scope:

The present document describes terminology and concepts of performance tests with a generalized view of performance characteristics as the starting point.

What kind of characteristics are indicators of a product's performance and what kind of measurement data is captured and processed to provide relevant figures on requested performance is in this view the kernel of performance testing.

Methods for performance testing will consequently be guided by the requirements on expected output.

A set of following documents will describe strategies, methodologies and techniques of performance testing.