Load Runner

Mercury Performance
Test Tool
 Topics to be Covered
Why Performance ?
Definitions: Performance Testing
Benchmark Design
Performance Testing Tools
LoadRunner Components
What is load testing process?
Getting Familiar with Mercury
Tours
Application Requirements
 Why Performance?
Does the application respond quickly
enough for the intended users?
Will the application handle the expected
user load and beyond?
Will the application handle the number of
transactions required by the business?
Is the application stable under expected
and unexpected user loads?
Are you sure that users will have a
positive experience on go-live day?
Define Stress/Load/Performance
Testing
Stress Testing: Stress Testing is done in order to
check when the application fails by reducing the
system resources such as RAM, HDD etc. and keeping
the number of users as constant.
Load Testing: Load Testing is done in order to check
when the application fails by increasing the number
of users and keeping the system resources as
constant.
Performance Testing: The term Performance can
mean measuring response time, throughput, resource
utilization, or some other system characteristic( or
group of them), by varying the number of users.
 Benchmark Design
The Benchmark is the representative workload
used during the performance test run. It should
be representative of the likely real-world
operating conditions.
Benchmark is provided by the client.
In Industry scenario the benchmark is as follows:
No. of transactions passed per second >= 8
Response time <= 5 sec.
 Performance Testing
Tools
Segue Silk Performer
Rational Team Test
Mercury Load Runner
Empirix e-Load/RSW)
Soft Light Site Tools Loader
LoadRunner Components
The Virtual User Generator captures end-user
business processes and creates an automated
performance testing script, also known as a
virtual user script.
The Controller organizes, drives, manages, and
monitors the load test.
The Load Generators create the load by running
virtual users.
The Analysis helps you view, dissect, and
compare the performance results.
The Launcher provides a single point of access
for all of the LoadRunner components.
What is the load testing
process?
 Getting Familiar with
Mercury Tours
Opening Mercury Tours
Make sure that the sample Web
server is running.
Open the Mercury Tours
application.
Log into Mercury Tours.

Reserve a flight.

End your Mercury Tours session.

 Application
Requirements
Mercury Tours must successfully handle 10
concurrent travel agents.
Mercury Tours must be able to process 10
simultaneous flight bookings with response
time not exceeding 90 seconds.
Mercury Tours must be able to handle 10 travel
agents running simultaneous itinerary checks
with response time not exceeding 120 seconds.
Mercury Tours must be able to handle 10
agents signing in and signing out of the system
with response time not exceeding 10 seconds.
Building Scripts
 Topics to be Covered
Introducing the Virtual User Generator
(VuGen)
How do I start recording user activities?
How do I record a business process to
create a script?
How do I view the script?
Introducing the Virtual
User Generator (VuGen)
 How do I start recording
user activities?
1. Open Virtual User Generator.
2. Create a single protocol Web
script.
How do I record a business
process to create a script?
First Step: Set Recording Options

Recording Levels
How do I record a business
process to create a script?
Contd

1. Start recording on the Mercury Tours Web site.

2. Login to the Mercury Tours Web site.
3. Enter flight details.
4. Select a flight.
5. Check the itinerary.
6. Click sign off in the left pane.
7. Click Stop on the floating toolbar to stop the
recording .
8. Choose File > Save or click the Save button.
Type basic_tutorial in the File name box and
click Save.
How do I view the script?
Tree View
Script View

Tree View
Script View
Playing Back
Your Script
 Topics to be Covered
How do I set the run-time behavior?
How do I watch my script running in real
time?
Where can I view a summary of the
playback?
 How do I set the run-time
behavior?
Choose VUser > Runtime-Settings Run Logic
 How do I set the run-time
behavior?
Contd..

Choose VUser > Runtime-Settings - Pacing

 How do I set the run-time
behavior?
Contd..

Choose VUser > Runtime-Settings - Log

 How do I set the run-time
behavior?
Contd..

Choose VUser > Runtime-Settings Think Time

 How do I set the run-time
behavior?
Contd..

Choose VUser > Runtime-Settings Miscellaneous

 How do I set the run-time
behavior?
Contd..
Choose VUser > Runtime-Settings Speed Simulation
 How do I set the run-time
behavior?
Contd..
Choose VUser > Runtime-Settings Browser Emulation
 How do I set the run-time
behavior?
Contd..

Choose VUser > Runtime-Settings Proxy

 How do I set the run-time
behavior?
Contd..

