Tuning ABQ Performance

For most test suites, the out-of-the-box settings should be optimal. But if you're experiencing some slowness or just want to ensure ABQ is running as quickly as possible, there are two settings to tune: --batch-size and --test-strategy

Batch Size

ABQ introduces some network overhead by sending tests from the queue to the workers. To avoid this overhead, workers fetch batch-size tests at a time.

The default batch-size is 7.

If your tests are mostly slow, a lower --batch-size may ensure a more even test distribution.

If your tests are mostly fast, a higher --batch-size may ensure most of ABQ's network overhead is removed.

Try out a few different batch sizes to find your sweet spot, and remember: as your test suite changes, the optimal batch size may also change.

Test Strategy

ABQ has two approaches to distributing tests to workers: by-test and by-file.

• by-test (default): distribute the next test to any worker.
• by-file: distribute all tests in a file to the same worker.

If your test suite has some files that have expensive setup or teardown that runs only once per execution (as opposed to before or after each test), --test-strategy by-file may result in a faster, less evenly distributed test run.