Creating Load Tests Using the New Load Test Wizard
A load test is created by using the New Load Test Wizard. When you use the New Load Test Wizard, you specify the following settings for the load test:
Note
The initial settings that you configure for a load test using the New Load Test Wizard can be edited later using the Load Test Editor. For more information, see Editing Load Test Scenarios Using the Load Test Editor.
**The initial scenario for the load test **Load tests contain scenarios, which contain Web performance tests and unit tests. A scenario is a container within a load test where you specify load pattern, test mix model, test mix, network mix and Web browser mix. Scenarios are important because they give you flexibility in configuring test characteristics that allow for simulation of complex, realistic work loads. How to create and configure the load test scenario is covered in steps 2.0 through 2.5 in the next section.
You can create and configure additional scenarios in your load test after the New Load Test Wizard completes. For more information, see Creating Additional Scenarios for an Existing Load Test.
For a list of the load test scenario properties you can modify using the Load Test Editor, see Load Test Scenario Properties
**Computers and counter sets in the load test **Counter sets are a set of system performance counters that are useful to monitor during a load test. Counter sets are organized by technology, for example, ASP.NET or SQL counter sets. When you create the load test, you specify which computers and their counter sets to include in the load test.
Note
If your load tests are distributed across remote machines, controller and agent counters are mapped to the controller and agent counter sets. For more information about how to use remote machines in your load test, see Distributing Load Tests Across Multiple Test Machines Using Test Controllers and Test Agents.
Specifying the computers and counter sets for the load test is covered in step 3 in the next section.
The initial run setting for the load test: Run settings are a set of properties that influence the way a load test runs.
You can have more than one run setting in a load test. Only one of the run settings may be active for a load test run. The other run settings provide a quick way to select an alternative setting to use for subsequent test runs. The initial run setting is created using the New Load Test Wizard which is covered in step 4 in the next section. Additional run settings can be created and modified later using the Load Test Editor. For more information, see Configuring Load Test Run Settings.
For a list of the run setting properties you can modify using the Load Test Editor, see Load Test Run Setting Properties.
New Load Test Wizard Steps
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Step 1 - Run the New Load Test Wizard: The first step to perform in order to create a new load test is to run the New Load Test Wizard which will display the welcome screen with some information about how to create the load test. |
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Step 2.0 - Create the initial scenario for the new load test: In this step, you create and name the initial scenario associated with the load test. A scenario is the container within a load test where you specify load pattern, test mix, browser mix, and network mix. Scenarios are important because they give you flexibility in configuring test characteristics that allow for simulation of complex, realistic work loads. Additionally, in the second step, you establish the initial think time settings for the scenario. Think times simulate human pausing between steps in the tests included in the load test. A load test scenario can contain more that one scenario. Additional scenarios are added to the load test after the New Load Test Wizard steps are completed using the Load Test Editor. For more information, see Creating Additional Scenarios for an Existing Load Test. |
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Step 2.1 - Specify the initial load pattern for the new load test scenario: In this step, you can configure the initial load pattern settings for the new scenario created in step 2.0. The load pattern properties specify how the simulated user load is adjusted during a load test. |
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Step 2.2 - Specify the test mix model for the new load test scenario: In this step, you configure the initial test mix model for the load test scenario created in step 2.0. You configure load test mix modeling options to more accurately predict the expected real-world usage of a Web site or application that you are load-testing. |
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Step 2.3 - Specify the test mix for the new load test scenario: In this step, you configure the initial test mix for the load test scenario created in step 2.0. The test mix defines which Web performance tests and unit tests you want to include in the load test scenario. |
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Step 2.4 - Specify the network mix for the new load test scenario: In this step, you configure the initial network mix for the load test scenario created in step 2.0. You can add one or more network emulation types to your load test scenario. |
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Step 2.5 -Specify the Browser mix for the new load test scenario: In this last step for the for the load test scenario created in step 2.0, you configure the Web browser mix. You can add one or more browser types to use with your load test scenario. The browser mix option is displayed only if a Web performance test was included in the test mix in step 2.3. |
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Step 3 - Configure the initial computers and counters used in the load test: In this step, you specify the computers and their associated counter sets you want to use in the load test. |
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Step 4 - Configure the initial run settings used for the load test: In the last step, you configure the initial run setting for the load test. A load test can contain more than one run setting. Fore more information, see How to: Add Additional Run Settings to a Load Test. |
See Also
Tasks
Walkthrough: Creating and Running a Load Test Containing Web Performance Tests
Walkthrough: Creating and Running a Load Test Containing Unit Tests
Concepts
Load Test Run Setting Properties