Creating variables outside of the Requests, How can I load a set of URIs from file and use those in a request? Options

[cirej2000]

I need to be able to read in a list of URLs from a file and use that to mirror actual production traffic patterns. I've been able to do this with every other tool I've used in the past (Loadrunner, JMeter, The Grinder, OpenSTA); but I'm missing how to do this with WAPT.

I just want to use a simple text file full of URIs (each URI can have a different event type...and using parameters only isn't an option). I want to be able to also, based on the URI, be able to track the different event types as different request types in the load script.

So I guess there are two questions:

1. How can I create and populate variables prior to making an HTTP request (ie, how to load a variable using an Ordered List from file and use that variable as the URI)?

2. How do we separate different events in our response time report by using different timers? Again this is a common feature on many applications with more flexible (but yeah, more troublesome) programming languages.


Thanks in advance for your assistance!


Eric

[Sergei Leonov]

In general it isn't possible with WAPT. But why do you want to use a mixed list of unrelated requests from different users instead of logically linked requests from specially prepared profiles?

1. How can I create and populate variables prior to making an HTTP request (ie, how to load a variable using an Ordered List from file and use that variable as the URI)?

In the next version of WAPT you will be able initialize a variable before first request and use its value as URI.

[cirej2000]

In general it isn't possible with WAPT. But why do you want to use a mixed list of unrelated requests from different users instead of logically linked requests from specially prepared profiles?

This is just one of the tests I use for tracking performance issues in production. The Virtual users are only used as "threads" to allow for higher throughput in the system. My key goal is to take the event in the URI (/hook, /logo, /hover, /addtocart) and then do a break down in the response timers by action.

This requires 1:

1. The ability to load URIs directly from file prior to request.
2. The ability to parse the URI after the file reads it and get the eventtype.
3. The ability to use separate timer variables for each of the events.

The hierarchy of the events is not important because the test is not simulating a workflow. It is replaying what actually occurred as far as traffic. Not only does this give us a chance to see if the production traffic from a given period can cause a load issue; it also gives me the ability to shut up the sys admin bigots who always try to put down load test tools.

This functionality is available on just about every top tool in the market (commercial and opensource license). I can definitely do my load test simulations without it. But it has been an important feature in the past and really was one of the great things about a more conventional scripting language such as the one I've been using most recently with OpenSTA.

This wouldn't be a problem for most of our other applications. But for our logo certification services, it is fairly important.

In the next version of WAPT you will be able initialize a variable before first request and use its value as URI.

This would totally solve the problem above if it allows the ordered list by file variable type. Any prospective time frame for this new version?

Thanks for the quick response time Sergei! It definitely is nice to have official support! As I become more experienced with WAPT, I'll be more than happy to participate in these forums and help answer questions as well help on forums such as QAForums.

Regards,


Eric.

[Sergei Leonov]

This is just one of the tests I use for tracking performance issues in production. The Virtual users are only used as "threads" to allow for higher throughput in the system. My key goal is to take the event in the URI (/hook, /logo, /hover, /addtocart) and then do a break down in the response timers by action.

This requires 1:

1. The ability to load URIs directly from file prior to request.
2. The ability to parse the URI after the file reads it and get the eventtype.
3. The ability to use separate timer variables for each of the events.

The hierarchy of the events is not important because the test is not simulating a workflow. It is replaying what actually occurred as far as traffic. Not only does this give us a chance to see if the production traffic from a given period can cause a load issue; it also gives me the ability to shut up the sys admin bigots who always try to put down load test tools.

This functionality is available on just about every top tool in the market (commercial and opensource license). I can definitely do my load test simulations without it. But it has been an important feature in the past and really was one of the great things about a more conventional scripting language such as the one I've been using most recently with OpenSTA.

This wouldn't be a problem for most of our other applications. But for our logo certification services, it is fairly important.

Ok, I understood your goals. We already have this features in our todo list for the future versions.

This would totally solve the problem above if it allows the ordered list by file variable type. Any prospective time frame for this new version?

You can download beta version of WAPT Pro 2.0 from http://www.loadtestingtool.com/forum/builds/WAPTPro2.0.zip. Release will be within few months.

[cirej2000]

Ok, I understood your goals. We already have this features in our todo list for the future versions.



You can download beta version of WAPT Pro 2.0 from http://www.loadtestingtool.com/forum/builds/WAPTPro2.0.zip. Release will be within few months.

Excellent! I'll give it a look!

Thanks Sergei!

[cirej2000]

Doesn't seem to be a facility for variable creation in advance of an HTTP request. However, I'll do some further investigation in the Beta and the Javascript module.

Thanks again for getting me the beta!


Eric

[Sergei Leonov]

Doesn't seem to be a facility for variable creation in advance of an HTTP request.

Look at Profile Properties / Initial variables

[cirej2000]

Look at Profile Properties / Initial variables

Expanding the window is my friend!! Thanks Sergei! It was just a matter of resizing the GUI window in order to see the option! Sigh...laziness kills.

Regards,


Eric

[cirej2000]

Looks like the WAPT isn't recognizing the initial variables. Are there any constraints or rules to the usage of the initial variables in requests? Or maybe I'm declaring them incorrectly.

[Sergei Leonov]

Looks like the WAPT isn't recognizing the initial variables. Are there any constraints or rules to the usage of the initial variables in requests? Or maybe I'm declaring them incorrectly.

Could you give me your profile and the file with URLs or send they to support@loadtestingtool.com?

[cirej2000]

Could you give me your profile and the file with URLs or send they to support@loadtestingtool.com?

I sent an email Sergei with the profile. This profile is attempting to use the urls via an initial variable of type ordered list. The ordered list is NOT using a file, it is storing a list of urls as part of the variable.

If I place one of the urls in the the URL path directly (not calling it from the initial variable), the request will receive a 200 HTTP status from the server. If from the initial variable, it gets a 404 Status; which leads me to believe that the url path isn't being returned by the initial variable.

Any ideas?


thanks,


Eric

[cirej2000]

One thing I just noticed is that there is a message box that flashes and disappears almost instantly when I run the verify task. Can't really see what it is, but I'm guessing that there are some errors to what I've done with the initial variables.

[cirej2000]

Nevermind, it was just a user agent warning message.

[cirej2000]

Ok, I see what's wrong. It's urlencoding the url path and

sending:

/hook%3Fh%3Df90f2aca%26cds%3DS4966776%26locale%3Den%26style%3D1%26layout%3D1x1%26locationId%3Dlogos

in the GET request.

Which gets returned as:

"Not Found

The requested URL /hook?h=f90f2aca&cds=S4966776&locale=en&style=1&layout=1x1&locationId=logos was not found on this server. "

By the server error page (which, ironically, is the correct format).

Is there a way to NOT encode the URL path? I know that there's an option to encode the parameters; but am not sure if we can control the encoding of the full URL path (which should make sense as an option if we can encode the parameters...maybe).

Thanks,

Eric

[Sergei Leonov]

Ok, I see what's wrong. It's urlencoding the url path and

Yes, you are right it's unneeded in this case URL parameters encoding. We will make some changes to eliminate this problem.

[cirej2000]

Yes, you are right it's unneeded in this case URL parameters encoding. We will make some changes to eliminate this problem.

Cool. I'll continue along with some other tests.

Thanks again.

[Sergei Leonov]

We fixed your problem, you can download the new build from http://www.loadtestingtool.com/forum/builds/WAPTPro2.0.zip

[cirej2000]

We fixed your problem, you can download the new build from http://www.loadtestingtool.com/forum/builds/WAPTPro2.0.zip

Success!!!!


Thanks Sergei!!