Apache Bench
Apache Bench (ab) is a command-line tool for benchmarking HTTP web servers, primarily used to measure performance metrics like requests per second, latency, and throughput. It is part of the Apache HTTP Server project and is designed to be simple, lightweight, and effective for load testing and stress testing web applications. It sends a configurable number of concurrent requests to a server and reports statistics on the responses.
Developers should use Apache Bench when they need to quickly assess the performance of a web server or application under load, such as during development, deployment, or optimization phases. It is ideal for basic load testing scenarios, like comparing server configurations, identifying bottlenecks, or ensuring an application can handle expected traffic levels before production deployment. Its simplicity makes it a go-to tool for initial performance checks without the overhead of more complex testing frameworks.