Do you want to improve the output of the sales team and simplify your organization’s operations? Salesforce support is the only place to look! Having efficient customer relationship management (CRM) software is essential for succeeding in the cutthroat corporate world of today. Salesforce is a well-known CRM platform that organizations all over the world rely on, and its service offerings are essential to the success of your company.
Salesforce support offers an extensive array of services to help companies make the most of the platform. Your Salesforce CRM is ideally customized to match your unique company needs. However, to ensure it meets your business requirements, performance testing salesforce is required.
Salesforce Performance Testing is a process that incorporates several elements to provide a comprehensive understanding of the way Salesforce apps operate in different scenarios. The fundamental goal of this testing strategy is to locate performance limitations and make the system capable of effectively managing surges in traffic.
Software testing must include performance testing to determine whether an application is stable, scalable, and reliable under high demand. One of the most effective free testing tools is JMeter for Salesforce performance testing, which you can use to define how well your databases, application programming interfaces, and web apps are performing.
In this post, we’ll go over the fundamentals of salesforce performance testing using JMeter and how to simulate various loads and assess your application’s performance.
What is Performance Testing?
The process of assessing a system’s flexibility and dependability under a certain workload is called performance testing. Performance tests are usually run to evaluate app size, reliability, speed, and dependability. The procedure includes performance metrics like:
- Response times for the browser, pages, and network
- Processing delays for server requests
- Sufficient numbers of concurrent users
- Processor memory usage: the quantity and kind of app problems that might occur
You may ensure that your software offers a satisfactory user experience and satisfies service standards by doing performance testing. This testing must be implemented correctly if applications are to be adopted, successful, and productive.
Using a continual optimization performance testing approach is essential to the achievement of an efficient, comprehensive digital approach, even if fixing production performance issues can be quite costly.
Also Read: Impact of QA in Agile Environments: A Comprehensive Guide
Why Performance Test Salesforce?
Being a top CRM platform, Salesforce powers a lot of companies all around the world. But like with any complex software, it’s essential to enable performance. This is where performance testing for Salesforce becomes relevant. By identifying areas for improvement, the procedure seeks to increase user happiness and assess the application’s functionality.
Customer happiness depends on performance testing salesforce; if the app’s functionality falls short of what your consumers anticipate, they will switch to one of your competitors. Specialized test planning is necessary for complex performance testing. It’s critical to comprehend the difficulties associated with performance testing and the procedures and resources accessible to design an efficient performance test to develop a thorough test strategy.
Here is why performance testing salesforce matters-
1. Enhanced User Experience
The user experience of an app is significantly influenced by its performance. Applications that are sluggish, unconscious, or unreliable can harm user satisfaction and the credibility of the company. Through the identification of bottlenecks, resolution of problems, and enhancement of overall application performance, performance testing contributes to a better user experience.
2. Improved Performance
Early performance testing in the development cycle helps find and solve performance-related problems, cutting down on the time and expense of subsequent fixes.
3. Savings on Expenses
Performance testing lowers the possibility of application breakdowns and delays by assisting in the identification of performance errors before application deployment. Savings on company expenses result from this.
4. Competitors’ benefits
Applications with strong performance and an outstanding user interface may provide their developers with a big competitive edge in the market. Performance-tested apps are more likely to be chosen and used consistently by customers, providing a competitive advantage to companies who make this investment.
5. Enhanced Scalability
The effectiveness of an application’s ability to manage an increase in users, operations, and data quantities may be determined through performance testing. By doing this, companies can ensure that the application can manage increasing demand and prevent unanticipated failures by planning and implementing scaling measures early on.
What is JMeter?
JMeter is a Java-based tool used mostly for online application testing. This can be utilized in both Command Line Mode (CLI) and its GUI. Because there are numerous test plugins available to extend JMeter’s fundamental features, testing with JMeter is incredibly versatile and expandable for a wide range of use cases.
The JMeter Plugins Manager is an autonomous open-source project that makes JMeter’s plugins accessible. The JMeter scripts for Salesforce performance plugins are produced by a community of open-source developers.
- License: Since this is open-source software, it is accessible for free.
- User Interface: JMeter’s GUI is easy to use and straightforward. Unlike other performance testing tools, this one is easy enough for people without any technical experience to comprehend and utilize.
- Threading: JMeter is a multi-threading framework that allows testers to operate simultaneously.
- Configuration: Installing and using JMeter is quite easy. Setting up the JMeter doesn’t require any programming experience.
