Recommended ramp-up and steady-state durations for load testing Adobe Experience Manager as a Cloud Service

When you load test Adobe Experience Manager as a Cloud Service (AEMaaCS), gradually increase traffic during ramp-up and maintain peak load for an appropriate steady-state period. This approach helps you avoid triggering platform traffic-protection mechanisms and produces valid test results.

Description description

Organizations planning load testing for AEM as a Cloud Service often need guidance on how to gradually increase traffic (ramp-up) and how long to maintain peak load (steady-state) during tests. Sudden or unrealistic spikes in traffic can trigger platform traffic-protection mechanisms, potentially invalidating test results. There is no universal specification for ramp-up or steady-state durations, as these depend on individual test objectives and expected production traffic patterns.

Environment

Adobe Experience Manager as a Cloud Service (all versions)

Symptoms

  • Uncertainty about how quickly to increase load during testing
  • Questions about how long to maintain peak load for valid results
  • Concern about triggering platform traffic-protection mechanisms

Cause

AEM as a Cloud Service enforces traffic-protection mechanisms to maintain platform stability and security. Load tests that do not follow gradual ramp-up patterns may be blocked, and test durations should be tailored to your test objectives and expected traffic behavior.

Resolution resolution

Follow these steps to resolve the issue.

  1. Design your load test to gradually increase traffic from baseline to peak in controlled steps, rather than applying the full load immediately.
  2. Ensure the ramp-up profile reflects expected production traffic patterns.
  3. At each stage of the ramp-up, monitor and validate application response times, error rates, caching behavior, and overall performance.
  4. Once peak load is reached, maintain a steady-state period of 15–20 minutes as an initial validation window, provided performance metrics have stabilized.
  5. Adjust the steady-state duration based on your specific test objectives (for example, use longer durations for endurance or soak testing if required).
  6. Avoid sudden or unrealistic increases in traffic, as these may be blocked by platform traffic-protection mechanisms and could invalidate test results.
  7. After completing the test, review the collected metrics to ensure system performance meets your requirements.
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