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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.
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.
Adding test elements
You can add a variety of elements to a test, such as transaction blocks, IF-THEN conditions, loops, and comments.
Synchronizing users in tests
By inserting a synchronization point, you can coordinate the activities of a number of virtual users by pausing and resuming activities. You can synchronize all virtual users at the beginning of a test and stagger the release times so that the users do not overload the system. Synchronization points are also useful in stress testing.

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 started 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.
  - 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.
    - Editing HTTP tests
      After you record a test, you can edit it to include variable data rather than the data that you recorded and can include verification points to confirm that the test runs as expected. You can also edit the test to include [NB1] transactions, conditional processing, custom code, and standard header or custom header to a request or response.
    - Editing SAP tests
      After you record a test, you can edit it to include variable data (rather than the data that you recorded) and verification points (to confirm that the test runs as expected).
    - Editing Citrix tests
      After you record a test, you can edit it to include variable data (rather than the data that you recorded), verification points (to confirm that the test runs as expected), transactions, conditional processing, and custom code.
    - Editing service tests
      After you record a service test, you can edit the calls and message returns to include variable data (rather than the data that you recorded). You can add verification points (to confirm that the test runs as expected), transactions, conditional processing, and custom code.
    - Editing Socket tests
      Improve the Socket tests by adding test elements.
    - Editing Kerberos tests
      You can change the Kerberos realm, user name, and password when editing tests.
    - Adding test elements
      You can add a variety of elements to a test, such as transaction blocks, IF-THEN conditions, loops, and comments.
      - Adding a comment
        You can add a comment to document a test.
      - Adding a transaction to a test
        A transaction is a specific group of test elements whose performance you are interested in. When viewing the test results, you can view performance data about any transactions that you have added.
      - Adding conditional logic
        You can add IF-THEN conditional logic around portions of a test/compound test or a schedule, in this context, is used to refer to VU Schedule and Rate Schedule to make those portions run if a specific condition is met.
      - Synchronizing users in tests
        By inserting a synchronization point, you can coordinate the activities of a number of virtual users by pausing and resuming activities. You can synchronize all virtual users at the beginning of a test and stagger the release times so that the users do not overload the system. Synchronization points are also useful in stress testing.
      - Adding a loop to a test
        You can define part of a test as a loop that runs a specified number of times. If the loop contains a synchronization point, the synchronization point is released after the first iteration of the loop and stays released for all further iterations.
      - Adding Dataset Mapper
        You can include a Dataset Mapper in a compound test or a schedule to assign the dataset values to the variables that are defined in multiple tests. In previous releases, to apply the dataset values to multiple tests, you had to associate the dataset to each test. The Dataset Mapper is able to map the dataset columns with the variables.
      - Adding data source controller
        Use this test element to control how the data is fetched from the data sources to be used by the test. You can use data from dataset, array variables, built-in data sources, and correlation.
      - Controlling the flow of test
        A test is usually run in the order it was recorded. However, you might want to add some conditions to the test that the users would actually face when interacting with the application under test. For example, if you select a product, you want to know its manufacturing date. If the date is not available, you want to exit. You can now add such control to the test.
    - Searching within tests
      Search request data or response content by right-clicking in the data or content and selecting Find. To search for specific element types and to display the results in a table, click Select. For a still more powerful search and replace, use the Test Search function.
    - Exporting a test
      To share the test scripts with manual testers or reviewers who do not have the workbench, export the test scripts to text files. You can export one file at a time.
    - Copying test assets with dependencies
      You can export test assets, and then import them into another project or workspace without losing any dependencies. Test assets include projects, schedules, and tests. You can export and import test assets to collaborate with other testers.
    - Disabling portions of a test
      When you disable portions of a test, you can still see the disabled portion, but it is not executed during a run. You can also disable portions of a schedule by using the following procedure.
    - Running test elements in random order
      You can record multiple user scenarios in a test and then run each scenario in a random order. To do this, you put each scenario under a random selector and then select the proportion of time that the scenario should be run.
    - Renaming test assets
      As your test assets increase and become more complex, you might want to rename them. Use the Eclipse Rename function or save the assets under a different name.
    - Deleting test assets
      As your test assets grow and become more complicated, you might want to delete the assets that you no longer use.
    - Debugging custom code for tests and compound tests
      If you have custom code added to a test or a compound test, you can debug the custom code for any errors by clicking the Debug button.
    - Providing tests with variable data (datasets)
      You can produce more realistic tests by changing them to use datasets. During execution, a test that uses a dataset replaces a value in the recorded test with variable test data that is stored in the dataset. This substitution allows each virtual user to generate a different request to the server.
    - Test variables
      A test variable is a user-defined, name-value pair that stores and refers to information throughout a test and between tests.
    - Correlating response and request data
      For a test to run correctly, a request that is sent to a server might need to use a value that was returned by a previous request. By ensuring that this data is correlated accurately, you can produce better performance tests.
    - Data transformation
      You can transform HTTP application specific data such as JSON data, binary data and encoded data to a more readable format to use data correlation.
  - 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.

Synchronizing users in tests

By inserting a synchronization point, you can coordinate the activities of a number of virtual users by pausing and resuming activities. You can synchronize all virtual users at the beginning of a test and stagger the release times so that the users do not overload the system. Synchronization points are also useful in stress testing.

About this task

You can insert a synchronization point into a schedule or a test. You typically insert synchronization points into schedules, because they are more visible at the schedule level and you can set the Release and Timeout options within a schedule only, not within a test. However, in the following cases, insert a synchronization point into a test:

You must control where the synchronization point is encountered. For example, you can insert a synchronization point just before a test sends a request to a server.
You have edited a test, and the execution of a synchronization point depends on the logic that you have added.

Synchronization points within loops are not reset. In other words, after a synchronization point has been released (in the first iteration of a loop), the synchronization point stays released for all further iterations.

Procedure

To insert a synchronization point into a test:

In the Test Navigator, browse to the test, and double-click it.
The test opens.
Click the test element just below the place to add the synchronization point, and then click Insert > Synchronization point. Depending on the nature of the test element, you can insert a synchronization point at some points in the test hierarchy but not at others.
Type a name for the synchronization point, or select the name of an existing synchronization point.
The synchronization point opens in the test. Note that Release Type and Timeout are not available for synchronization points in tests. Release Type and Timeout are available only for synchronization points in schedules.
To change the Release Type or Timeout, open the synchronization point within a schedule, and make the changes. The changes affect all instances of the synchronization point.