In most cases Load Tester handles a file download during a testcase automatically. Fundamentally, there is no difference between downloading a spreadsheet or an image on the page. But in some cases, Load Tester does not automatically handle the dynamic URLs used in certain situations. Most commonly, these are cases where the file is being generated on-demand and is assigned a unique identifier that is part of the URL path, rather than a query parameter. In these cases, because there is no unique identifier that can be used to locate the value (i.e. a form field name or query parameter … Continue reading »
We are well into the development schedule for the next release of Load Tester – version 4.2. There are a number of great new features on the way as well as some enhancements to our underlying architecture that will enable Load Tester to handle far more complicated testcases in future versions.
One of the features coming soon is a version of Load Tester for 64-bit Windows. Load Tester can run on 64-bit Windows, of course, but it currently runs as a 32-bit process and is subject to the same limitations as if it were running on 32-bit Windows. Testers working … Continue reading »
With Load Tester 4, we’ve made it easy to harness Amazon’s power for Load Engines quickly and inexpensively. Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the basics, here are a few rules of thumb:
1. Get to know the Amazon EC2 Console . The console will quickly tell you what instances you have running – and subsequently what you are getting billed for.
Note that the console shows you only data for a selected region, so you should check each region separately. Load Tester will automatically prompt you after a test and before shutting down Load Tester if you have running engines … Continue reading »
NACON Consulting, provider of cyber security training solutions for the defense community, was aware of the concurrent user limitations of their online learning management system. In preparation for a major version release for an important client, COO Kent Leonard told his team that he wanted to see an improvement in performance, with documented proof that the system could not only handle the client’s required user load, but exceed it. “In my eighteen years of experience in IT development, I’ve found that testing is typically not as robust as it should be. I wanted to change that and do proper testing,” … Continue reading »
When a testcase has a file upload in it, Load Tester automatically handles the file upload during replays and load tests. However, in many tests each user should upload different file contents (and possibly use a different file name). Load Tester has streamlined this process to make it very easy to handle. Just follow these easy steps:
1) Gather the set of files to be uploaded
2) Import them into Load Tester (Window > Preferences > Web Performance > File Upload) and generate a dataset
3) Find the file field in the testcase using the Fields View
4) Configure the field to use the … Continue reading »
One of the common questions our customers ask is: “should we buy software and do the load testing ourselves or hire someone to do it?”.
The question is one with few easy answers, but in this blog entry I’ll lead you through the thought process so you can decide which option is the best for your situation.
The first question to ask is how often do you need to do load testing? If you’re planning on testing more than twice a year its usually cost effective to purchase software and learn how to use it. This is true of … Continue reading »
Once you’ve been using Load Tester for a while, it’s easy to find the minimum, maximum, and average page durations. But how does that compare against the median page duration, or percentiles?
Starting with Load Tester 3.6, these measurements can now be made, but it’s been made easier to find in Load Tester 4.1. First, you will need to enable “Detailed Page Durations”. In Load Tester 4.1, simply make sure the “Detailed Page Durations” option is checked on the “Data Collection” section of the Load Test Configuration editor.
With that setting enabled, just run your Load Test as normal. When examining the … Continue reading »
The Charlotte Motor Speedway is perhaps better known for NASCAR, but recently it was host to the Web Performance car in the Spec E30 NASA Firecracker Run on July 2, 2010 where our where our rookie driver Jason Tower finished third for his first podium finish!
The two heat series started off on the right foot with Jason qualifying for second place, putting him on the front row for pacing before the green flag is thrown. The whole point of a spec class in the cars are as identical as possible, so this course is particularly interesting because … Continue reading »
Maybe you’ve just finished your first crack at testing, handed some results up to the development team, and are just got a note that the dev team has revamped the site in preparation for the next test. Or maybe you completed testing last month and are ready to retest the site against any regressions. Are all the testcases setup from the last round of testing still going to work? Are you going to have to create all new testcases? Here are a few quick ways to find out:
1. Run a replay with your existing testcases. If the replay fails … Continue reading »
First, this blog post is just my opinion based on my hiring experiences. Other hiring managers are sure to have other priorities, so take this advice with a grain of salt and use what you can. As a bit of background, I graduated in 1987 with an BSEE from The Ohio State University, and over the years have interviewed many job candidates, either directly hiring or giving my opinions on dozens of entry-level and senior candidates for programming, systems administration, and other positions. What this did is give me the opportunity to see correlations between how candidates presented themselves … Continue reading »
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