Choose VUser > Runtime-Settings Preferences

 How do I set the run-time
behavior?
Contd..
Choose VUser > Runtime-Settings Content Check

Create New Application and New Rule

 How do I watch my script
running in real time?
Choose Tools > General Options and select the Display tab.
 Where can I view a
summary of the playback?
Go to Execution Log in VUGen screen
Solving Common
Playback
Problems
 Topics to be Covered
What is Correlation?
Preparing Mercury Tours for Playback
Errors
How do I work with unique server values?
 What is Correlation?
Many applications use dynamic values that change
each time you use the application. For example, some
servers assign a unique session ID for every new
session. When you try to replay a recorded session,
the application creates a new session ID that differs
from the recorded session ID.

LoadRunner addresses this issue through correlation.

Correlation saves the changing values, in our case the
session ID, to a parameter. When running the
emulation, the Vuser does not use the recorded value
instead, it uses the new session ID, assigned to it by
the server.
 Preparing Mercury Tours
for Playback Errors
1. Open Mercury Tours.
Choose Start > Programs > Mercury LoadRunner >
Samples > Web > Mercury Web Tours Application.
2. Change the server options.
Click SERVER OPTIONS in the left pane. Select the Setting 3
option. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the
Reconfigure Server Details button. Scroll down to the bottom
of the page and click the Return to the Mercury Tours
Homepage link. This setting tells the server not to
allowduplicate session IDs.
(Note that if you have IIS installed on your machine, you will
need to modify the settings for this application. Search for the
file xitami.cfg in the xitami folder, and open it in a text editor.
Locate the line portbase=1000, and modify it to portbase=1001.
Save and exit the file.)
3. Close the browser.
4. Record the script again to create a new script with dynamic
values.
 How do I work with unique
server values?
1. Record the script again.
2. Replay the script.
3. Scan the script for correlations.
4. View the correlations.
5. Correlate the Session ID.
6. Examine the syntax of the correlation statement.
7. Play the script again.
8. Fix the server configuration.
Choose Start > Programs > Mercury LoadRunner >
Samples > Web > Mercury Web Tours Application to
open Mercury tours.
Click SERVER OPTIONS in the left pane. Clear all of the
options. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click
the Reconfigure Server Details button.
Close the browser.
Preparing a Script
for Load Testing
 Topics to be Covered
How do I measure business processes?
How do I emulate multiple users?
How do I verify Web page content?
Did my test succeed?
How do I measure business processes?

Creating Transactions Re-Record the script using

Transactions

The transactions would be created for the

following pages:
1. URL Access
2. Login
3. Flight Button click
4. FindFlight_Continue_Button
5. SelectFlight_Continue_Button
6. Purchase Flight Button
7. Check Itinerary
8. Log Off
How do I emulate multiple users?

Parameterization Step1

Right Click the text

How do I emulate multiple users?
Contd..

Parameterization Step2 Select or Create Parameter

Type the
parameter
name

Click the button

 How do I emulate multiple users?
Contd..

Parameterization Step3 Parameter Properties

elect Parameter Type

Create File
How do I emulate multiple users?
Contd..

Parameterization Step4 Define Parameter and Close

How do I emulate multiple users?
Contd..

Parameterization View Parameter

 How do I verify Web page
content?
Checkpoints Two Types

Text Checkpoint - checks that a text string

appears on a Web page.

Image Checkpoint - checks for an image

on a Web page.
How do I verify Web page content?
Contd..

Text Checkpoint Go to Tree View

Right Click
Click Here
How do I verify Web page content?
Contd..
Image Checkpoint Go to Tree View

Right Click
Click Here
 Did my test succeed?

Playback the Script

1. Enable image checks.
2. Run the script.
3. Locate the text check.
4. Locate the image check.
Creating a Load
Testing Scenario
 Topics to be Covered
Introducing the LoadRunner Controller
What mixture of users should be part of
the load test?
How do I generate a heavy load?
How do I emulate real load behavior?
How do I emulate different types of users?
 Introducing the LoadRunner
Controller
Scenario Objective

The objective is to create a scenario

that emulates the behavior of ten
travel agents simultaneously logging
on, searching flights, purchasing
flights, checking itineraries, and
logging off the system.
Introducing the LoadRunner
Controller Contd..

Starting the Controller

Open Mercury LoadRunner - Choose
Start > Programs > Mercury
LoadRunner > LoadRunner.
Open the Controller. - In the Load
Testing tab, click Run Load Tests. The
LoadRunner Controller opens.
Select a Scenario Type. Manual or
Goal Oriented Scenario
What mixture of users should be part of the
load test?

