Modern client/server architectures are complex. While they provide an
unprecedented degree of power and flexibility, these systems are difficult to test.
Whereas single-user testing focuses primarily on functionality and the user
interface of a single application, client/server testing focuses on performance and
reliability of an entire client/server system.
For example, a typical client/server testing scenario might depict 200 users that
login simultaneously to a system on Monday morning: What is the response time
of the system? Does the system crash? To be able to answer these questions--
and more--a complete client/server performance testing solution must
test a system that combines a variety of software applications and hardware
platforms
determine the suitability of a server for any given application
test the server before the necessary client software has been developed
emulate an environment where multiple clients interact with a single server
application
test a client/server system under the load of tens, hundreds, or even thousands of
potential users
