k6

What is k6?

Why Use k6?

✅ Developer-Centric – Uses JavaScript for scripting (easy for developers).
✅ CLI-Based & Lightweight – Runs in the terminal, requiring fewer system resources.
✅ Scriptable – Uses JavaScript-based scripts for complex test scenarios.
✅ Supports CI/CD – Easily integrates with Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Azure DevOps, etc.
✅ Cloud & On-Prem Testing – Supports k6 Cloud for distributed load testing.
✅ Built-in Metrics & Reporting – Provides latency, throughput, failure rate, and other key metrics.

Here is a guide on how to use k6 for load testing.

1. Installing k6

k6 can be installed on different operating systems:

Windows – via Chocolatey or Scoop.
macOS – via Homebrew.
Linux – using a package manager or downloading the binary file from the official website.

2. Writing a Test Scenario

To perform testing, a file is created where load parameters are defined, such as the number of virtual users, test duration, user scenarios, and response validations.

3. Running the Test

The test is executed via the command line. After completion, various metrics are displayed, including response time, successful and failed requests, and throughput.

4. Analyzing the Results

The collected data can be exported in different formats or integrated with monitoring systems like Grafana.

5. CI/CD Integration

k6 can be used in automated testing pipelines (e.g., GitHub Actions, Jenkins, GitLab CI), helping to identify performance issues before product release.