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When writing Citrix scripts, I depend on ICA files almost exclusively as my means of connecting to the published application. In past versions of Citrix, ICA files were very easy for Citrix admins to create. When Presentation server 4.0 came out, they removed the ability to create these files easily. While searching for an way to do this myself, I ran across an application that I am going to consider essential for any of my future Citrix engagements. It is called Smart Citrix ICA Client. It allows you to select all of your connection Read Entire Entry

Let’s say you want to capture the http response of a page, but it redirects you (code 302). The normal way you might capture the HTTP status code is capturing it in a variable:
HttpRetCode = web_get_int_property(HTTP_INFO_RETURN_CODE);
This would be put after the page request in the script. However, this will only capture the LAST status code received. If there is a redirection in between, it will not be captured. So how do you get the first one? Capture the response header using a correlation. Use the web_reg_save_param function Read Entire Entry

Note: This article was originally posted on Loadtester.com, and has been migrated to the Northway web site to maintain the content online.

HELLO…  HELLO AGAIN
It’s time again for another version update of your favorite load testing product, LoadRunner. The latest release as of this writing is 9.5, and we (Loadtester Inc.) have been waiting for this version anxiously for a couple of reasons. I wanted to go through a few of the new features in this latest version.
LoadRunner now fully supports Windows Vista (SP1) for bot Read Entire Entry

Note: This article was originally posted on Loadtester.com, and has been migrated to the Northway web site to maintain the content online.
When HP released LoadRunner version 9, several new protocols were introduced.  One of these protocols was Microsoft Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP).  It allows the scripting of Terminal Server sessions.  From a scripting standpoint, it looks similar to earlier versions of the Citric ICA LoadRunner protocol.  Many of the same best practices used when recording Citrix can be used when recoding RDP Read Entire Entry

Note: This article was originally posted on Loadtester.com, and has been migrated to the Northway web site to maintain the content online.
Citrix applications represent the second most common protocol for LoadRunner engagements at Loadtester Incorporated Northway Solutions Group. Our white paper from 2006 on Citrix best practices continues to be a very popular download on the site. In 2008, we’ve presented this information to the Citrix iForum and at local user groups. There continues to be a lot of interest in testing Citrix Read Entire Entry

Anyone who has written a script in LoadRunner has probably used parameters before. A parameter is a substitution for a hard coded values when there needs to be different data values submitted on each new iteration if the script. One way to feed new information in is by creating a data file (similar to a CSV delimited file). You can create your own .DAT files with multiple columns, convert them from excel spreadsheets, or from SQL extracts from the database.  Then point your parameter to the .DAT file. HP’s Virtual User Generator Read Entire Entry

Note: This article was originally posted on Loadtester.com, and has been migrated to the Northway web site to maintain the content online.
There are two things I love to do: Crush applications with LoadRunner and eat good BBQ. With regards to my first love – nothing gives me the same feeling as being able to expose things that suck, with graphs to prove it! Seriously though. I’ve seen a lot of applications and recorded against several of LoadRunner’s protocol types. But there is one that has eluded me for years. Or should I say, I Read Entire Entry

Note: This article was originally posted on Loadtester.com, and has been migrated to the Northway web site to maintain the content online.
Microsoft recently posted a job for a performance engineer, and I happened to see it. It started off with the question, “Do you have experience with any of the common performance testing applications such as LoadRunner and OcraCoke?” I thought, “huh?”. For those of you not familiar with OcraCoke, that was the pre-launch code name for Visual Studio Team System. This peaked my interest further. I Read Entire Entry

Note: This article was originally posted on Loadtester.com by Suresh Nageswaran, and has been migrated to the Northway web site to maintain the content online.
Compilers and interpreters have always interested me. When I started tinkering with LoadRunner’s implementation, the initial motivation was simply to try an get an understanding of the engine under the hood. The idea was to acquire an edge by going from the documented to the undocumented. This approach bears rich dividends with avenues to extending the tool and using Read Entire Entry

Note: This article was originally posted on Loadtester.com, and has been migrated to the Northway web site to maintain the content online.
I have been studying the maturity model put forth by Mercury around performance testing. Here’s a graphic representation of it.

I have some thoughts about it, but before I get off on a rant, I thought it was only fair to put some brief points and descriptions around each phase. Obviously, this is borrowed from the CMM model.
Take a look at some of the qualities below that describe the stages an Read Entire Entry