Tell me about the performance testing lifecycle.

The performance testing lifecycle typically consists of five stages. First, requirement analysis: identify business goals, performance objectives, and key metrics such as response time, throughput, and resource utilization. Second, test planning: define scope, test strategy, test environment, tools, and resource allocation. Third, test design: create test scenarios, scripts, and data sets that simulate realistic user behavior and load patterns. Fourth, test execution: set up the environment, run the tests, monitor system behavior, and collect performance data. Fifth, analysis and reporting: analyze results against benchmarks, identify bottlenecks, and produce a report with findings, recommendations, and remediation actions. Finally, test closure: document lessons learned, archive artifacts, and ensure all stakeholders sign off. This iterative cycle ensures that performance issues are identified early and that the system meets its non‑functional requirements.