Scenario Matrix Template

About

A Scenario Matrix Template for Scalability Testing is designed to organize and track test cases that evaluate a system’s ability to handle increasing workloads by scaling up (vertical scaling) or scaling out (horizontal scaling). The main goal is to determine how efficiently the system’s performance, resource utilization, and stability improve when more computing resources are added.

This matrix ensures:

• The system supports planned user growth without degradation

• Scaling mechanisms (manual or auto-scaling) work as intended

• Resource consumption remains efficient during scaling

• Bottlenecks in application architecture are identified early

Scalability testing scenarios often simulate gradual load increases, infrastructure expansion, database sharding, and distributed processing environments.

Template

Scenario ID	Scenario Description	Preconditions	Test Data / Inputs	Steps to Execute	Expected Result	Priority	Remarks
SCL-01	Gradual increase in concurrent users	Monitoring and scaling tools active	User load increments	Ramp up users gradually	System scales without performance drop	High	Baseline scalability check
SCL-02	Vertical scaling CPU test	Cloud/VM resources adjustable	CPU-bound workload	Increase CPU resources during test	Performance improves proportionally	Medium	Validates vertical scaling
SCL-03	Vertical scaling memory test	Configurable memory allocation	Memory-heavy workload	Increase memory allocation	Reduced memory-related failures	Medium	Ensures efficient memory scaling
SCL-04	Horizontal scaling API nodes	Load balancer configured	API traffic load	Add more nodes to handle load	Throughput increases, latency remains low	High	Key for distributed applications
SCL-05	Auto-scaling trigger validation	Auto-scaling rules set	Spike load beyond threshold	Generate traffic to trigger scaling	Additional resources provisioned in time	High	Cloud scaling readiness check
SCL-06	Database sharding/partition test	Sharded DB setup available	High DB traffic	Distribute load across shards	Query performance remains stable	Medium	Validates DB scalability
SCL-07	Cache layer scaling	Distributed cache available	High read traffic	Increase cache nodes	Reduced DB hits, improved response time	Medium	Improves read performance
SCL-08	Messaging system scaling	Queue system in place	High message volume	Increase consumer instances	Messages processed without backlog	Medium	Ensures event processing capacity
SCL-09	Network throughput scaling	Network monitoring tools ready	Large data transfer	Increase network bandwidth	Data transfer speed improves	Low	Network infrastructure scaling
SCL-10	Cost-performance analysis	Scaling cost metrics available	Load increments	Compare performance gain vs cost	Scaling decisions optimized for ROI	Medium	Helps in infrastructure planning