Continuous Load Testing with GitHub Actions

Chris Ayers

Chris Ayers

Principal Software Engineer
Azure EngOps AzRel
Microsoft

BlueSky: @chris-ayers.com
LinkedIn: - chris-l-ayers
Blog: https://chris-ayers.com/
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Twitter: @Chris_L_Ayers

Agenda

• What is Load Testing?
• What is JMeter?
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and Continuous Load Testing
• Benefits of Shift-Left Load Testing
• Conclusion and Q&A

What is Load Testing?

Evaluating an application, system, or network performance under specific load conditions or increasing levels of load

Load Testing

• Helps identify bottlenecks
• Ensure reliability
• Verify capacity

Simulated Traffic

Involves simulating real-world usage scenarios and gradually increasing load to observe system behavior

Types of Load Tests

There is nuance in the types of load tests

Key Concepts of Load Testing

• Virtual users: Simulate concurrent connections to mimic real-world user traffic
• Ramp-up time: Time taken to reach the full number of virtual users
• Response time: Time from sending a request to receiving the last response
• Latency: Time from sending a request to receiving the first response

Key Concepts of Load Testing

Requests per second (RPS): Total number of requests generated per second during the test

RPS = (number of requests) / (total time in seconds)
Virtual users = (RPS) * (latency in seconds)

What is JMeter?

• Apache open-source load testing tool
• Java-based and supported on all major platforms
• One of the most popular load testing tools with a large user community

JMeter Capabilities

• Supports a wide range of protocols, including:
  • HTTP
  • SOAP
  • LDAP
  • SMTP
  • JDBC
• Provides an IDE for building and debugging load tests (GUI mode)
• Offers a CLI for executing load tests at scale (non-GUI mode)
• Includes integrated reporting and analysis tools

JMeter Limitations

• JMeter does not function as a browser:
  • It cannot execute JavaScript or render HTML/CSS
• As a result, JMeter's response times may not accurately reflect real-world browser response times
• Consider using browser-based testing tools or integrating browser metrics for a more accurate representation of user experience

JMeter Workflow

• Plan
• Record/Script/Debug
• Customize parameters and settings
• Validate and run the test

JMeter Workflow: Execution Modes

JMeter Testing Architecture

Manual Testing vs Testing in Pipelines

Azure Load Testing Service w/ JMeter

Azure Load Testing Service

• Azure Load Testing Service: Scalable, cloud-based platform for running JMeter tests
• Combines the power of JMeter with the scalability and reliability of Azure

Azure Load Testing Service

• Allows testing of private endpoints
• Provides integrated reporting and analysis tools
• Integrates with Azure Monitor and Application Insights

Azure Load Testing Service

Utilizing Azure Load Testing Service

• Upload JMeter test plan to Azure
• Configure test duration, load pattern, and number of users
• Monitor test progress and analyze results

Load Testing in the Cloud

• Control Costs with Ephemeral Environments
  • Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
  • CI/CD Pipelines

Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

• IaC: Managing and provisioning infrastructure through code
• Enhances repeatability, consistency, and scalability
• Popular tools: Terraform, ARM Templates, Bicep Templates

Continuous Load Testing on GitHub Actions

• GitHub Actions: Platform for automation and CI/CD
• Automate load testing as part of your development process
• Run tests against ephemeral environments created using IaC

Shift Left

Benefits of Shift-Left Load Testing

• Early identification of performance bottlenecks
• Improved collaboration between developers, testers, and operations
• Reduced costs and increased confidence in solutions
• Faster feedback loop and shorter time to market

Demos

Questions

Resources