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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.
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.
Viewing binary data
You can view binary data in tests. Use the binary editor to inspect test data, to determine if the binary data is of interest or should be transformed so that it can be correlated. You can also edit binary data in tests. To edit binary data you need to have in-depth knowledge of the data format in question. Typically, you do not edit binary data in tests.
Transforming binary data in tests
You can transform binary data in tests to view the data in a more readable format and to assist with data correlation. Binary data in a test might contain values that must be correlated for the test to play back properly.

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.
    - 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.
      - Viewing binary data
        You can view binary data in tests. Use the binary editor to inspect test data, to determine if the binary data is of interest or should be transformed so that it can be correlated. You can also edit binary data in tests. To edit binary data you need to have in-depth knowledge of the data format in question. Typically, you do not edit binary data in tests.
        Transforming binary data in tests
        You can transform binary data in tests to view the data in a more readable format and to assist with data correlation. Binary data in a test might contain values that must be correlated for the test to play back properly.
        Transforming binary data in specific requests
        You can transform binary data in requests to view the data in a more readable format.
        Transforming binary data automatically
        You can configure the product to automatically transform binary data in tests into more readable formats. Automatically transforming all binary data in a test can increase the time it takes to generate a test. The alternative to automatically transforming all binary data in a test is to transform data in a specific request.
      - Viewing JSON data
        You can view the JSON data in a JSON format from the test editor, and you can use this data for data correlation.
      - Viewing or transforming GWT encoded data
        When you record an application that is developed on Google Web Toolkit(GWT), the recorded data is encoded. To view the encoded data, open the test editor. You can also transform the encoded data into XML format, which you can use for data correlation.
      - Transforming GraniteDS or BlazeDS data
        To test an application that is developed on Granite Data Services (GraniteDS) or Adobe BlazeDS framework, you must deserialize or transform the objects that are encoded in the AMF format to the XML format.
      - Transforming SAP Web DynPro XML to ASCII
        To test applications that are built using the SAP Web DynPro framework and correlate data, you must transform data to the ASCII format.
      - Creating custom data transformations
        You can create your own data transformations to transform binary data in tests. Data transformations can convert binary data to a more readable format and can assist with 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.

Transforming binary data in tests

You can transform binary data in tests to view the data in a more readable format and to assist with data correlation. Binary data in a test might contain values that must be correlated for the test to play back properly.

Before you begin

Record a test that contains binary data.

Procedure

To transform all the binary data in a test:

Open a test for editing.
Click Edit > Re-correlate test and transform data.
In the Data Correlation and Transformation window, select the Apply data transformation check box.
From the list, select a transformation to perform:
- To convert the binary data to the equivalent ASCII representation, select the Convert To Ascii Text check box. Characters that are not part of the readable ASCII character set are shown as escaped hexadecimal values.
- To convert the binary serialized representation of a Java™ object into XML format, select the Convert Java Serialized Object to XML check box. You can also use this transformation to examine and perform data correlation on tests against applications that use serialized Java™ objects.
- To transform Adobe Flex objects into XML format, select the Convert AMF to XML check box.
- To transform the Windows Communication Foundation binary code into XML, select the Convert Microsoft WCF-Binary to XML check box.
All binary data in the test is transformed by using the transformation that you specified.
To apply built-in data correlation rules, select the Apply corresponding data correlation rules if transformation succeeds check box, and then click Finish.

Note: To remove data transformation from the test, clear the check boxes in the list of available transformers and generate the test.