Kestest

Kestest is a software testing tool used to determine the relative performance of different versions of web servers, including ones based on the Nginx and Lighttpd web servers. The aim of this tool is to compare how efficiently different configurations of these servers handle various types of traffic.

Kestest is written in the C programming language and uses a vast number of concurrent TCP requests to simulate real-world traffic. It assesses server performance by measuring response times and time-to-first-byte for both static and dynamic HTTP requests. The test results allow developers and system administrators to gauge the relative performance benefits of various server configurations.

Some of the features and capabilities of Kestest include:

Multiple test paths and test setups

Support for HTTP/0.9, HTTP/1.0, and HTTP/1.1

Simulation of connections per seconds

Support for inline and external configure (via include files)

Comprehensive testing options, including choosing request method, URL, headers, and MIME types.

There are several benefits to using Kestest for server performance evaluation. It provides a clear and measurable comparison of server performance under different test conditions. Moreover, the use of concurrent requests makes Kestest capable of generating a large volume of traffic in a relatively short span of time, thereby simulating real-world production environment.

The software is often used by individuals involved in web server development and maintenance to measure and compare the speed at which different configurations of web servers handle real-worldish traffic.