- Customization: Because the source code is open source and its plugins are freely accessible on the market, developers are free to customize it to suit their needs.
- Community Assistance: JMeter boasts a large and active community, as well as an abundance of educational videos.
Why Use JMeter for Salesforce Testing?
- Free tool- JMeter is a cost-effective & open-source tool. The organization is looking for a cost-effective solution to conduct performance testing and eliminate the costs of expensive commercial tools.
- A versatile option- This open-source tool supports various protocols. It allows the testing team to perform testing to evaluate the performance of the database to web application.
- User-friendly GUI- Salesforce stress testing with JMeter is the user-friendly GUI interface that streamlines the performance of configuring and creating the test plans.Testers can design complex testing scenarios using the drag & drop interface that makes it accessible to both technical & non-technical users.
- Rich set of elements- It offers a wide variety of testing elements that cover logic controllers, samplers, etc. The following tool kit allows testers to develop a comprehensive & realistic test scenario that replicates the user interactions.
- Distributed load test: Testers can spread the load over several computers by using JMeter’s capability for distributed load testing. This feature is necessary to correctly evaluate the efficiency of an application in real-life situations and to simulate heavy user demands.
- Reusable Test Scripts: Extensive test scenarios may be efficiently created and maintained with JMeter’s ability to construct reusable test scripts. This functionality comes in very handy when working with expansive and dynamic applications.
Although Testing Salesforce performance with JMeter is often used for load testing, testers and programmers have other options as well. There are more open-source testing solutions than JMeter. Because of this, it’s crucial to evaluate JMeter against the other testing options before selecting one. Now, we’re going to compare Salesforce load testing using JMeter with a few different testing programs available.
Comparison with other performance testing tools
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Comparing JMeter & Selenium
You can observe that Selenium and JMeter are both open-source testing technologies by comparing them. They are all used for distinct purposes, though. Selenium is suggested for functional and GUI testing of browsers, but JMeter is primarily utilized for load testing. When combined, they offer testers a broad range of testing options.
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Locust vs. JMeter
The biggest difference between the two is that JMeter has a more robust GUI, while Locust is more effective when it comes to creating tests as code. Additionally, Locust consumes fewer resources, although it offers more functionality.
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LoadRunner vs. JMeter
Teams commonly evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of using commercial vs open-source solutions when comparing JMeter vs. LoadRunner. LoadRunner is a costly exclusive programmer that is difficult to use and does not benefit from open-source community growth. However, there are a few differences between the devices.
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Blaze Meter vs. JMeter
JMeter scripts may be used to execute in Blaze Meter. Testers may have even more scalability, sophisticated reports, additional integrations, and the capacity to produce test data for the load tests with Blaze Meter.
Also Read: Current Trends In Software Testing To Follow In 2024
How To Set Up JMeter for Salesforce Performance Testing?
To test Salesforce with JMeter, first determine the metrics, test situations, and performance targets that are used to assess the application’s performance. As an example, the performance objectives may include reaching a specific throughput, failure rate, or reaction time, and the test scenarios might imitate various user activities, data loads, or integrations.
The components that are going to be utilized to carry out the performance testing must be configured in the next phase. It is important that the settings, resources, and use patterns of the performance testing setting closely match those of the production environment.
The following are the steps needed to install JMeter:
Step 1: Install Java first
Since JMeter is a desktop Java program, it needs a JVM 6 or later to run completely compliant. The most recent Java SE Kit version is available on the internet for download and configuration.
To find out if the installation was successful, use the command prompt.
Step 2: JMeter download
Now download JMeter 5.1.
Step 3: Set up JMeter
JMeter is very basic and straightforward to install. To install JMeter, just unzip the zip file and place it in the desired location. No laborious installation is required. To launch JMeter in GUI mode on Windows, simply run the file /bin/jmeter.bat
Now that you are familiar with the installation procedure, you may use various components in JMeter to design your test plan.
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Configuring JMeter for Salesforce
Here are the configuration elements that you must know about-
- HTTP request default may specify default settings for your HTTP Request controllers to use using this element.
CSV Data Set Configuration tool lets you read various parameters from text files. Its purpose is to break lines into variables. - The functionality of HTTP Cookie Manager is identical to that of a web browser. When an HTTP request is made, and a cookie is included in the response, the Cookie Manager immediately saves the cookie so it may be used for all subsequent requests.
- Login Config Element allows you to modify or add samplers’ username and password configurations.
