The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) recently released a tender request for a contractor to test the performance of five in-house Census data dissemination systems. 

The service aims to ensure that the 2011 Census Dissemination solutions are capable of processing the anticipated load while maintaining acceptable response times, particularly for the First Data Release due June 2012.

With an initial contract of 12 months, the provider will: a) provide an understanding as to the maximum capacity of each component of the system, b) provide an understanding as to the capacity of the system under combinations of load and products, in line with expectations of products to be released on 2011 Census Release Day, c) ensure the 2011 Census Dissemination solution is capable of processing the specified maximum load for each system, d) ensure the 2011 Dissemination solution is capable of achieving acceptable response times under the predicted maximum peak load for each sub system, and e) ensure the 2011 Dissemination solution is capable of handling the predicted maximum peak load on Census First Data Release day.

The ABS estimates that its website will experience 30 million page views on the Census Data Release Day based on 2006 statistics, with 750,000 hits expected in the first hour alone.

The successful tender should also provide consultancy services, to advise on tuning the system for optimal performance, as well as to provide assistance with the creation of load test scenarios.