Performance test using Web Application Stress Tool (WAS) (1)
Duwamish Online
Aaron Ching, Pedro Silva, And Allen Wagnermicrosoft Developer Network
January 2001
Abstract: This article discusses performance testing to successfully release a web application, focus on Microsoft's Web Application Stress (WAS) this tool for testing the performance of Duwamish Online.
content
Introduction to the WAS of the WAS WA Was Create Test Script Configuration Test Script Run Test Script Conclusion: The best habits
Introduction
Performance testing is a key factor in successfully publishing a network application. When more and more users visited your site, it is very important to know how your app and your server group work.
In order to simulate the type of use, you can contact a few hundred and even thousands of real users to visit your site in a design well, you can only copy so many users. Work together with the load test tool,
Many performance test tools can help you. Basically, these tools allow you to simulate a large number of virtual users with a limited client, and access a predetermined page or a URLS (Uniform Resource Locators). Each virtual user can accurately imitate communication protocol between real browsers and website servers.
In this article, we will focus on one of these tools: Microsoft® Web Application Stress (WAS) tool. You can find this tool in Microsoft's Microsoft Windows® 2000 Resource Kit CD (Was Version 288).
Note that WAS cannot download from Microsoft's website, and Visual Studio .NET's corporate architecture and corporate development versions include a new network pressure test tool, which is called Application Center Test, which is a tool supported by Microsoft Technical. This tool is included in the Enterprise Development Tools section at the Visual Studio .NET installation. When writing this article, Application Center Test has not officially disclosed. For how to get Visual Studio .NET, visit the Visual Studio website.
Benefits using WAS
First, let's discuss the benefits of using the WAS test your application.
It is simple
WAS allows you to create a test script in a different way: You can record the script by using the browser to take a site, you can import URL from the server log file, or select a file from a network content folder. Of course, you can also manually enter the URL to create a new test script.
Unlike other tools, you can use any number of clients to run test scripts, all have a central master client to control. Before each test begins, the main client transparently performs the following tasks:
· Communicate with all other clients
· Distribute test data to all clients
· Initialization test at all clients
· Collect test results and reports from all clients
This feature is very important, especially for the maximum throughput to test a server group that needs to use many clients.
Its high availability
WAS is a platform that is designed to analog web browser to send requests to any server that uses HTTP1.0 or 1.1 standards without considering the server running.
In addition to its ease of use, WAS has many other useful features, including:
· For websites that need to sign in, it allows you to create user accounts. · Allows SESSION information for each user to store cookies and Active Server Pages (ASP)
· Support random or sequential data sets to use in specific names-value pairs
· Support bandwidth adjustment and random delay ("Time") to simulate the display situation in a more realistic simulation.
· Support Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol
· Allows URL packets and instructions for hits per group
· Provide an object model that can be processed by Microsoft Visual Basic® Scripting Edition (VBScript) or through custom programming to achieve the effect of the test script.
WSA defect
In addition to the advantage, WAS does have some defects. The currently known BUG and related matters are listed on the WAS website. The following is the characteristics that current WAS is not supported:
• The ability to modify the URL parameters based on the results returned by the previous request.
· Ability to run or imitate client logic
• Specify a certain amount of test cycle for the assigned test.
· Test capabilities for multiple servers with different IP addresses or domain names
Note that you can use multiple primary clients to test multiple servers at the same time. However, if you want to link all the test results to a whole, you need to organize data from each WAS database.
· Support the ability to redirection between different IP addresses or domains
· Ability to record SSL pages from a web browser
Note that the WSA has supported the test of the SSL page, but did not record them. You need to open SSL support for each design URL after the script recording.
Although there are some corresponding solutions to these restrictions, if your application rely on one or more such functions, you may not fully enjoy the benefits of WAS.
Install WAS
WAS requires Microsoft Windows NT® 4.0 Service Pack 4 or above, including Windows 2000 platforms. It also requires Internet Explorer 4.0 or more, and works better with Internet Explorer 5.0.
