Defining performance requirements in transactions

You can define performance requirements for transactions in a test. These requirements specify acceptable thresholds of performance for transactions and validate service level agreements.

Before you begin

Add a transaction to the test. See Adding a transaction.

About this task

For example, you might define that the login action should take between 1-2 seconds and the check-out action should take between 4-5 seconds. If the response time is outside of these threshold values, the Performance Requirements report will display the results. You define a performance requirement as standard or supplemental. A standard performance requirement is a requirement that you determine as significant enough to cause the entire run to be declared a failure if it fails. A supplemental performance requirement, although important, is not significant enough to cause the run to fail.

Procedure

  1. Select a transaction in the test and in the Transaction Details area, click the Advance tab.
  2. Select the Enable Performance Requirements check box.
  3. Click the performance requirement to define, and add a definition, as follows:
    Option Description
    Name You can change the name of a performance requirement to improve readability. However, changing a requirement name causes a mismatch between the Performance Requirements report, which uses the changed name, and the other reports, which use the default name. Therefore, when you change a requirement name, be sure to keep track of the original name.
    Operator Click to select an operator.
    Value Type a value.
    Standard

    Select to make the requirement standard.

    A standard requirement can cause a test to have a verdict of fail. Clear to make the requirement supplemental. In general, supplemental requirements are used for requirements that are tracked internally. A supplemental requirement cannot cause a run to fail, and supplemental results are restricted to two pages of the Performance Requirements report.
  4. Optionally, apply the requirements to the other transactions in the test:
    1. In the Requirements table, right-click the requirement row, and select Copy Requirements.
    2. Select the transaction to apply requirements, and in the Requirements table right-click a requirement row and select Apply Requirements.
  5. Optionally, to remove the definitions of a requirement, right-click a requirement and click Clear.

What to do next

Now, run the test and see the Performance Requirements report.