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Rational® Performance Tester
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.
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.

Rational® Performance Tester
- Release Notes
  This document contains information about what's new, installation instructions, known issues in IBM® Rational® Performance Tester and contact information of IBM Customer Support.
- System Requirements
  This document includes information about hardware and software requirements for IBM® Rational® Performance Tester.
- Getting Started
  This guide provides an overview and describes the task flows to get you to start with Rational® Performance Tester. This guide is intended for new users.
- Tutorials
  This section contains the tutorials which explains the main features of Rational® Performance Tester.
- Samples
  This section describes about the sample project which can be used with Rational® Performance Tester to test the functionality of an application.
- Administrator Guide
  This guide describes how to install Rational® Performance Tester. After you install the product, you can perform administration tasks such as license configuration and integration with other products. This guide is intended for administrators.
- 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 an empty test
        You can create an empty template for a test that you plan to write manually.
        Adding templates for new elements
        You can add a template for a new test element that you plan to write by hand.
        Adding a header
        You can add a standard header or a custom header to a request or response.
        Editing header contents
        You can modify the contents of the headers that are contained in requests and responses.
      - 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.
- Test Execution Specialist Guide
  This guide describes tasks that you can perform on schedules, test execution with custom code, and Extending Rational® Performance Tester to support other protocols. This guide is intended for testers or test execution specialists.
- Test Manager Guide
  This guide describes how to keep track of the performance of the application by evaluating the test results. This guide is intended for test managers.
- Troubleshooting Guide
  This guide describes how to analyze and resolve some of the common problems that you might encounter while you work with Rational® Performance Tester.
- Reference Guide
  This guide describes, additional topics to gain more knowledge about Rational® Performance Tester.
- All Guides (PDFs)
  You can find the link to view or download the content of the release notes, system requirements, and persona guides of Rational® Performance Tester as a PDF file.
- Security Considerations
  You can take certain actions to ensure that your installation is secure, customize your security settings, and set up user access controls.
- Notices
  This document provides information about copyright, trademarks, terms and conditions for the product documentation.

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.