# How to setup parameters for performance testing

**URL:** <https://discuss.konghq.com/t/how-to-setup-parameters-for-performance-testing/9936>\
**Category:** Questions\
**Created:** [March 10, 2022, 11:12pm UTC](https://discuss.konghq.com/t/how-to-setup-parameters-for-performance-testing/9936 "2022-03-10T23:12:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![zaid](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discuss.konghq.com/zaid/32/3342_2.png) [@zaid](https://discuss.konghq.com/u/zaid)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 11:12pm UTC](https://discuss.konghq.com/t/how-to-setup-parameters-for-performance-testing/9936/1 "2022-03-10T23:12:53Z")

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Hello All,

I am looking to test Kongs performance against a normal REST API. I am using Kong without a db with the following declarative settings to define my service:

```auto
 _format_version: "1.1"
 _transform: true

 services:
 - host: {{ upstream_host }}
   name: api
   port: {{ upstream.service.port }}
   protocol: http
   routes:
   - name: api
     paths:
     - /api
     strip_path: true

```

I noticed that Kong is not fully using the CPU power which significantly hinders performance.

I am using they `hey` library to do the tests and I am running this in AWS and using the private IPs for comms. There are no connectivity issues and I tested that what I am getting back is correct. Just slow…What am I missing?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![zaid](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discuss.konghq.com/zaid/32/3342_2.png) [@zaid](https://discuss.konghq.com/u/zaid)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 12:34am UTC](https://discuss.konghq.com/t/how-to-setup-parameters-for-performance-testing/9936/2 "2022-03-11T00:34:23Z")

</div>

Not sure if anyone else will run into the same issue but I was using the bitnami kong container and thats what caused the issues.