Load and stress testing

Load testing is the process of putting demand on a system and measuring its response, that is, determining how much volume the system can handle. Stress testing is the process of subjecting the system to unusually high loads, far beyond its normal usage pattern, to determine its responsiveness. These are different from performance testing, whose sole purpose is to determine the response and effectiveness of a system, that is, how fast the system is. Since load ultimately affects how a system responds, performance testing is mostly done in conjunction with stress testing.