User group properties

Group size: Specifies either an absolute number of users, or a percentage of users, which you control dynamically.

Locations

Run this group on the local computer: Indicates that the user group should be run on your computer.

Run this group at the following locations: Indicates that the user group should be run on one or more remote computers, at the indicated locations. Typically, you run a user group at a remote location if you are running a large number of virtual users.

Options

Use the Options page to override the think time behavior of your schedule for a specific user group and to specify protocol specific options.

Override think time option: Select this check box to specify a think time behavior for the current user group.

Use the recorded think time: Select to play back a test at the same rate that it was recorded. This option has no effect on the think time.
Specify a fixed think time: Each user's think time is exactly the same value: the value that you specify. Although this does not emulate users accurately, it is useful if you want to play a test back quickly.
Increase/decrease the think time by a percentage: Type a percentage in the Think time scale. Each user's think time is multiplied by that percentage. A value of 100 causes no change in think times. A value of 200 doubles the think times, so the schedule plays back half as fast as it was recorded. A value of 50 reduces the think times by half, so the schedule plays back twice as fast. A value of 0 indicates no delays.
Vary the think time by a random percentage: Each user's think time is randomly generated within the upper and lower bounds of the percentages that you supply. The percentage is based on the recorded think time. For example, if you select a Lower limit of 10 and an Upper limit of 90, the think times will be between 10 percent and 90 percent of the original recorded think time. The random time is uniformly distributed within this range.
Limit think times to a maximum value: Setting a maximum think time is useful with tests that emulate actual think times. By setting a maximum, you do not have to search for and edit each long think time within a test, if, for example, you are interrupted during recording. No think time used will be greater than the maximum limit you set, even if you have chosen to vary the think time by a percentage that would exceed this maximum. To restore the original think times, clear this box.

Protocol-specific options: Click Edit options to set protocol-specific options for all tests in the user group. These settings override the protocol-specific options of the schedule.

Variable Initialization

Use this page to initialize variables at the user group level. When you initialize variables at the user group level, all the tests in the user group use the variables. If the same variable is defined at the schedule level, precedence is given to the variable at the user group level.

Add: Add a variable and initialize a value. The Used by column displays the test name that uses the corresponding variable. A warning icon is displayed for a variable that override the value specified at the schedule level or user group level and uses the value defined at the test level with the visibility set to This test only. Hover the cursor over the warning icon to view the tests that overrides the variable initial values.

Export: Export the variables defined at the user group level to a file.

Use variable initial values file: Select this check box to use the variable values from a file. Click Browse to select an existing file or click New to create a file.