To install WAS, first download the latest version of the setup.exe program, follow the instructions of the installation wizard. Copy and install it on your test machine.
Note All steps introduced herein are WAS VERSION 293 as Blue.
Create a test script
Although you can create test scripts manually, WAS can help you create a test script by logging browser activities, importing a server log file or evaluating the content of the Web folder. In this article, we will create a test script mainly through the way of record enchart. This method is used for several reasons without other methods, including:
· Reporting entries will capture all users' interaction activities in an accurate manner. Any URL that is sent from the browser to the server, the application parameters, and HTTP header information are automatically recorded in the new test script.
· The method of importing the server log file is in the case where the site has entered the use phase, and the real user traffic is best used. However, a new site does not necessarily have so many real users to use data, further, may also need to merge a large number of log files to achieve the purpose of better reflecting user activities, which will need to create a large number of test scripts, will need customers More system resources. · The method of selecting the web content folder is best used in the test of most of the static HTML file. This approach allows you to quickly create a test script on the basis of the Web page of the existing server. However, this method does not capture any parameters generated by most application files, like the Common Gateway Interface (CGI) program or Active Server Pages (ASP).
You only need to create and store your test script at the primary client machine. When the test is initialized by the primary client, the test script will automatically distribute to other test clients.
Prepare test client machine
If you are using the proxy server through the proxy server, and send a request page from the client outside the internal network, and your company uses Microsoft Proxy Server, then follow the steps below to create your client:
1. From the start menu, point to Settings / Control Panel. Double-click the management tool icon, then the service icon.
2. Double-click WebTool service to open Properties dialog
3. Point Log ON AS Tags, then click the Account Select button to add your network username and password. Use the Domain / User Name format
4. Stop and restart WebTool service
5. Then, install the Microsoft Windows Proxy Client 2.0, also called the Winsock Proxy client, you can find in the Microsoft Proxy Server CD (more about how to install and set this software, please refer to the document included in the CD)
6. Repeat steps 1-5 for each test client that wants to use the proxy server.
If your company uses other proxy servers, you should install the proxy client of the proxy server.
Prepare browser
Before starting to record a script, you need to prepare your browser and clear your browser buffer Cache. Otherwise, WAS may not record the desired browser activity because the browser may obtain a request page from the buffer rather than from the requested server.
Turn off the buffer of IE
1. In the Tools menu, click the Internet Options
2. Point regular tags, then remove the file. . . Button.
If you use IE5.0 or above, you don't need to modify the agent settings because the IE of 5.0 or later allows WAS to change these settings. However, for IE4.0 or earlier versions, WAS uses a built-in proxy server to record browser activities.
Press WAS to specify a proxy settings
1. In the Tools menu, click the Internet Options
2. In the connection tag, modify the agent settings to point the proxy server to localhost and use port 8000
3. Do not choose the local address without using the proxy server
Script
After your browser and client are ready to record, do the following:
1. When you run the WAS, you will see a CREATE New Script dialog (Figure 1), asking you to create a new test script in what way. Figure 1. Creating The Script
2. Point the Record button. If you have chosen Don't Display At Startup, Create New Script will not appear. You can select Record in the Script menu and create.
3. In the Browser Recorder - Step 1 of 2 dialog box, you will be asked to specify some record settings. Here, clear all the selection box points next to NexT continues.
4. On the Browser Recorder - Step 2 of 2, click Finish. A new IE window will appear to record browser activities while WAS will be placed in recording mode.
5. Enter the address of your destination site in the address bar of the new IE window. In the WAS window, you will see that HTTP information changes in real time in real time in following your browsing activities.
6. After completing your site browsing, turn back to the WAS window - is still in a recorded state - point the Stop Recording button. A new test script is terminated and generated, as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2. The Was Program Window After Recording is Finished
On the bottom of the window, you will see a list of all scripts.
For sites that require a secure connection,
WAS
stand by
SSL
page. Not allowing
SSL
record of. To resolve these restrictions, you can turn off at the server side
SSL
Record the script, then reactivate the server
SSL
.
