cloudthinker-ai Load Testing Plan
Phase 1: Test Objectives & Scenarios
- Define load testing objectives
- Validate system handles expected peak load
- Identify breaking point (stress test)
- Verify stability under sustained load (soak test)
- Test behavior under sudden traffic spikes
- Establish performance baselines
- Define user scenarios and workflows
- Identify critical user journeys
- Define think times and pacing
- Map API call sequences per scenario
- Assign scenario weights based on production traffic
Scenario Definition
| Scenario | Steps | Weight (%) | Think Time | Data Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browse products | % | s | Product catalog | |
| Search | % | s | Search queries | |
| Add to cart | % | s | Product IDs | |
| Checkout | % | s | Payment test data | |
| API integration | % | s | API keys |
Phase 2: Workload Model
- Define load profiles
- Baseline load: normal traffic pattern
- Peak load: maximum expected concurrent users
- Stress load: 1.5-2x peak to find breaking point
- Soak load: sustained peak for 4-8 hours
- Spike load: sudden jump from baseline to 3x peak
- Define ramp-up and ramp-down patterns
- Set performance acceptance criteria
Performance Acceptance Criteria
| Metric | Target | Threshold (Warning) | Limit (Fail) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Response time (P50) | < ms | < ms | < ms |
| Response time (P95) | < ms | < ms | < ms |
| Response time (P99) | < ms | < ms | < ms |
| Error rate | < % | < % | < % |
| Throughput | > req/s | > req/s | > req/s |
| CPU utilization | < % | < % | < % |
| Memory utilization | < % | < % | < % |
Phase 3: Environment Preparation
- Prepare test environment
- Environment matches production configuration (or scaled ratio)
- Test data seeded in databases
- External dependencies stubbed or isolated
- Monitoring and APM tools configured
- Load generators provisioned (distributed if needed)
- Validate load generator capacity is sufficient
- Baseline the environment under zero load
- Coordinate with dependent teams
Phase 4: Test Script Development
- Write test scripts per scenario
- Parameterize test data (user credentials, product IDs, etc.)
- Implement proper correlation for dynamic values
- Add response validation assertions
- Test scripts with single user before scaling
- Version control all test artifacts
Phase 5: Test Execution
- Execute tests in order
- Run 1: Baseline test (low load, validate scripts)
- Run 2: Normal load test (expected average traffic)
- Run 3: Peak load test (expected maximum)
- Run 4: Stress test (beyond peak, find breaking point)
- Run 5: Soak test (sustained load, 4-8 hours)
- Run 6: Spike test (sudden load increase)
- Collect metrics during each run
- Document observations and anomalies
- Allow system recovery between test runs
Phase 6: Results Analysis & Reporting
- Analyze results against acceptance criteria
- Identify bottlenecks and their root causes
- Generate performance comparison charts
- Document capacity limits discovered
- Provide optimization recommendations
Results Summary
| Test Type | Max Users | P95 Latency | Error Rate | Throughput | Pass/Fail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline | ms | % | req/s | ||
| Peak | ms | % | req/s | ||
| Stress | ms | % | req/s | ||
| Soak | ms | % | req/s | ||
| Spike | ms | % | req/s |
Counter-Rationalizations
| Shortcut | Counter | Why |
|---|---|---|
| "We can skip some steps for this case" | Adapt the workflow steps, don't skip them | Skipped steps are where incidents and oversights originate |
| "The user seems to already know what to do" | Complete all workflow phases with the user | The workflow catches blind spots that experience alone misses |
| "This is a minor case, full process is overkill" | Scale the process down, don't turn it off | Minor cases become major when unstructured; the process scales, not disappears |
| "I'll fill in the details later" | Complete each section before moving on | Deferred details are forgotten; real-time capture is more accurate |
| "The template output isn't necessary" | Always produce the structured output format | Structured output enables comparison, audit trails, and handoff to other teams |
Output Format
- Test Plan Document: Scenarios, workload model, acceptance criteria
- Test Scripts: Version-controlled load test code
- Execution Log: Run results with timestamps and observations
- Results Report: Metrics, charts, bottleneck analysis
- Recommendations: Performance optimization actions
Action Items
- Define test scenarios and acceptance criteria
- Prepare test environment and data
- Develop and validate test scripts
- Execute all test runs
- Analyze results and identify bottlenecks
- Present findings and recommendations to team
- Schedule follow-up test after optimizations