The LoadRunner Testing Process

You can easily create and run load test scenarios by following the LoadRunner testing process below. The following illustration outlines the testing process:

This chapter gives you an overview of LoadRunner’s six step process for testing your Web-based application under load.

Step I: Planning the Test

Successful load testing requires that you develop a thorough test plan. A clearly defined test plan will ensure that the LoadRunner scenarios that you develop will accomplish your load testing objectives.

Step II: Creating the Vuser Scripts

Vusers emulate human users interacting with your Web-based application. A Vuser script contains the actions that each Vuser performs during scenario execution. In each Vuser script, you determine the tasks that will be:

• performed by each Vuser
• performed simultaneously by multiple Vusers
• measured as transactions

Step III: Creating the Scenario

A scenario describes the events that occur during a testing session. A scenario includes a list of machines on which Vusers run, a list of scripts that the Vusers run, and a specified number of Vusers or Vuser groups that run during the scenario. You create scenarios using the LoadRunner Controller.

Creating a Manual Scenario

You create a scenario by defining Vuser groups to which you assign a quantity of individual Vusers, Vuser scripts, and load generators to run the scripts. You can also create a scenario using the Percentage Mode, in which you define the total number of Vusers to be used in the scenario, and the load generator machines and percentage of the total number of Vusers to be assigned to each Vuser script.

Creating a Goal-Oriented Scenario
For Web tests, you can create a goal-oriented scenario, in which you define the goals you want your test to achieve. LoadRunner automatically builds a scenario for you, based on these goals.

Step IV: Running the Scenario

You emulate user load on the server by instructing multiple Vusers to perform tasks simultaneously. You can set the level of load by increasing and decreasing the number of Vusers that perform tasks at the same time.

Before you run a scenario, you set the scenario configuration and scheduling. This determines how all the load generators and Vusers behave when you run the scenario. You can run the entire scenario, groups of Vusers (Vuser groups), or individual Vusers. While a scenario runs, LoadRunner measures and records the transactions that you defined in each Vuser script. You can also monitor your system’s performance online.

Step V: Monitoring a Scenario

You can monitor scenario execution using the LoadRunner online run-time, transaction, system resource, Web resource, Web server resource, Web application server resource, database server resource, network delay, streaming media resource, firewall server resource, ERP/CRM server resource, Java performance, J2EE transaction breakdown, application deployment, middleware performance, application component, and infrastructure resources monitors.

Step VI: Analyzing Test Results

During scenario execution, LoadRunner records the performance of the application under different loads. You use LoadRunner’s graphs and reports to analyze the application’s performance. For more information about LoadRunner’s reports and graphs, see the LoadRunner Analysis User’s Guide.