RedLine13 makes it easy to scale your load tests in the cloud, but sometimes there are a few moving parts to coordinate. While it can be disappointing when a test fails to start, in most cases there are only a few common reasons preventing such a “grounded” test from launching. In this article, we will walk through some of these common scenarios. In each of these cases we will discuss troubleshooting steps and potential solutions. NetworkRead More →
JMeter extends the useful capability to extract response data into user variables. In a recent post, we covered how to use the Page Data Extractor to find and save data metrics returned in the body of the page for use in post-processor scripts and other test plan elements. It is a reasonable requirement to see if such extractions are successful before proceeding to this other test logic, which can be achieved manually in your scripts. However,Read More →
When scaling your JMeter test, preparation is important. Often, very large tests will require significant coordination in terms of resources. The target test environment will need to be scaled up to match production conditions. Likewise, simulating a large number of users will require launching many load generator servers. As part of this preparation, you may want to check JMeter test plans for consistency before running the test. The JMeter Test Plan Check Tool provides this capability.Read More →
Data collection is a key aspect of any load test. For most tests this data comes from request metrics such as response time, error rate, throughput, etc. However it is sometimes useful to capture data that is returned on the requested page itself. With JMeter, this is possible using the Page Data Extractor. This plugin can be used to directly plot data metrics returned from requests. Use cases include status monitoring, health checks, and other importantRead More →
Though cloud-based load testing services such as RedLine13 allow you to easily scale your load test, the majority of JMeter test plans begin on the local machine. The JMeter GUI is used to assemble the major components. First tests begin inside the GUI, usually monitored with a listener. When transitioning your test to the cloud however, the user interface is stood down to remove the overhead and achieve scale. Local Tests from the Console As anRead More →
The JMeter Dashboard Report is an HTML-based summary that can be generated from the results data of a JMeter test. When you run your load test with output files enabled on RedLine13, we automatically generate this report. However, this report can also be generated manually on your local machine using the JMeter GUI. Generating the Report Locally To generate the JMeter Dashboard Report on your local machine, begin by starting the JMeter GUI. Navigate to theRead More →
By design, resources in AWS are provisioned through the lens of security. When creating a new Virtual Private Network (VPC), access into this network from the outside world is restricted. In this article, we will go through the steps connecting a VPC to the internet. We will also review common connectivity issues faced reaching resources inside a VPC. Attaching an Internet Gateway The first step to enable VPC internet access is to attach an Internet Gateway.Read More →
JMeter contains a built-in component that can assist in controlling the logical flow of a load test based on internal conditions. Using the If Controller, conditional logic can be set up to either run once for a group of elements, or optionally for each element within a set. Only if the specified condition is “true” will items within the If Controller be executed. Once added to a test plan, the If Controller acts as a containerRead More →
For certain k6 tests, we may want to vary the action taken based on content presented on the target test page. In order to accomplish this, we can use HTML elements to drive conditional logic within a k6 test plan. In this brief post, we will show you how to use k6 to dynamically evaluate HTML elements on a target test page. Importing Required Modules To read content from the page, we will need to importRead More →
Form submissions represent a common use case for performance tests. If your JMeter test needs to automatically fill out form fields from a data source, this is classically done with extractors and variable substitution. Depending on the number of fields in your form and the structure of your web page, this can become complicated. To simplify this process, we will show you how to use the HTTP Form Manager plugin. This component allows you to intuitivelyRead More →