Web Server Stress Testing
Developers and network engineers use web server stress testing to determine the capacity of a web server to handle traffic, database searches and data transfers. This process is also known as load testing.
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Reasons for Stress Testing Web Servers
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When a web server gets overloaded, it slows down the processing of requests or even crashes (shuts down). Slow processing or a full crash can cost companies and individuals money, especially e-commerce sites that rely on quick service to keep customers from leaving before they make their purchases. Stress testing helps determine the capacity of a web server to handle a high volume of traffic or other resource-intensive processes.
How to Stress Test a Web Server
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There are many applications that help perform stress tests on web servers. These applications work by sending requests to the web server. The number and types of requests sent simulates at least two types of scenarios. The first is the typical workload or conditions that they expect the server to operate under. The second is a very high number of requests meant to determine how much traffic or other stressors the server can handle before slowing significantly or shutting down.
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Using Software to Test Web Servers
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Because the number of requests most servers can handle equals hundreds or even thousands of typical user requests, it is not practical to load test servers using individual requests. Instead, software tools are used to simulate large amounts of traffic. The types of stress these applications can test range from simple page loading to complex data requests or file downloads.
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