Performance testing is often a barrier to accelerating software delivery. Because you need a production-like environment, performance testing often waits until the entire application is complete. But you shouldn't wait until then to get started. You can begin testing earlier to reduce rework and address issues sooner.

The focus on automation and “continuous everything,” from integration, deployment, and now all the buzz about continuous testing, makes the daily activities of a tester in DevOps challenging. Testers may be used to controlling quality—or thinking they do—but they need to pivot to assuring their teams focus on quality.

Continuous testing can help you achieve the optimal balance between speed and risk and deliver high-quality products faster. But what exactly does continuous testing entail? Is it just shifting testing left in a DevOps environment? And where does automation fit in? Here's a breakdown of all these testing concepts.