LoadRunner

…in a nutshell
Understand
terminology
 Define:
Scenario
Number of users
Events
Load scaling
Define:
Vusers
is short for…
Virtual user
emulate actions
 Defn:
Vuser Scripts
actions
a collections of
actions…
business process
can be recorded or…
manually generated
In ANSI C
+ custom LR API
 Define:
Transactions:
not what you think
Standard Definition:
Request Response
 Request
Response

Trxns Request
Response

Request
Response
A defined set of
actions
 You determine
transaction start
end of transaction
…Based on your
process
Defn: Controller
controls the
scenarios
provides real-time
monitoring
logging
Defn: Load
Generator:
executes the scenario
 Define:
Performance
Analysis
view results
raw form
create custom
reports
make graphs & charts
 Define:
Rendezvous Points:
prepare vusers
wait for a certain
event…
 …then load
simultaneously
The Load Runner
Suite:
5 key components:
1.vGen Editor
2. Controller
3. Remote Agent
Dispatcher
4. Agent
4. Analyzer
View @ 40,000 Ft.
 Run & Create a
LoadRunner test…
8 Simple Steps
1. Plan the business
action
2. Record or write
script
3. Setup a scenario
4. Run test scenario
5. Monitor progress
6. Load results in
Analyzer
7. Draw relationships
8. Complete report
About VGen
A detailed view:
Script View
Tree view
VUser 3 key script
customization
features:
1. Parameterization:
Allows dynamic input
data
So submit a unique
value @
…every iteration or…
distribute values
across scripts
 Example of
parameterizing
Read data from table
Read input data
from data pool
capitalize on custom
formats
2. Correlation:
Anticipate and handle

dynamic data
The problem with
recording:
…it records server
responses
…but on replay…
…it expects the exact

same values from the

server
 Example:
Session IDs
3. Transactions:
 Select when the
transaction starts…
…and when it ends
 Track the
performance in that
set of events
(transactions)
Transactions in tree
form:
…and in code form:
Start transaction and…
end transaction
VUser Script Actions:
What are Actions?
modules / supersets
 Modules

Transactions

Actions
1. vuser_init
Initializing functions
Preliminary actions
Login screens
2. vuser_Action
The “meat”
main( ) function
3. vuser_end
cleanup module
Add or modify
your actions
 Checking
Transactions
Inspecting Requests
And Responses
Client Requests
 Server
Response
Create Scenarios
Elements of Scenario:
1) Amount of vUsers
2) Duration
3) Machines
4) Load action
Duration + Load
action
= scenario pattern
Builder
Setup Users
The Analyzer
Default metrics
groups:
1) Web Transactions
2)Web Page
Diagnostics
3) Web Resources
4)Web Page
Diagnostics
5) System Resources
 Database
Architectures
trickier
Supports most DBs:
 SQL
Server
 Sybase
 DB2
 Oracle
…but not all versions
Is database the root
cause?
Capture a lot of
counter data
What does the data
mean?
Use the auto
correlation
 Find direct
correlations
Find inverse
correlations
Pinpoint trends
Summary
VGen Controller Analyzer
Understand what
your testing
Use the 8 Steps
 Parameterize,
correlate &
define transactions
when necessary
end