Software performance in the real world: personal lessons from the performance trauma team

In the nine years that we have been involved in software performance engineering (SPE) and performance testing engagements we have learned several things. Across numerous eCommerce applications and an enterprise CRM product suite, our knowledge base about the field of Software Performance Engineering is constantly evolving. The focus of this paper is what we have learned in the areas of SPE project management, performance testing, defining the scope of SPE projects, ITIL, post production performance support, and exploration of the boundaries of applied SPE. Is it really just about performance.