IBM Software Group

Rational Performance Tester Introduction

Rational Performance Tester: Overview

Multi-user automated performance testing tool for Webbased applications
Hosted in the IBM Rational Software Development
Platform (RSDP), a version of the Eclipse shell
RPTs tests and execution engine based on the Java
programming language
Highly scalable
Platform support
Record and test execution on Windows and Linux
Agents (test execution) on some additional Windows Server
platforms

Rational Performance Tester: Architecture

Built on top of the IBM Rational Software
Development Platform (RSDP), TPTP, and
custom components

IBM Rational Performance Tester (RPT)

Eclipse Test and Performance Tools Platform (TPTP)

IBM Rational Software Development Platform (RSDP)

IBM Rational Software Development

Platform (RSDP)

Powered by Eclipse
Technology

Workbench - The user interface and integrated

development environment (IDE) in Eclipse and in
the Rational Developer products, which are
based on Eclipse.
Workspace - In Eclipse, the collection of projects
and other resources that the user is currently
developing in the workbench. Metadata about
these resources resides in a directory on the file
system; the resources might reside in the same
directory.

Relationship of the Workbench and

Workspace
WORKSPACE
Folders

Project

Workbenc
h

Test
Assets Suppo
rt
Files

Specify a
Workspace
to run the
Workbench

Workbenc
h

Eclipse Test and Performance Tools Platform

(TPTP)
Test Perspective - Common set of views and editors
HTTP Proxy Recorder - Test capture and generation
toolset
Execution framework - Test suites, deployments and
locations
Agent Controller - A daemon process that resides on
each deployment host and provides the mechanism
by which client applications either launch new host
processes or attach to agents that coexist within
existing processes on the host
Reporting framework

Test Perspective: Default Layout

Perspective
Indicators

Hierarchical
project browser
Default Views

Display area for:

Test Editor
Schedule Editor
Real-time test run
stats
Test Execution
History
Report Viewer

Rational Performance Tester: Features

HTTP and HTTPS protocol support and capture
Graphical test editing and workload modeling
Built-in Verification Points (VPs)
Data substitution with datapools
Real-time monitoring and reporting
Report customization and export capability
Programming extensibility with Java custom code

RPT and the Performance Testing

Framework (PTF)
Test Planning
and Design

Test Development
and Validation

Performance Test Plan

Workload Analysis

Record Transactions
Modify Tests
Design Workloads
Validate and Debug Tests

IBM Rational Performance Tester

Test Lab Hardware
System Software
Data Set
Test and Monitoring Tools

Set up Test
Environment

Reset System and Data State

Run Monitoring Tools
Run Tests
Evaluate
Results Tests and
Execute

Gather
Measurements

Rational Performance Tester: Test

Development
Test editor

Project and file

browser

Protocol Data view

Rational Performance Tester: Workload

Design
Schedule editor

Schedule Run Settings

Schedule

Rational Performance Tester: Test

Execution
Run-Time Test Control

Change Log
Level
Add Virtual
Users
Stop Test Run

Rational Performance Tester: Test

Monitoring
Default Real-Time
Reports

Rational Performance Tester: Results

Analysis
Execution History

Log of Events

Reports

Key Terms
View - In Eclipse-based user interfaces, any pane in the
workbench that is outside the editor area and can be stacked
(dragged and dropped) on top of other views. Views provide
different ways to look at or work with the resources in the
workbench.
Perspective - A group of views that show various aspects of
the resources in the workbench. The workbench user can
switch perspectives, depending on the task at hand, and
customize the layout of views and editors within the
perspective.
Projects - In Eclipse, a unit of organization used to group
folders or packages. Projects are used for building, version
management, sharing, and organizing resources.

Views Contained within the Test

Perspective
Test-related Views
Test Navigator
Recorder Control
Protocol Data
Performance Test
Runs

Other Views
Properties
Tasks (rarely used)
Outline (not used)

Editor and
Viewer area

Customize your
perspective close views
to minimize clutter

Editors and Viewers

Test and Schedule Editors
Report and History Viewers

Other Perspectives and Views

Perspectives
Java
Resource

Views
Navigator
Helpful to add this
view to the Test
Perspective
Package Explorer

Window > Show View > Other > Basic > Navigator

Navigator View
exposes file
extensions and
hidden files

Working with Perspectives

Window > Open Perspective
Switch between open Perspectives
using the shortcut bar

Managing
Perspectives

Manage
Perspectives
Reset to restore

Or click Other

Perspective
Shortcut Bar

Working with Views

Window > Show View
Customize the layout of your views
Group, dock, and layer using drag and drop
Minimize, maximize, and resize
Show, close, move to Fast View

Min/Max

Resize
Or click Other

Fast View Toolbar

An alternative to closing views
is to move them to the Fast
View toolbar.
Click an icon in the Fast View
toolbar to open the View.
Click anything else in the
Perspective to close the View.

