Web Performance Analysis

The Web Performance Analysis research area is serviced by our $2.2M advanced testing facility, the Internet Engineering Lab (IEL).

Performance Analysis and testing is a much needed service for both the demand and the supply side of companies that use the Internet and related technologies to deliver services and products. Through the IEL, the network equipment and application developers can expose their technologies to a variety of network anomalies, and validate and qualify the resilience, performance and scalability of their applications and devices against issues prevalent in the core and edges of the network.

The IEL provides a sophisticated controlled mini-Internet environment to conduct tests in the following areas:

1. Web Site Volume Testing – Focuses on testing the scalability of a website and how a website performs under load. The IEL testing can identify the following bottlenecks:

• constrained resources, if there is not enough processing power on the servers/PC
• insufficient network capacity for the application
• inadequate system memory on the server

This testing can be utilized by e-commerce vendors or users of e-commerce systems, on-line retailers, and disseminators of information such as governments.

2. Applications Validation Testing – For wireless applications we can bring our expertise to bear once the traffic hits the wired network, focusing on monitoring performance of the client side and the server side (up to wired demarcation point). For example, in the cell-phone model, we can test applications on devices using custom code and track statistics as traffic moves to a server. The IEL can monitor network loading and server loading. This can involve the following: 

• Mock-up an IP network
• Constrain bandwidth
• Introduce varying levels of loss
• Re-order/re-sequence traffic streams
• Introduce varying levels of latency and jitter
• Set-up a firewall and servers
• Closely monitor the performance of the network and servers

This testing can be utilized by any company concerned with application performance. For example, mobile application developers can use the facilities to see the application operate under production conditions.

3. Capture Interactions with Web-sites and Replay as part of Function Testing – Focuses on testing the functionality and performance of different protocols and testing firewall configurations. This service can be utilized by the developers.

4. Capacity Planning Modeling – Focuses on the changes required in operations of the network (edge or core machines). This service can be utilized by service providers/carriers.

The IEL is also fully equipped to perform tests in the following areas:

5. Network Performance Evaluation - data tests to determine throughput, latency, delivery, time-delays, integrity, error and loss rates, and network load functionality.
6. Capacity of Network Devices - test of bandwidth and number of connections supported.
7. Quality of Service - test of overall network performance in the face of bottlenecks, and the capacity of network devices to perform, as they should with other variables.
8. Resilience - test of the network’s ability to recover from errors or changes, and of tolerance to impaired network conditions.

For more information on BCIT’s Internet Engineering Lab, visit the lab's website,  or contact John Karsch (jkarsch@bcit.ca)