How-To: Updating Recorded URLs
We sometimes get support questions where a customer has recorded a site using one URL and would now like to use the same recording on a different URL. If the content on both servers is very similar, for example if one is a production server and the other is a development server, a re-recording of the site may not be necessary. Simply replacing the recorded URLs with the new server’s URLs could be all that is needed to get the recording working with the new server. Below are the steps on how to update recorded URLs.
Web Performance Load Tester 4.1 – Web Performance Suite 3.6
There is a “Mass Edit” feature that is available from Web Performance Suite 3.6, up to the current version of Load Tester. The “Mass Edit” feature can be used to update the recorded server. You can find this feature, by opening up a testcase, then clicking on the drop down menu that is located at the top right corner of the Editor View.
The “Hostname” option is the one needed to update the recorded server. Once Hostname is selected, a pop up will appear with the option to “change all transactions” or “change only transactions matching this hostname/port.” Selecting the “change all transactions” option will change every URL in the testcase to the new URL you provide. Selecting the “Change only transactions matching this hostname/port” will only change the specified URL to the new URL you provide.
Once you have selected the type of transaction, you can replace the recorded server using either a Constant, Dataset or User Variable, depending on your needs one might be more appropriate than the other. Once the new server has been entered, click OK and the changes should take place immediately. The Editor View will not reflect the changes, you will have to switch to the Headers View to see that a modifier has been placed.
While the Value for “Host” will still show the recorded server, a modifier will appear. If you double click on the modifier icon, a window will pop up that reflects the new value.
Web Performance Suite 3.5-3.1
Older versions of Web Performance Suite do not have the mass edit option. However the recorded URLs can still be updated using the Header View. For more information on how to update the URLs:
1.) Open up an instance of Web Performance Suite.
2.) On the “Help View” search for “Edit HTTP” and select the Header View link.
Please note that every single URL will have to be edited manually.
The changes/edits to the host-names and path segments are implemented as modifies, which means that the original testcase is not modified. As a result, the changes are not visible in the test case Editor View, you must look at the Headers View or the Actors View to see the modifiers that have been applied. A replay of the testcase will show the updated server.
-Margaret
Engineer at Web Performance
