Performance testing using LoadRunner

Performance testing is the smartest manner in which Performance testers may use to evaluate their applications just before it finally enters the market scene. In case you didn't do overall performance testing to a software product and clients experience errors and difficulties using the product, then you will surely face huge problem.

As its title suggest performance testing using LoadRunner is about testing reliability, programs, speed, hardware, networks and efficacy of devices. Maybe you are thinking why performance testing is very significant at all forms of applications.

HP LoadRunner is usually an automated performance and testing product from Hewlett-Packard for examining system behaviour and performance, while generating actual load. HP acquired LoadRunner as part of its acquisition of Mercury Interactive in November 2006.

HP LoadRunner software for Mobile is the industry-standard performance testing solution for services and applications. HP LoadRunner became almost a de facto standard for companies that must ensure high reliability and scalability of applications and for this purpose should have a well-functioning system of testing, which allows to determine in advance how applications will behave under real production conditions.

HP LoadRunner supports popular protocols

Web (HTTP/HTML)
Web Services
Sliverlight
SAPGUI
Oracle NCA
Oracle (2-Tier)
Flex
Citrix
Ajax and many other types of applications

In the last few years I've seen a form of trend where in performance testers use tools like fiddler/yslow/httpwatch for scripting purpose in spite of having fully licensed version of the LoadRunner or other performance tools.

LoadRunner has various components that helps achieving evaluating an application:

VuGen:

VuGen predominately consists of scripting in the VuGen environment. All the scripts that you write / debug / test will be done in VuGen itself with one user. If you want to test with multiple users, you must use controller software.

Controller:

Controller is the heart of HP LoadRunner software. This is the place where you will design how users need to be entered into the system, how long vusers need to run and how vusers will be moving out of the system and various other parameters.

Analysis:

Analysis is a piece of software part of HP Loadrunner which does collecting all the event files, logs and summarize all the results from all the LoadGenerators used in the test and draw nice graphs and reports. Depending what other diagnostic tools you have, analysis provides very useful information.

LoadGenerator:

LoadGenerator or Host referred with the same meaning. It is a software residing on a machine and takes commands from controller software and runs the specified number of users and sends the results back to Controller software. To run GUI Vusers on a remote load generator machine, make sure that the LoadRunner agent is configured to run as a process.