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Test Author Guide
This guide describes how to create test scripts in Rational® Performance Tester and enhances tests by applying different test elements such as dataset, variables, and verification points. This guide is intended for testers.
Creating tests
To create a test, you record representative interactions with an application.
Recording HTTP tests
When you record a test, the test creation wizard records your interactions with a web-based application, generates a test from the recording, and opens the test for editing. You can record tests from Internet Explorer (which is the default on Windows™) or from another browser.

Test Author Guide
This guide describes how to create test scripts in Rational® Performance Tester and enhances tests by applying different test elements such as dataset, variables, and verification points. This guide is intended for testers.
- Creating tests
  To create a test, you record representative interactions with an application.
  - Performance testing tips
    Use these tips to make IBM® Rational® Performance Tester run faster and more efficiently. These tips do not apply to IBM Rational Service Tester for SOA Quality.
  - Creating a project
    The tests that you create, and the assets associated with the tests, reside in a project on your desktop. You can create the project separately, or you can simply record a test, which automatically creates a project named testproj.
  - Recording HTTP tests
    When you record a test, the test creation wizard records your interactions with a web-based application, generates a test from the recording, and opens the test for editing. You can record tests from Internet Explorer (which is the default on Windows™) or from another browser.
    - Recording reliable HTTP tests
      You use a web browser to capture the HTTP test. To record reliable HTTP tests, certain configuration of the web browsers are required. Read the guidelines in this topic for robust HTTP tests.
    - Configuring Internet Explorer for recording from a secure web site
      You can suppress the security warning that Internet Explorer displays when you are recording from a secure web site.
    - Recording an HTTP test
      To test the performance of an application, you must first record the HTTP traffic that traverses between the client and the server. You record the HTTP traffic of the application by initiating the recording from the product. When you record the test, a proxy recorder intercepts the HTTP traffic between the browser and the web server.
    - Recording a WebSocket test
      If your application is based on the WebSocket protocol, you can check the performance of the application by creating a recording of the application and playing it back.
    - Recording an HTTP test for mobile applications
      You can use IBM® Rational® Performance Tester to test a native or web application from the mobile device by using an HTTP protocol.
    - Generating HTTP tests from a Web UI test
      The performance tests record the HTTP traffic against the HTTP server that hosts the application under test. You would have recorded many scenarios against the server. If a new version of the server is about to be used, there can be changes in the HTTP traffic for all of the existing tests. You might have to re-record all of the tests to bring them back to the state where they can be run successfully. This is a time-consuming process.
    - Preparing to record a test for the HTTP/2 protocol
      To collect the performance data of an application that supports HTTP/2 protocol, record a test against the HTTP/2 application. Before recording the HTTP/2 application, follow the procedure in this topic to configure your computer.
    - Splitting an HTTP test during recording
      You can insert split points when you record a test. With split points, you can generate multiple tests from a single recording that you can replay in a different order with a schedule. You can also create a schedule that contains all of the tests that are generated from the split points.
    - Returning a browser to its initial state if recording is interrupted
      Browser options are changed during recording and are reset after recording is complete. If you interrupt recording, the browser stays in its changed state, and you may receive The page cannot be displayed messages. To fix this, reset the browser to its initial state.
    - Creating HTTP tests manually
      The typical—and simplest—way to create a test is by recording it. However, you can also write a test from scratch.
    - Creating tests from HTTP Archive files
      To migrate your tests from another tool to IBM® Rational® Performance Tester, you can export tests in the HTTP Archive (.har) file format and then import or copy the HTTP Archive files to IBM Rational Performance Tester. You can then create test scripts from the HTTP Archive files.
    - Recording Adobe™ Flex content
      You can record an HTTP session that contains traffic to and from a .swf Adobe™ Flex application.
    - Recording Microsoft Silverlight applications
      To test the performance of an application that was developed by using Microsoft™ Silverlight, you can record the application.
    - Changing HTTP test generation preferences
      You can change how performance tests are generated, such as how tests process verification points, data correlation, and pages.
  - Recording SAP tests
    When you record a test, the test creation wizard records your interactions with the SAP server, generates a test from the recording, and opens the test for editing. You can record tests from the SAP GUI. You can also record SAP batch input tests that can be used to produce a heavy load on the server while minimizing the processing requirements for virtual testers.
  - Recording Citrix tests
    When you record a test, the test creation wizard records your interactions with the Citrix server, generates a test from the recording, and opens the test for editing. You can record a test session in the Citrix XenApp client.
  - Recording service tests
    When you record a test, the test creation wizard records your interactions with the service, generates a test from the recording, and opens the test for editing. You can record a test session by invoking service calls with the generic service client or by using an existing client. You can also create a service test manually or from a Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) model.
  - Recording socket and TN3270 tests
    When you record a test, the test creation wizard records your interactions with the application under test, generates a test from the recording, and opens the test for editing.
  - Digital certificates overview
    The digital certificates feature enables you to run tests against servers that use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) for applications that require client-side digital certificates to authenticate users.
  - Kerberos overview
    You can run HTTP tests against servers that use the Kerberos protocol for authentication.
  - Annotating a test during recording
    You can add comments, add transactions, or change a page name while you record a test. The advantage of adding these elements during (rather than after) recording is that you can place the annotations in the test exactly where you want. In addition, because annotations are part of the recorded test, they are regenerated when you regenerate the test. You can also insert split points into a test during record.
  - Recording sensitive session data
    You can keep recording session (.recsession) files to view the contents of a recording or to regenerate tests. However, if a recorded test contains sensitive information, you can choose to obfuscate, or encrypt, text strings in the recsession file.
  - Splitting a test during recording
    You can insert split points when you record a test. Split points allow you to generate multiple tests from a single recording that you can replay in a different order with a schedule.
  - Generating a new test from a recorded session
    You can generate a new test from a recorded session. For example, if you accidentally damage a test during editing, or if you want to change a test preference, you can regenerate the test instead of re-recording it. If split points were inserted in the recording, you can choose to generate a single test without split points.
  - Organizing test assets by type
    By clicking an icon, you can view your test assets in a logical order, in separate folders for tests, schedules, results, locations, and datasets.
- Editing tests
  After you record a test, you can edit it to include datasets (to provide variable data rather than the data that you recorded), verification points (to confirm that the test runs as expected), and data correlation (to ensure that returned data is appropriate for the corresponding request). You can also add protocol-specific elements to a test. When you edit a test, the modified items appear in italic type. The italic type changes to regular type after you save the test.
- Compound tests
  You can create compound tests to help you organize smaller tests into scenarios that can then be run end-to-end. You can combine tests from different extensions to achieve end-to-end flow.
- Simulating services with stubs
  Service stubs enable you to simulate the behavior of an actual service for a wide variety testing or integration purposes.
- Sending service requests with the generic service client
  The generic service client enables you to send requests to services for which you do not have a convenient client and to view the responses returned by the service.
- Emulating workloads
  You emulate a workload by creating a schedule and adding user groups/rate runner groups, tests, and other elements to it.

Recording HTTP tests

When you record a test, the test creation wizard records your interactions with a web-based application, generates a test from the recording, and opens the test for editing. You can record tests from Internet Explorer (which is the default on Windows™) or from another browser.