Eight users would be added

simultaneously and two afterwards
1. Add a script to the load test.
2. Begin designing the load test scenario.
3. Change the Group Name and number
of Vusers.
1. Click the Details button.
2. In the Vuser Quantity box, enter 8.
3. Click on OK.
How do I generate a heavy
load?
1. Add a load generator.
1. Click the Generators button and add the
generator which can be used to apply load.
2. Test the load generator connection.
1. Select the localhost load generator and click
Connect.
2. Click Close.
 How do I emulate real load
behavior?
Edit Schedule
1. Change the Scenario Schedule default
settings.
2. Specify a gradual start. (Ramp Up)
3. Initialize the Vusers. (To minimize CPU
consumption)
4. Schedule the duration.
5. Schedule a gradual closure.( Ramp Down)
6. View Graphical representation of the
scheduler. Click OK
How do I emulate different types
of users?
Set Runtime Settings
1. Open the Run-Time settings.
2. Enable think time.
3. Enable logging.
4. Browser Emulation
5. Content Check
6. Pacing
Running The Load
Test
 Topics to be Covered
The Controller Run View at a Glance
How do I run a load test scenario?
How do I monitor the application under
load?
How can I increase the load during the
test?
Did the application perform well under
load?
The Controller Run View at a
Glance
 How do I run a load test
scenario?
1. Open the Controller Run view.
2. Start the scenario.
1. Set the path of the result directory
2. Click on OK.
 How do I monitor the application
under load?
1. Examine the Performance
graphs.
1. Running Vusers - Whole Scenario
2. Transaction Response Time - Whole
Scenario
3. Hits per Second - Whole Scenario
2. Highlight individual
measurements.
1. Double click the graph to highlight the
same
How can I increase the load during
the test?
1. Click the Vusers button. The
Vusers window opens.
 Did the application perform well
under load?
1. Visualize the Transaction Response
Time and determine whether the
transaction was within acceptable
limit for the customer.
2. If the transaction response time
degrades, look for bottlenecks.
Analyzing
Scenario
 Topics to be Covered
How does an analysis session work?
How do I start my analysis session?
The Analysis Window at a Glance
Did I reach my goals?
Did my server perform well?
How can I pinpoint the source of the
problem?
How can I publish my findings?
 How does an analysis session
work?
1. Were the test expectations met? What
was the transaction response time on the
users end under load? What was the
average transaction response time of the
transactions?
2. What parts of the system could have
contributed to the decline in
performance? What was the response
time of the network and servers?
 How do I start my analysis
session?
1. Open Mercury LoadRunner.
1. Choose Start > Programs > Mercury
LoadRunner > LoadRunner.
2. Open LoadRunner Analysis.
1. In the Load Testing tab, click Analyze Load Tests.
3. Open the analysis session file.
1. File > Open.
2. From the <LoadRunner Installation>\Tutorial
folder, select analysis_session and click Open.
The Analysis Window at a Glance
 Did I reach my goals?

Check Transaction Summary Area

Did I reach my goals? Contd..

Check Transaction Summary Area

Open the Average Transaction Response Time

graph.
Click the check_itinerary transaction, in the Transaction Name column.
 Did my server perform well?
Study the behavior of the Vusers.
Click Running Vusers in the graph tree.

Filter the graph so that you see only the time slice when all
the Vusers ran simultaneously.
 Did my server perform well?
Contd..
Correlate the Running Vusers and Average Transaction Response
Time graphs to compare their data.
Right-click the Running Vusers graph and choose Merge Graphs.
From the Select graph to merge with list, choose Average
Transaction
Response Time.
In the Select type of merge area, select Correlate, and click OK.

Analyze the correlated graph

 How can I pinpoint the source of
the problem?
From the graph tree, select the Average Transaction Response Time graph.

Filter the Average Transaction Response Time graph to display

only the check_itinerary transaction.

Right-click the graph, and choose Set Filter/Group by.
In the Transaction Name value box, select check_itinerary .
Click OK.
How can I pinpoint the source of the problem?
Contd..

Auto-correlate the graph.

Right-click the graph, and choose Auto Correlate. Click OK.
How can I pinpoint the source of the problem?
Contd..

Rename the graph.

Choose Rename Graph.
Type Auto Correlated - check_itinerary and press ENTER

Analyze the auto-correlated graph.

Look at the legend below the graph.

In the Measurement column you can see that the Private Bytes and Pool
Nonpaged Bytes, both of which are memory-related measurements, have
a Correlation Match of over 70% with the check_itinerary transaction.
How can I publish my findings?
HTML Reports
1. From the Reports menu, choose
HTML Report...
2. Select a file name for your report,
and the path where you want to
save it. Click Save.