What does "Load Testing" in Akamai services evaluate?

Load Testing in Akamai services primarily focuses on evaluating system performance under expected load conditions. This type of testing is crucial for understanding how well a system can handle anticipated user traffic and whether it meets performance benchmarks during times of both normal and high demand. The goal is to ensure that application performance remains stable and efficient as the number of simultaneous users increases, thereby helping to identify potential bottlenecks or failure points before they affect end users.

When load testing is conducted, metrics such as response times, transaction throughput, and resource utilization are monitored to ensure that the system operates optimally. This assessment is vital for planning and preparing for expected traffic loads, especially during peak usage scenarios, such as product launches or promotional events.

In contrast, while user experience during peak hours might also be a focus during other types of testing (such as stress testing or user acceptance testing), load testing specifically targets the system's capability to manage a predefined load effectively. Network latency during low traffic and content delivery speed are important metrics, but they do not capture the essence of load testing, which is fundamentally about evaluating performance under expected workload conditions.