Software Development

Application Load Testing

Purpose:

ITD manages a load testing environment that enables our staff to test web applications to ensure that they perform efficiently. All web applications (ITD written and vendor) that run on shared ITD infrastructure must be load tested prior to production use in order to avert the risk of degrading server performance. Load tests are performed prior to an application’s initial production load or setup and before a modified application is re-loaded into the production environment. Cosmetic changes are exempt from the load test requirement.

Specific ITD services within this offering are:

1. Analyze the application’s load testing needs.
2. Suggest possible load test scenarios that will optimize customers’ use of load testing services.
3. Mentor the customer in the process of setting up load test scripts based on test scenarios.
4. Initiate the load test.
5. Assist customer in the review and analysis of the load test results. The load tester will provide information on the condition of the application being tested and specific information on areas to improve the application.
6. Retain load test scripts for subsequent testing, however, changes to the GUI interface may require starting this process over in order to incorporate the changes within the scripts.

How Load Tests are requested:

1. Applications written by ITD will go through load testing as part of the normal project development lifecycle.
2. Applications purchased as a package or written by another vendor will require that the agency submit a Work Management System (WMS) "Load Test" Service Request specifying the application that requires load testing.

Billing structure and rates for Load Testing:

1. Rates for Load Testing of new applications and vendor applications are variable and will be based on the number of estimated users for the application. The costs will range from $500.00 up to $1000.00 with the base number of users starting at 100 users. This cost is used to cover a portion of the license and support costs for the testing tool.
2. A rate of $100.00 will be charged for the Load Testing of existing applications. This cost is used to cover a portion of the license and support costs for the testing tool.
3. Time spent by the ITD Load Testing staff will be billed to the Work Management service request using the following rate guidelines:
   • Applications written by ITD will be billed at the ITD developer’s current rate.
   • Applications purchased as a package or written by another vendor will be billed at ITD’s consultant rate, as we factor in that we are doing this as a service to that vendor rather than to our internal staff.