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+Vision
+======
+
+The `mozperftest` project was created with the intention to replace all
+existing performance testing frameworks that exist in the mozilla central
+source tree with a single one, and make performance tests a standardized, first-class
+citizen, alongside mochitests and xpcshell tests.
+
+We want to give the ability to any developer to write performance tests in
+their component, both locally and in the CI, exactly like how they would do with
+`xpcshell` tests and `mochitests`.
+
+Historically, we have `Talos`, that provided a lot of different tests, from
+micro-benchmarks to page load tests. From there we had `Raptor`, that was a
+fork of Talos, focusing on page loads only. Then `mach browsertime` was added,
+which was a wrapper around the `browsertime` tool.
+
+All those frameworks besides `mach browsertime` were mainly focusing on working
+well in the CI, and were hard to use locally. `mach browsertime` worked locally but
+not on all platforms and was specific to the browsertime framework.
+
+`mozperftest` currently provides the `mach perftest` command, that will scan
+for all tests that are declared in ini files such as
+https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/source/netwerk/test/perf/perftest.ini and
+registered under **PERFTESTS_MANIFESTS** in `moz.build` files such as
+https://searchfox.org/mozilla-central/source/netwerk/test/moz.build#17
+
+If you launch `./mach perftest` without any parameters, you will get a full list
+of available tests, and you can pick and run one. Adding `--push-to-try` will
+run it on try.
+
+The framework loads perf tests and read its metadata, that can be declared
+within the test. We have a parser that is currently able to recognize and load
+**xpcshell** tests and **browsertime** tests, and a runner for each one of those.
+
+But the framework can be extended to support more formats. We would like to add
+support for **jsshell** and any other format we have in m-c.
+
+A performance test is a script that perftest runs, and that returns metrics we
+can use. Right now we consume those metrics directly in the console, and
+also in perfherder, but other formats could be added. For instance, there's
+a new **influxdb** output that has been added, to push the data in an **influxdb**
+time series database.
+
+What is important is to make sure performance tests belong to the component it's
+testing in the source tree. We've learned with Talos that grouping all performance
+tests in a single place is problematic because there's no sense of ownership from
+developers once it's added there. It becomes the perf team problem. If the tests
+stay in each component alongside mochitests and xpcshell tests, the component
+maintainers will own and maintain it.
+
+
+Next steps
+----------
+
+We want to rewrite all Talos and Raptor tests into perftest. For Raptor, we need
+to have the ability to use proxy records, which is a work in progress. From there,
+running a **raptor** test will be a simple, one liner browsertime script.
+
+For Talos, we'll need to refactor the existing micro-benchmarks into xpchsell tests,
+and if that does not suffice, create a new runner.
+
+For JS benchmarks, once the **jsshell** runner is added into perftest, it will be
+straightforward.
+
+