23 October 2024 - Preparing for Peak: Performance Testing to Empower University Systems During Critical Academic Periods
Introduction
As universities increasingly rely on digital platforms to provide a seamless experience for students and staff, the importance of performance testing cannot be overstated. From registration and assessments to course selection and clearing, university systems face intense demand, particularly during critical academic periods. Failure to deliver reliable services during these times not only risks reputational damage but also has financial implications.
In today’s fast-evolving digital landscape, higher education institutions are embracing cloud-based solutions to meet the demands of their growing student populations. However, this shift introduces complexity, making performance testing essential to ensure systems remain robust and efficient under pressure. This blog explores the challenges facing the sector and how performance testing helps safeguard digital infrastructure during peak periods.
Key Challenges for Higher Education Institutions
Universities experience significant fluctuations in system demand, especially during key academic events. Here are some of the critical periods that necessitate thorough performance testing:
- Clearing: A pivotal period for securing student enrolments, where system or telephony failures could lead to lost opportunities and tarnish the institution’s reputation.
- Online Registration: Large numbers of students registering simultaneously can create sudden spikes in traffic. Without proper testing, these surges could result in slow response times or system crashes.
- Student Onboarding and Module Selection: High-demand courses often see students competing to secure spots, and any system inefficiency can lead to frustration and missed opportunities.
- Results Release: Mass logins by students checking their results can overload university systems, and failures during this time can attract unwanted attention.
- Other High-Volume Events: From room booking and attendance registration to timetabling and online learning platforms, these operations add to the load on university systems throughout the academic year.
Performance testing is vital in ensuring systems can handle the increased demand during these periods, avoiding bottlenecks or failures that could disrupt the student experience.
The Move to Cloud
Many universities are adopting cloud-based platforms, and while these systems promise scalability, they don’t always auto-scale quickly enough to manage the sudden surges in traffic experienced during peak academic periods, such as enrolment and results release.
Prolifics Testing has worked with numerous universities to ensure their cloud platforms can withstand high traffic. For example, while testing a UK university’s SITS Student Records System after its migration to the cloud, normal load performance was satisfactory. However, under peak traffic conditions during online registration, resource usage increased, highlighting opportunities for optimisation. Soak tests, designed to simulate sustained high demand over extended periods, have also been used to identify issues that could impact system performance during peak times.
Hybrid environments, where a mix of on-premise and cloud-based applications are used, add further complexity. Without comprehensive performance testing, these setups may introduce bottlenecks, negatively impacting user experience.
Application Upgrades and Performance
Application upgrades are a routine part of university IT management. However, they can introduce new performance bottlenecks, particularly in student records systems that integrate with numerous other applications.
Prolifics Testing has successfully ensured that upgrades to systems like SITS do not disrupt performance, even during high-demand periods. Regular performance testing during upgrades helps avoid compatibility issues and ensures a smooth transition.
Telephony Under Pressure
During high-demand periods like Clearing, telephony systems also come under significant pressure. University call centres often experience a surge in inquiries, making it crucial to ensure these systems can handle the increased volume.<
Prolifics Testing conducts telephony performance testing alongside system testing, simulating high call volumes to ensure all elements, from IVR routing to queueing, operate efficiently under peak load conditions.
Summary
With over a decade of experience in performance testing within the higher education sector, Prolifics Testing provides invaluable support to universities looking to optimise their critical systems during peak periods. Whether your institution is migrating to the cloud, upgrading core applications, or preparing for an upcoming academic surge, Prolifics Testing offers the expertise needed to maintain a seamless digital experience for both students and staff.
For more information on how Prolifics Testing can help your institution handle the challenges of peak demand, get in touch with them today.
Prolifics Testing, with over 16 years of experience in Higher Education, has partnered with over 50 universities worldwide. As part of the Prolifics Group, and backed by 700 dedicated test consultants, it delivers tailored quality engineering services, including Consultancy, Managed Service, Test Automation, Performance, and Security Testing. Universities rely on Prolifics Testing for flexible, cost-effective, and on-demand support with digital initiatives, cloud migrations, and SIS upgrades. Committed to innovation, the company integrates AI and GenAI to provide seamless experiences for students, staff, and alumni.
Contact:
Faz Ahmad – HE customer success lead
T: +44 (0) 20 8905 2761
E: faz.ahmad@prolifics-testing.com
