You emulate a workload by creating a schedule and adding user groups,
tests, and other elements to it.
Schedule overview
A schedule can be as simple as one virtual user running one test,
or as complicated as hundreds of virtual users in different groups, each running
different tests at different times.
Creating a schedule
By creating a schedule, you can accurately emulate the
actions of individual users.
Setting the user load
By setting stages, you can model workloads over time, changing
the number of users performing certain tasks to reflect real-world
usage. You can vary the user load and collect performance metrics
for each stage independently, enabling a single run to more efficiently
accomplish what used to require multiple runs by eliminating the repetitive
and unnecessary shutdown and restarting of users. Each stage, which
lasts a specific amount of time and contains a specific number of
users, defines a different load.
User group overview
User groups enable you to group tests in a logical order.
Adding a test to a schedule
By adding a test to a schedule,
you can emulate the action of an individual user.
Defining performance requirements in schedules
You can define performance
requirements for a schedule to specify acceptable thresholds of performance
and to validate service level agreements.
Repeating tests in a schedule
By adding a loop to a schedule, you can repeat a test for
a number of iterations and set the rate for running a test. If the
loop contains a synchronization point, the synchronization point is
released after the first iteration of the loop and stays released
for all further iterations.
Running tests at a set rate
To run a test at a set rate, you add a loop to the schedule
to control the iteration rate, and then add tests to the loop. The
tests, which are children of the loop, are controlled by the loop.
If the loop contains a synchronization point, the synchronization
point is released after the first iteration of the loop and stays
released for all further iterations.
Running tests in random order
A schedule
that contains only user groups and tests will run each test in a user
group sequentially. By adding a random selector to a schedule, you
can repeat a series of tests in random order, thus emulating the varied
actions of real users.
Adding a transaction to a schedule
A transaction is
a specific group of test elements whose performance you are interested
in. When viewing the test results, you can view performance data about
any transactions that you have added.
Synchronizing users
Inserting a synchronization point enables you to coordinate
the activities of a number of virtual users by pausing and resuming
activities. You can synchronize all virtual users at the beginning
of a schedule and stagger the release times so that the users do not
overload the system. Synchronization points are also useful in stress
testing.
Emulating network traffic from multiple hosts
By
default, when you run a schedule, each virtual user has the same IP address.
However, you can make each virtual user appear as though it is running on
its own host. To do this, you configure IP aliases on the host computer, and
enable IP aliasing in the schedule. When you run the schedule, the network
traffic will appear to be generated by multiple hosts.
Setting log and statistic levels
Within a schedule, you set the size and sampling rate of the test
log and the problem determination log, as well as the statistics that are
displayed during a run.