If you're trying to make sure your software is fast, or at least doesn't get slower, automated tests for performance would also be useful. But where should you start? My suggestion: start by testing big-O scaling. It's a critical aspect of your software's speed, and it doesn't require a complex benchmarking setup. In this article I'll cover: A reminder of what big-O scaling means for algorithms. Why this is such a critical performance property.
Airbnb has developed Impulse, an internal load testing framework designed to improve the reliability and performance of its microservices. The tool enables distributed, large-scale testing and allows engineering teams to run self-service, context-aware load tests integrated with CI pipelines. By simulating production-like traffic and interactions, Impulse helps engineers identify bottlenecks and errors before changes reach production. According to the Airbnb engineering team, Impulse is already in use in several customer support backend services and is under review for broader adoption.