application performance

Nov 20 2009   10:00AM GMT

How your Web Application Performs on Various Browsers?

Posted by: Jaideep
Project Management, Software Project, web application, application performance, browser, web browser, software development, legacy software, developer, development team, tester, testing, software design, software requirement

You are in software development and in today’s world you can’t escape from most of your customer demanding either replacing their legacy software in use with new web application or the development of a new web application. Every customer wants to keep maximum leverage for its employees in terms of mobility, flexibility, easy usability etc. and that is why most applications in demand are web based.

Various stakeholders of the project get directly or indirectly activities assigned to them so as to make the project run and finish. The major role in web application development is that of development team. They should be very clear about the customer requirements – what browsers they want to use, what browsers they desire, what version of the browsers, future expectations etc. If these web based requirements are not crystal clear, it is going to create troubles not only for the developers and testers but for customer also. You can’t just dream and design, you have to have specific requirements in hand to develop an application.

Similarly Testers role is also quite prominent in validating customer’s browsers related requirements and ascertaining that all the browsers mentioned by customer (essential and desired) have to be checked for running the application completely.

This small issue can create a major backlog at a later stage. So it has to be handled right in the beginning before the start of development.

Sep 30 2009   10:00AM GMT

Load Modeling in performance testing

Posted by: Jaideep
Quality Assurance, load modeling, performance testing, top management, load testing, Project Management, Software application, application performance

Load modeling is the first phase of the performance testing in which certain specific tasks are performed such as conducting performance requirement gathering workshop: This usually is conducted with the top level management to understand their perception regarding number of users, critical scenarios (may be top 10, top 5) for the application catering to the business. Top management definitely have their own understanding on the critical areas which need more focus while load and performance testing. This might vary from the focus areas defined by the end users or project members.

A load test environment need to be prepared based on the above requirements, which include populating database for appropriate values, setting up proper monitoring instances etc.

This all has to be managed by a team comprising of performance analysts, performance engineers, business users, management representatives etc. The performance engineers are supposed to prepare scripts on application with the help of some toolset.

Aug 7 2009   10:00AM GMT

Ten Mantras for a software developer

Posted by: Jaideep
Software developer, software development, Application development, Software application, software testing, bug-free, Bug, software, application, bug identification, application building, code writing, application performance, business requirements, Business Rules, code validation, business process, process owner, end user, collaboration, tester, application functionality, software functionality, software performance, quality, customer experience, software build, bug fixing

Lot of efforts can be saved in terms of time and money if we reach to a stage of ‘first time right’ in application development. It has been proven largely that no good application can be built and released without extensive testing. Testing is not developers’ ball game – this is also a well proven fact. Reasons are many as far as it is concerned that why developers can’t build a bug-free application, or why can’t they test on their own. We are not going to discuss those reasons here. Focus here would be on what developers should keep in mind while building an application that it requires minimum efforts and time in all testing stages. As we all know the cost of bug fixing goes manifold, depending on how much distance (in terms of time and project stages) it has covered after development for bug identification. The bugs identified at a later stage, say during UAT cost more significantly as compared to the bug identified by the developer himself immediately after writing a code. Few qualities if a developer acquires and keeps in his mind while writing codes would not only benefit him but the organization he is working for and their customer also for whom the product is being built.

1. Commitment to application performance should be kept in mind while writing a code.
2. Clarity of business requirements and rules/ validations that are being translated into the application with real aptitude of business and not a developer. Don’t imagine and build. If there is some lack in clarity – discuss, record and build.
3. Treat yourself as the business process owner and end user – and build the application accordingly as if you have to use it. Don’t think yourself as a bartender, think as if you are preparing the drink for yourself.
4. Collaborate and build – rather than building in isolation- collaborate with other developers working on the application, the end user, and the testers.
5. Optimize your code – don’t just write it. There are n numbers of optimizers almost in all technologies. Use them and build a strong application in terms of functionality and performance. Be quality focused. Don’t do efforts that call for more efforts later.
6. Be focused. Don’t work on various applications development at the same time unless it is too mission critical.
7. Gain customer experience after launch of your application. It will certainly help you in your future builds. Build a customer satisfaction metrics.
8. Don’t take short cuts in fixing bugs – whatever stage they are identified. That way you will build more bugs while fixing identified bugs.
9. Work like a champion. There is a difference between playing a shot and playing an accurate shot.
10. Be loyal to yourself, your organization and your work.