Question: What's the difference between Load and Stress testing?
Answer: Load testing is subjecting a system to a statistically representative
load. The two main reasons for using such loads are in support of
software reliability and performance testing. The term "load testing"
by itself is too vague and imprecise to warrant use. For example, it
can mean representative load, overload, high load, etc.
In
performance testing, load is varied from a minimum (zero) to the
maximum level the system can sustain without running out of resources
or having transactions suffer application-specific excessive delay.
In
software testing, stress testing refers to tests that determine the
robustness of software by testing beyond the limits of normal
operation. Stress testing is particularly important for "mission
critical" software. Stress tests commonly put a greater emphasis on
robustness, availability, and error handling under a heavy load, than
on what would be considered correct behavior under normal circumstances.