Menu

Systems

Throughput

Plain English

How much a can handle.

Definition

Throughput is the amount of work or number of a can handle over a period of time.

In practice

Used to measure capacity and under load.

In context

It sets the ceiling on campaigns and launches. A that comfortably serves normal can still fall over on the hour a promotion goes live.

The reality

may perform well under low load but fail when throughput increases.

Compared with

Throughput vs System Load

Throughput is how much work the completes. Load is how much is being asked of it. When load exceeds throughput, queues form, and rises before anything visibly fails.

FAQ

Common questions

A few practical answers to the questions that usually come up around this term.

What is throughput?

It is the amount of work a can .

Why is throughput important?

It shows how much load a can handle.

How is throughput measured?

per second or transactions per time period.

What affects throughput?

capacity and resource availability.

Related Services

Related Guides

Related Terms

LET'S WORK TOGETHER

Ready to improve your product?

UX, research and product leadership for teams tackling complex digital services.

Previous feedback

I had a fantastic experience working with Andy. One of his most impressive achievements during our time at NHS HEE was masterminding a deeply complex information architecture for a new platform that brought together a large number of legacy websites.

Will Parkhouse

Senior Content Designer