performance-test-planning
Design performance test strategies including load profiles, capacity planning, SLA validation, and .NET performance testing with NBomber and k6.
SKILL.md
Full skill instructions
Performance Test Planning
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when:
- Performance Test Planning tasks - Designing load profiles, capacity planning, SLA validation
- Planning or design - Need guidance on performance testing approaches
- Best practices - Want to follow established patterns and standards
Overview
Performance testing validates that systems meet non-functional requirements under expected and peak loads. Effective planning identifies critical paths, defines realistic load profiles, and establishes measurable success criteria.
Performance Test Types
| Type | Purpose | Load Pattern | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Load Test | Validate expected load | Normal traffic | 15-60 min |
| Stress Test | Find breaking point | Increasing until failure | Until failure |
| Soak Test | Find memory leaks | Sustained normal load | 4-24 hours |
| Spike Test | Handle sudden bursts | Sharp increase/decrease | 10-30 min |
| Capacity Test | Determine max capacity | Incremental increase | Variable |
| Scalability Test | Validate horizontal scale | Increasing with resources | Variable |
Load Profile Patterns
Ramp-Up Pattern
Users
│
100├────────────────────────●
│ ●────
│ ●────
50├ ●────
│ ●────
│●────
0└─────────────────────────►
0 1 2 3 4 5 min
Spike Pattern
Users
│ ●
│ ╱ ╲
500├──────╱ ╲──────
│ ╱ ╲
│ ╱ ╲
100├───● ●───
│
0└─────────────────────────►
0 5 10 15 20 min
Quick Reference: Metrics Targets
| Metric | Target | Critical Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Response Time (p50) | < 100ms | < 200ms |
| Response Time (p95) | < 200ms | < 500ms |
| Response Time (p99) | < 500ms | < 1000ms |
| Throughput | > 1000 RPS | > 500 RPS |
| Error Rate | < 0.1% | < 1% |
| CPU Utilization | < 70% | < 90% |
Key Formulas
Little's Law: L = λ × W (Concurrent requests = Arrival rate × Response time)
Throughput: Concurrent Users / Average Response Time
Apdex: (Satisfied + Tolerating/2) / Total
References
| Reference | Content | When to Load |
|---|---|---|
| performance-strategy-template.md | Full strategy template, scope, environment, scenarios | Planning performance test strategy |
| nbomber-examples.md | Basic load test, complex scenarios, data-driven tests | Implementing .NET performance tests |
| capacity-planning.md | Little's Law, throughput, Apdex, BenchmarkDotNet | Capacity planning calculations |
Integration Points
Inputs from:
- Non-functional requirements → SLA targets
- Architecture documents → Component topology
test-strategy-planningskill → Test scope
Outputs to:
- CI/CD pipeline → Automated performance gates
- Monitoring systems → Baseline metrics
- Capacity planning → Infrastructure sizing
Test Scenarios
Scenario 1: Planning performance strategy
Query: "Help me create a performance test plan for our API"
Expected: Skill activates, provides strategy template, guides through objectives and scope
Scenario 2: Implementing load tests
Query: "Show me how to use NBomber for load testing in .NET"
Expected: Skill activates, loads nbomber-examples.md reference, provides code examples
Scenario 3: Capacity planning
Query: "How do I calculate capacity requirements for 10,000 users?"
Expected: Skill activates, loads capacity-planning.md reference, provides formulas and templates
Last Updated: 2025-12-28
Version History
- v1.1.0 (2025-12-28): Refactored to progressive disclosure - extracted templates/examples to references/
- v1.0.0 (2025-12-26): Initial release