Execute the Performance Test

Executing tests is what most people envision when they think about performance testing. It makes sense that the process, flow, and technical details of test execution are extremely dependent on your tools, environment, and project context. Even so, there are some fairly universal tasks and considerations that need to be kept in mind when executing tests.Much of the performance testing–related training available today treats test execution as little more than starting a test and monitoring it to ensure that the test appears to be running as expected. In reality, this Step is significantly more complex than just clicking a button and monitoring machines. Test execution can be viewed as a combination of the following sub-tasks:
Coordinate test execution and monitoring with the team.
Validate tests, configurations, and the state of the environments and data.
Begin test execution.
While the test is running, monitor and validate scripts, systems, and data.
Upon test completion, quickly review the results for obvious indications that the test was flawed.
Archive the tests, test data, results, and other information necessary to repeat the test later if needed.
Log start and end times, the name of the result data, and so on. This will allow you to identify your data sequentially after your test is done. As you prepare to begin test execution, it is worth taking the time to double-check the following items:
Validate that the test environment matches the configuration that you were expecting and/or designed your test for.
Ensure that both the test and the test environment are correctly configured for metrics collection.
Before running the real test, execute a quick smoke test to make sure that the test script and remote performance counters are working correctly. In the context of performance testing, a smoke test is designed to determine if your application can successfully perform all of its operations under a normal load condition for a short time.
Reset the system (unless your scenario calls for doing otherwise) and start a formal test execution.
Make sure that the test scripts’ execution represents the workload model you want to simulate.
Make sure that the test is configured to collect the key performance and business indicators of interest at this time.
Source - Microsoft book