Creating Your First JMeter Test Plan for Salesforce
1. Understanding Test Plans
A comprehensive overview of the performance testing environment, as well as particular metrics and measures like start and finish times, transactions per second (TPs), ramp-up and/or ramp-down times, and any additional unique testing data, must all be included in the Salesforce test plan.
2. Recording a Salesforce User Session
Since Salesforce won’t give you test results, it’s critical to choose a solution like Load View that offers thorough visualizations and reports so that the findings can be thoroughly examined and, if needed, distributed to stakeholders.
3. Designing Test Scenarios
Produce the test scripts by hand or using performance testing tools such as JMeter performance tests for Salesforce, LoadRunner, or Blaze Meter to record and produce user activities, transactions, and data loads. The test scripts must cover all essential organizational procedures and workflows and be intended to resemble expected user behavior and use patterns.
How To Execute the Salesforce Performance Test Plan?
1. Running the Test
To find any faults, performance problems, or delays, run the performance tests with varying load levels, durations, and configurations. According to the goals of the performance testing, many modes of execution for the tests may be used, including load, stress, endurance, and spike testing. You can use the procedures below to set up a time frame for your performance test.
- Open your Salesforce account and log in.
- Go to the Help section.
- Choose Performance and Networking > Inform Salesforce of a forthcoming task.
- To schedule a performance test, click on it.
Additionally, you must have the Salesforce test plan ready to give the Salesforce staff other details like these.
- An overview of the Salesforce performance test, including the date and time.
- Important people and contacts.
- Test rationale includes details on the nature and purpose of the tests.
- Metrics such as ramp-up strategy and transactions per second (TPS).
- The Salesforce sandbox ID is where the test will be conducted.
2. Analyzing Results
In this stage, test performance parameters like error rate, throughput, reaction time, and usage of resources are gathered, analyzed, and compared to the performance thresholds and targets. The findings of the performance test should be provided in an easy-to-read report that identifies the performance problems, their seriousness, and their underlying causes—such as inefficient code, queries to databases, integrations, or latency in the network.
3. Identifying Performance Issues
Let’s investigate typical application performance issues and discover how to stop them from causing your next performance issue.
3. CPU Usage
The majority of performance delays are probably caused by the CPU. When a processor is unable to fulfill the requests made of it, something happens. Slowdowns can occur by overloading the system with too many processing queries. When the amount of data that will be processed exceeds the amount of data that is queuing to be processed, a delay occurs.
For the server to function properly, both the amount of queries and the processor load must remain within the bounds of the CPU power. You may require an upgrade to a more potent CPU to guarantee a larger cache and faster clock rates, depending on the needs of the program.
4. Memory Usage
RAM stores information and allows the CPU to access it. The amount of processes a CPU can handle depends on the server and the system’s RAM capabilities. Therefore, the performance of an app would be hampered by inadequate RAM.
Increasing the speed & memory of your RAM will help you prevent or fix a memory utilization constraint. Examine your code as well.
Best Practices for Salesforce Performance Testing with JMeter
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Creating Realistic Test Scenarios
Simulating user interactions and behavior in a way that closely mimics real-world use patterns is known as realistic user scenarios. It entails modeling various user kinds, their behavior, and the amount of labor they put into the system. Performance testers can provide valuable insights into how well an application performs in production by simulating real-world circumstances.
User behavior simulation offers developers useful information on how the goods we sell will function when used by actual users. We can locate any bottlenecks, find usability problems, and optimize the goods we sell for a flawless user experience by precisely simulating user activities, including clicks, scrolling, and inputs.
User behavior simulation aids in our understanding of how our goods will perform in various use circumstances from a commercial perspective. We are able to collect information on user engagement, conversion rates, and general happiness by emulating user interactions with our products. We can use this information to make well-informed judgments regarding marketing tactics and product enhancements. Here are the tips for accurate test scenarios.
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Collecting User Information for Performance Testing
Collecting significant user data is essential to simulating genuine user experiences. The demographics, surfing habits, past transactions, and any additional information that sheds light on user behavior can all be included in this data. Accurate user profile creation can be enhanced by surveying actual users or gathering data from them.
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Developing Personas for Users
User personas help in recognizing and categorizing users according to their features, objectives, and actions. Performance testers may simulate a range of user scenarios that span many facets of the operation of the program by developing user personas.
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Finding Crucial User Situations in Performance Testing
Understanding the most important actions users do within the program is the first step to discovering significant user scenarios. These might involve signing in, browsing merchandise, completing transactions, or using particular functions. Performance testers can ensure the application can cope with high-impact activities and prioritize testing efforts by concentrating on essential user cases.
