As a cloud-based load testing provider, RedLine13 offers several advanced options for configuring load tests to suit the particular needs of your test case scenario. In this post, we will review some of the various advanced cloud options settings which may assist you in your next load test.
On-demand vs Spot Instances
By default tests utilize on-demand instances when provisioning load generator servers. However, you can realize significant cost savings by using spot instances, if your use case allows it. The selection between on-demand and spot instances can be made just below where the number of servers are specified for your test:
You can learn more about when to use spot instances in another post on our blog, including when spot instance use is appropriate for cost savings.
Public IP Assignment
Enabled by default, there is a check box on the lower right-hand side on advanced cloud options which will automatically associate public IP address with load generator servers. In certain scenarios, we would not want a public IP address assigned – such as testing within a private subnet or using routing via a NAT.
In a related article on our blog, we discuss load testing with private subnets and NATs, and specifically how to test internal applications hosted by cloud service providers.
Location (AWS Region)
While many tests are performed from a single region, RedLine13 has the ability to easily run a single test out of multiple regions. The “Location” drop-down box can be changed to any number of supported AWS regions:
In a related blog post, we discuss how to add load generator servers to multiple AWS regions within a single test. Using this feature, it is possible to simulate traffic originating from a wide geographic region, or even from around the world.
Security Group Assignment
Perhaps a less frequently used feature is the assignment of security groups. Using the “Security Group IDs” field, you can specify one or more identifiers for security groups you have defined in your AWS account:
Security groups are one way to control access to protected resources, either from trusted sources, or restricted to using known protocols.
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