Imagine you have a new toy robot, and you want to make sure it works perfectly. Instead of waiting for your friends to come over and play with it, you test it yourself. You press all the buttons and make it walk around to see if everything works fine. This is like what synthetic testing does for websites.

Synthetic testing is a method used to measure and analyze the performance and functionality of a website or application by simulating user interactions in a controlled environment. Unlike Real User Monitoring (RUM), which gathers data from actual users, synthetic testing uses automated tools to create virtual users that interact with the website or application.

How Synthetic Testing Works

  1. Script Creation:
    • Automated scripts are written to simulate user interactions with the website, such as loading pages, clicking links, and filling out forms.
  2. Test Execution:
    • The scripts are run from various locations and environments to simulate different user conditions.
    • Tests can be scheduled to run at regular intervals or triggered on demand.
  3. Data Collection:
    • Performance metrics and other data are collected during the test runs.
    • Common metrics include page load times, Time to First Byte (TTFB), response times, DNS resolution times, server response times, availability, and error rates.
    • Availability metrics are also monitored to detect any downtime or accessibility issues.
  4. Analysis:
    • The collected data is analyzed to identify performance issues, downtime, and other potential problems.
    • Results are compared against predefined thresholds and benchmarks.
  5. Reporting:
    • The results are presented in reports and dashboards, highlighting key performance indicators (KPIs) and areas that need improvement.

Advantages of Synthetic Testing

  1. Proactive Monitoring:
    • Allows for the detection of performance issues and downtime before they impact real users.
  2. Controlled Environment:
    • Tests are conducted in a consistent and controlled environment, making it easier to identify and reproduce issues.
  3. Benchmarking and Comparison:
    • Enables benchmarking against competitors and comparing performance over time.
  4. Geographical Testing:
    • Tests can be run from multiple locations around the world to understand performance across different regions.
  5. Continuous Improvement:
    • Helps in continuously monitoring and improving the performance and reliability of the website or application.

How Companies Use Synthetic Testing

Google: Google uses synthetic testing to monitor the performance of its search engine and other services. By simulating user interactions, Google can detect and address performance issues before they affect real users.

Amazon: Amazon employs synthetic testing to ensure that its e-commerce platform remains fast and reliable. By running tests from various locations, Amazon can optimize its website for users around the world.

Technical Details

  • Implementation: Involves creating automated scripts using tools like Selenium, Apache JMeter, or dedicated synthetic monitoring platforms like Dynatrace or New Relic.
  • Metrics Collected: Common metrics include page load time, time to first byte (TTFB), response times, error rates, and availability.
  • Testing Scenarios: Can include load testing, stress testing, uptime monitoring, and transaction monitoring.

Synthetic Testing Process Example

  1. Script Creation: Write a script to simulate a user logging in, searching for a product, and completing a purchase.
  2. Test Execution: Schedule the script to run every 15 minutes from servers in North America, Europe, and Asia.
  3. Data Collection: Collect data on how long each step takes, any errors encountered, and overall availability.
  4. Analysis: Analyze the data to identify slow steps or failures.
  5. Reporting: Generate reports showing performance trends and any issues detected.

References