Deep dive Reliability and performance tests check how a system behaves in various conditions — from basic validation that it works at all, to measuring stability and performance under load. These tests help identify problems such as incorrect functionality, bottlenecks, poor scalability, or instability before they affect users.
Reliability and performance tests
Testing methods overview
1 min
Intro
Overview
The following examples help you quickly understand what each test is for.
They also show how to write, execute, and analyze tests, with a focus on simplicity and practical application, including example scripts and instructions for running tests with k6, a load testing tool .
| Type | Easy explanation | No. of virtual users | Execution time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke test | Checking if a bridge is safe enough for cars. | 1 | 5-15 min |
| Load test | Checking if a bridge can safely carry the daily traffic of cars over time. | 100–1000 | 10-60 min |
| Stress test | Checking how a bridge behaves when overloaded with more cars than usual. | 1,5-2x of the load | 10-60 min |
| Spike test | Checking how a bridge reacts when an unexpected rush of cars crosses it at once. | 2–3x of the load | 5-15 min, spike itself 1–2 min |
| Breakpoint test | Checking at what point a bridge starts to crack when adding more cars step by step. | increments of 50 users every few minutes | 20–45 min |
| Soak test | Checking if a bridge stays safe and stable after carrying traffic for many hours. | typical load (e.g., 500 users) | 4–8 hours |
Info
To better understand the terms in testing and tool k6 see vocabulary.