HP LoadRunner

The program can test both various applications and sites of different levels of complexity. During testing, it emulates the parallel operation of a large number of so-called. virtual users (in the form of processes or threads ) executing various scripts (actions) according to various scenarios . The program has the appropriate toolkits for testing. Also, HP LoadRunner includes a set of tools for working with the application using various protocols (remotely, through a proxy server , etc.)

Hewlett-Packard acquired LoadRunner when it acquired the Israeli company en: Mercury Interactive in November 2006 ^{[2] [3]} .

HP LoadRunner consists of the following component modules:

• Virtual User Generator (VuGen) - for developing load scripts ;
• Load Generator - for load generation (virtual user generation);
• Controller - to create, configure and run load scripts;
• Agent process - connects the Controller and Load Generator modules;
• Analysis - for analyzing the results of load testing.

Unlike GUI tests, load tests (VuGen) work with traffic between the client and server ( application and transport levels ), and you can use one workstation to generate the load.

HP LoadRunner allows you to monitor system resources and can integrate with the HP Quality Center for storing load scripts, scripts, test results and with HP QuickTest Professional for load using a GUI test.

Virtual User Generator

Virtual User Generator module - is used to develop scripts that will be used for further testing. It has a large set of tools to help you write the most productive scripts for testing the application. Some tools allow you to automatically write scripts. It is enough to enable the “recording” and all the actions performed by the user on the computer will be written to the script (a kind of “ logging ”). Although in the future it is advisable to manually modify, correct, or optimize such scripts, thereby increasing their efficiency and reliability.

This module also has functions for setting up work with the security settings of the application under test. For example, if the site’s traffic is protected by an untrusted certificate , then when you enter such a site, the protection will issue a warning that the site’s reliability is suspicious. As a result of the HP LoadRunner settings for working with such a certificate, unnecessary data on site protection will not get into the automatic scripting, which will significantly improve the script. The scripts created by this module have a flexible structure that can be customized depending on the test requirements. By default, the script structure consists of three “sections”:

• Vuser_init - in this section initial user actions are recorded that will lead to the launch of the application under test;
• Action - in this section the main part of the script is written, which will produce the load on the module under test;
• Vuser_end - in the last section, actions are written to correctly close the module and terminate the user’s work with the application under test.

This approach to writing scripts provides a very high efficiency. Example: 100 users connected to the application and passed the Vuser_init stage, after which they execute the Action part of the script 100 times and, completing the execution, go through the Vuser_end stage Vuser_end . Thus, our virtual users will not waste time completing the extra 99 times of the Vuser_init , Vuser_end .

It is possible to execute a recorded script, and in case of an error, you can see screenshots or web pages of all steps of the script, which first of all allows you to see how the application behaved during the execution of the script and understand in more detail where the error occurred.

Controller

The Controller module is the main module of the program. Performs test scripts for the specified settings. This module includes scripts written in the Virtual User Generator . The administrator has the ability to create a test script:

• configure the number of virtual users;
• combine them into groups;
• set time intervals during which certain user groups will connect or disconnect;
• add scripts that will run various user groups;
• adjust the execution time (duration) of the script.

The module under consideration has an informative interface, that is, after starting the script, you can monitor its process in detail. The administrator has the ability to monitor:

1. For what groups of virtual users, at what stages are. Example: 15 users are waiting in line, 5 users are preparing to execute the first section of the script ( Vuser_init ), 200 users are executing the Action section, 100 users have successfully completed their scripts (that is, all sections of the script have passed according to the given script), 20 users have failed and Encountered an application error. Also see in detail what kind of error, which user and in which section of the script occurred.
2. For graphs that show the progress of the testing process. Various graphs can be connected at any time during the execution of the script and they will display data that was recorded from the very start of the script. Charts also have various settings for convenient monitoring of the process. Examples of such graphs: the number of users per time, errors per time, memory usage or other server resources in time, etc.

Upon completion of the script, the administrator can go to the Analysis module.

Analysis

Analysis module - serves to compile detailed reports on the testing done. Reports can be of two types:

• as a document ( Word file * .doc);
• as an HTML page (can be viewed by various browsers ).

Before creating a report, the administrator sets up indicators of interest to him, which will fall into the report. You can include various graphs that were recorded during testing, display styles of these graphs (linear, volumetric, etc.). Errors that occurred during the execution of scripts by users, etc. In general, you can include everything that happened during testing in the report. After setting up the report and clicking the " Create Report " button, the administrator receives a detailed report on the testing.

• Application Deployment Solution. Protocols: Citrix ICA , Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol ( RDP) .
• Client-server. Protocols: DB2 CLI , DNS , FLEX , Informix , Microsoft .NET , MS SQL , ODBC , Oracle ( 2-tier ), SPDY , Sybase (CTLIB, DBLIB), WAP , Windows Sockets , XML .
• Custom. Types of scripts in C , Java , JavaScript , VBScript , Visual Basic , Visual Basic .NET .
• Distributed systems . Protocols: COM / DCOM , Microsoft .NET .
• E-business . Protocols: AJAX (Click and Script, TruClient ), AMF , FTP , LDAP , Microsoft .NET , Web (Click and Script, HTTP / HTML ).
• Enterprise Java Beans .
• ERP / CRM . Protocols: Oracle NCA , Oracle Web Applications 11i, PeopleSoft Enterprise (PeopleSoft – Tuxedo ), SAP (Click and Script, SAPGUI , SAP – Web), Siebel (Siebel – DB2CLI, Siebel – MSSQL, Siebel – Oracle, Siebel – Web).
• Java (Java over HTTP, Record / Replay).
• Terminal emulation ( en: IBM 5250 , PowerTerm , VT ).
• Web Services Protocols: JMS , Silverlight , SOAP .
• Postal services . Protocols: Internet Messaging ( IMAP ), MS Exchange ( MAPI ), Post Office Protocol ( POP3 ), Simple Mail Protocol ( SMTP ), en: Jacada , Tuxedo (versions 6, 7).
• Streaming multimedia lighting. Protocols: MediaPlayer ( MMS ), RealPlayer ( RTSP ).

• HP QuickTest Professional
• HP Quality Center
• Automated Testing