is known for being time consuming and recurring. How can DevOps bring value for Performance Testing, especially if the testing tools get integrated within the DevOps environment?

DevOps or DevOps Testing implies continuous collaboration between development and operations, followed by cultural shift within an organization. Hence, potentially, leveraging a single DevOps tool is not possible. A resourceful DevOps strategy works with a bunch of tools at different stages, extended by different vendors. DevOps tool chain is created when different DevOps tools work in tandem to deliver on an objective. Ultimately, it has to help teams to work and perform smoothly through the DevOps lifecycle.

The way the DevOps tool chain performs totally depends on the organization’s objective and the mind-set that guides it. Going by its objectives, DevOps focusses on, better collaboration, stronger integration, continuous delivery, automation, and constant innovation.

In its stride, DevOps brings value for organizations, which has been validated by the increasing percentage of DevOps adoption across enterprises.
Organizations are considering integration of Performance testing within the DevOps set-up not only to bring speed, but also to effectively track various quality metrics. Performance Testing has so far been a missing link in the DevOps chain, but with increasing competition and shorter timelines for software development, we can see some change.

With fresh challenges posed by digitization, the need for Performance Testing will always grow and intensify. What matters is to pump velocity to the process.
Do you think the users of your application are confined to just mobile handsets? The application can be viewed/accessed across any device, dimension, and configuration. For instance, an application developed for a chain of luxury resorts has to operate flawlessly and perform the required tasks across any device or dimension. Eventually, the Performance parameters will just grow as competition increases and delivery schedules tighten.
DevOps tools will help businesses to not just streamline the development process, but will enable them integrate with new technologies for constant innovation. This will help deliver the expected user experience, and keep enhancing it further with Continuous Development and Deployment.

Why integrate Performance Testing tools with DevOps?

As we discussed earlier, DevOps tool chain comprises a set of tools that are applied at various stages and could be provided by different vendors. Likewise, with the current Performance Testing challenges, there are chances that more than one tool could be plugged in to check the Performance parameters.
For instance, you might need a Load Testing tool at some level, a Stress Test tool for checking the stability of the software, or a Scalability Tool to gauge the application’s capabilities to expand (if needed).
How can the DevOps approach and the DevOps tool chain bring value for Performance Testing?

• Automation
Automation is one of the greatest benefits of adopting DevOps, which can be an effective strategy for Performance Testing and even Functional Testing. The reason being, with both the testing types, you need to repeatedly check a particular activity and validate the results. Performance Testing, as we discussed earlier, gets repetitive and time consuming. Hence, automation can not only bring down the testing efforts, but also the costs.

• Higher frequency of deployment
What matters for you the most is the speed at which the application gets to the market and how seamlessly it gets upgraded without disrupting any consumer experience. DevOps tools help you track the errors and the development process to ensure that the pace of development is maintained and the frequency of deployment improves. Continuous Development and Continuous Integration help you to confirm that your deployment cycle is intact.

• Reduction in failure rate
Performance parameters are getting complex and entangled with many more aspects that ultimately connect with consumer experience. Hence, failure is the last thing on your menu. Effective tracking of quality metrics and Early Detection of Defects (EDD) are some of the key highlights in DevOps.
This reduces the failure rate with the application and ensures that the Performance parameters are checked, resulting in better test coverage.

• Effective Tracking mechanisms
While working on your Performance/Load Testing strategy, it can help if your tracking zones are defined. Namely, Resource-intensive features, time-specific functions, User-intensive sessions, or any potential concern area within the software/application.

DevOps tools come with centralized dashboards that help you define and effectively track the defined factors. This helps to track backwards and check for code update or any possible error with the code.

• Reduced lead time
It is business-critical to optimize the existing deployment pipelines. Especially for large organizations to boost efficiency in software delivery even at a pace that the business needs. With DevOps, it is possible to prioritize and optimize deployment pipelines. This not only brings efficiency, but also brings down the lead time for delivery, enabling velocity in software delivery process.

• Better Scalability
The aspect of scalability can be determined in two ways – at an application level and at an organizational level. DevOps tools help to monitor various factors that can determine scalability at both levels. Factors such as balancing functionality, time to market, risk tolerance, quantum of users, concurrent request, spikes in traffics, and any other factor that can crash the application.

• Faster Recovery
With increasing cyber threats and risks in the digital sphere, building resilience for the application is business critical. DevOps boosts collaboration between teams, which helps in faster recovery, even in case of a crash. DevOps with its entire tool chain helps businesses to effectively deal with security issues in almost half time, resulting in cost reduction as well.

People are the most important carriers of DevOps, and acceptance at an organizational level makes the implementation successful. DevOps adoption for any development or testing requirement should be a well-researched and strategic decision. If it’s for Performance Testing, the overriding objectives should be defined and tracked till the very end of the process.

Objective-based strategy can work effectively for a DevOps approach. What’s your take on this topic? Do share your views on the blog post in the comments or write to us.

Connect with Cigniti to leverage focussed capabilities from our DevOps Center of Excellence (CoE).

Is Performance Testing a growing concern for your organization, and you are considering DevOps adoption? Or are you already in the process, and facing any hiccups? Either way, we would strongly recommend this Webinar for you.