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Performance Testing Tools for Load Generation
To simulate realistic user scenarios, load-generating technologies are a must. These technologies put the system under stress through simulated user activity and workload. They enable the creation of user profiles, the emulation of simultaneous user activity, and the replication of various usage patterns by performance testers. Gatling, LoadRunner, and Apache JMeter are a few common load-creation tools.
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Test Data & Parameterization
Test data & parameterization are essential to producing actual situations. By substituting dynamic variables for static values, parameterization makes it possible to simulate various user inputs. Valid and incorrect inputs must be included in the test data, which should be varied and indicate real-world situations. This guarantees thorough coverage and precise evaluations of performance.
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Monitoring Users in Real Time
When conducting performance tests, user behavior data is collected and analyzed as part of user monitoring. User interactions, navigation routes, and actions inside the program are all included in such information. Performance testers may find usability problems, obtain insightful knowledge about how users engage with the system, and create data-driven enhancements via real-time monitoring.
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Keeping an eye on and evaluating performance metrics
Performance indicators must be tracked and analyzed during performance testing. Metrics such as time to response, throughput, error rates, & resource use may be used to determine how well the program performs in different user scenarios. Performance limits can be identified by monitoring, allowing for fast improvement.
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Parameterization and Correlation
The process of setting up variables in load-testing scripts to offer a wide range of configuration choices is known as JMeter parameterization. It is a crucial section of testing performance.
In JMeter, correlations are the process of taking some value out of the answer and passing it along to the next request. Data from the answer is collected via correlation, which is then utilized in the subsequent request. We can link the answer with other queries thanks to this crucial Jmeter notion.
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Regular Testing and Continuous Integration
For continuous load testing, JMeter may be easily included in your CI/CD process. You can make sure that performance testing is an essential component of the development procedure and provides immediate feedback on application performance with every code change by integrating JMeter tests into the CI procedures.
Teams may automate the software creation lifecycle by integrating Apache JMeter, a potent open-source continuous load testing tool, into your continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipeline. Organizations may ensure that applications satisfy performance objectives prior to deployment in production settings by proactively detecting and addressing performance issues early on with the help of this sort of testing. Here are a few reasons to integrate JMeter into the CI/CD process.
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Early Performance Problem Identification
By including load testing in the CI/CD pipeline, you may identify performance issues before the development process. Continuous testing ensures that any performance and scalability problems are solved before they impact the end customers.
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Simplified Process
By using JMeter to automate load testing, the pipeline may provide feedback on the functionality of the application with each code update. Developers get feedback rapidly on the impact and then make improvements and iterations more quickly.
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Rapid Feedback Loop
You can ensure that Using JMeter for Salesforce load testing is conducted in a consistent environment and get rid of differences between the development, preparation, and operational environments by integrating JMeter. This homogeneity improves test findings’ accuracy and reliability.
Best practices for integrating JMeter into CI/CD Pipeline
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Configuring Continuous Integration
Use well-known continuous integration servers such as Travis CI, GitLab, or Jenkins to integrate JMeter tests. Set up automated triggers to run load tests on pull requests, code pushes, or predetermined intervals. Make sure the platform receives the test findings so they can be seen and analyzed.
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Isolation of the Test Environment
To avoid interfering with live systems, isolate JMeter load testing systems with production settings. Make use of virtualization methods or distinct environments to make sure testing doesn’t affect the reliability or efficiency of production applications.
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Ongoing Observation and Documentation
To gather performance information in real-time during load testing, integrate JMeter with tracking and recording systems. Track important metrics, including throughput, error rates, and turnaround times, by using dashboards and triggers for monitoring. To share test findings and business insights with stakeholders, create thorough reports and visualizations.
Achieve Peak Salesforce Performance: Test with JMeter Now!
When determining if your online services and applications can continue to operate at their best under different workloads, Salesforce testing services are essential. An open-source program called Apache JMeter can help you automate the performance testing procedure.
Using Apache JMeter for performance testing in Salesforce is a powerful way to make sure that the apps can handle the anticipated demand. You can effectively build, run, and analyze performance tests by applying the processes outlined in this post, which will eventually result in more reliable and strong applications.
It’s important to keep in mind that continuous testing of performance is necessary to investigate the app’s performance over time. For continuous performance optimization, you should think about including JMeter in your application creation and installation procedures.
