PERFORMANCE TESTING

Example 1: A check of multi-user performance running from a CD-ROM ("partial install").

The program was extremely slow when logging in with multiple computers accessing the CD. It took up to five minutes from entering in the student's password until the program actually started. After this log-in, the program was slow but still usable. Perhaps the login function needs to be installed onto the hard drive when doing the Partial install as well.

Example 2: Simultaneous student login to an on-line testing program.

We had three people registering in ***** simultaneously. At one point, on a Windows 95 machine, it took two to three minutes to pull up the test. We thought the machine had crashed and certainly users would have as well. We did, however, let the machine run until the program came back and then we continued testing. If students all come to a LAN to take a test at once, this would be a very realistic situation and problem.

Example 3: A Java application that ran fairly slowly.

You asked us to help you determine a minimum system. We did timings on a Pentium 133 MHz with 32 MB, not an unreasonable system for a teacher to have. Here are the results: Install 5 minutes, startup 25 seconds, open a book 15 seconds, 15 question test to preview took 12 seconds, and to preview a 97 question test took 75 seconds.

Example 4: Benchmark testing of specific functions within a program.

Benchmark Testing Results for *****