With the growth of multi-tier (e.g. J2EE), Service Oriented (SOA) and Cloud architectures identifying and eliminating performance-related issues has never been more challenging. Although there is little doubt these architectures add value with modularity and re-usability, multiple application layers and a number of inter-connected services are most likely to add complexity when it comes to identifying performance-related issues. OnTarget’s unique Performance Assurance solution leverages tremendous expertise in the field as well as strong partnership network with diagnostics tool providers which can all help diagnose and remedy issues in your most complex systems and environments.
How can OnTarget’s Performance Assurance solution help your organization ?
Mitigating risks early in the project lifecycle by diagnosing problems before they become crisis in production environment will guarantee not only to save a significant cost but also to save your invaluable reputation. A good analogy would be human health problem prevention by early diagnosis. Doctors use a wide variety of diagnostics tools like X-ray or MRI to zero in on health-related issues. Similarly we use a number of load and diagnostics tools to simulate load, identify, analyze and help remedy issues early in the lifecycle. We can also help monitor your production environment.
How different is Performance Assurance from Performance Testing ?
If you think of Quality Assurance as a whole process of improving quality through the project lifecycle with testing as one of the means then Performance Assurance should be looked at the same way. We don’t just stop at delivering performance test results to business stakeholders we go much further than that by offering a unique blend of risk prevention activities:
- * Risk Assessment – we can analyze application architecture in design phase and identify potential risk areas before it makes it into implementation phase.
- * Planning – we can help plan and prioritize performance-related activities and tightly couple them with the project cycle.
- * Test Development – we can leverage your load tool of choice or help you evaluate an open-source or commercial load test tools. Subsequently we can develop appropriate test scripts.
- * Test Execution – test execution coupled with diagnostics tools. We will proactively seek out performance issues to minimize costs and ensure the highest level of performance.
- * * Issue diagnostics and root cause analysis
- By employing outside-in technique (based on the end-user perspective) we will see slow moving business transaction before your customer does.
- By employing inside-in technique we will analyze problems visible inside the application (e.g., exceptions, slow running methods) up from the code perspective to the affected business transactions and reconstruct what has caused them. Subsequently we will analyze the root cause down to the line of code.
- * * Performance Tuning – we will not only identify application bottlenecks but will also proactively provide tuning and optimization information. Whether it’s application server configuration parameters or inefficient SQL queries we will work with your system architects and developers to fix and tune your applications and environments before they make it to production.
- * 24x7 Production monitoring
Note: items marked with * are normally part of performance engineering activities and are uniquely offered by OnTarget Technology Group’s Performance Assurance solution.
Additionally we engage in the following types of performance-related services:
- General Load and Performance testing
- Scalability testing
- Capacity testing/planning
- Reliability and Failover testing
- Production environment monitoring
- We advise on performance best practices and test approach suited for your business.