Fast View toolbar

To create a Fast View,

click a view (tab), drag the
view to the toolbar.

Rational Performance Tester: Data Storage

Workspace
Default location:
C:\Documents and Settings\user\IBM\rationalsdp6.0\workspace

Maintains perspectives and view settings (.metadata)

Project
Storage location for:
Recordings (trace files)
Test Suites (Performance Tests and Schedules)
Test logs and results
Datapools

Performance Test Project

Specialized Java project
Specific directory structure for housing and running
RPT tests
Template provided out-of-the-box for manual creation
Auto-created on first record if no project exists
Default name: testproj

Projects can reside inside the Eclipse Workspace

or in another location

Create a Performance Test Project

Manually
File > New > Performance Test Project

Create a Performance Test Project

Creates a Java project
Manually (cont.)
customized for performance
testing
By default, it is created in
the Eclipse workspace
Project name cannot
include
/ \ * : < > | ?
Names ending with a
period

Test Navigator View: Project and File

Management
Project browser tool
Create and browse
objects
Open or close projects
Delete objects

Functions enabled
using shortcut menu
RPT specific
Workbench tools

Filtered view

Default project
structure

Test Navigator View: File Filtering

Shows only commonly
edited and viewed files such
as:
Performance Tests and
Schedules
Datapools
Locations

Supporting files not shown

Some directories appear
empty

Tip: File Management Using Views

Navigator View exposes

additional project files

Test Navigator view

filters many file types
Performance Test Runs
only show test results
files

Navigator View: Alternate File Browser

No filtering
Test files
Recordings (trace files)
Test and Schedules
Source and compiled
files

Report source files

Raw test run data

Project files
.classpath, and so on

Testproj Default Project: Directory

Structure

Default location for all

projects is the
workspace directory

Testproj Default Project: Directory

Structure
Default (cont.)
bin
src

Suggested
Tests
Schedules
Test Results
Datapools
Deployments or
Locations

Suggested
Directory Structure

Default
Directory Structure

Creating Folders
Test Navigator view; shortcut menu
File > New > Folder

Workbench
menu
File > New
> Folder

Specify
Location
Name

Default Directory Structure and Test

Execution
Before
Test
\bin
\src
Execution

<no files>

<no files>

After Test
Execution

\bin\test

\src\test

.class files

.java files

Test Navigator does not

display test source or
compiled files

Overall Page
It contains a progress
indicator and bar charts
The bar charts show
Overall success of run
% Page element status
code success
% Page status code
success
Optionally, % Verification
Points passed (Title, Page
or Size)

Summary Report
It contains Run Summary,
Page Summary and Page
Element summary
Each summary explains
Run Status
Duration
Active/completed/total user
Max/Min/Avg response time
Total Hits
% VP passed

Page Performance
It contains two section i.e.
graph and table
Avg. response time for each
page

The table contains

Min response time
Avg. response time
Max response time
No of attempts/Sec
No. of total attempts

Response Vs Time Summary Report

It shows avg. response
time through time
It contains two line graphs
and related summary table
One line graph shows the
avg. response time for all
page during the run
Other line graph shows the
avg. response time for all
page element during the run
The tables shows total avg.
response time

Response Vs Time Details

It shows the response
trend through time
It contains a graph and a
table
Graph shows the avg.
response of each page
through time
Min. response time
Max response time
Avg. response time
No of page attempts per
interval
Rate of page attempts per
interval

Page Throughput
It gives the overview of
the frequency of the
requests being
transferred per interval
Page attempts rate and
page hit rate per interval
Summary tables shows total
hit rates and counts for
each page
Active and completed users
over the course of run
Summary table Sample
interval

Server Health Summary Report

Overall indication about the
server response to the user
load
The bar charts (left)
Total Page attempts
Page hits
Status code success

The bar chart (right)

Total Page elements attempts
Page element hits
Page element status code
success

The tables gives the same info

as the charts

Server Health Details

Provides specific details
about 10 least successful
pages
The table contains
No of attempts
Hits
Success
Attempts per second

Transaction Report Overall

Contains a line graph and
summary table
Line graph shows avg.
execution time for all
transaction within interval
The table shows
Avg. execution time
Std deviation of the avg.
response time
Longest transaction
Shortest transaction

Transaction Report Duration Vs Time

Avg. response time of
each transaction during
an interval
The table contains
Min execution time
Avg. execution time
Std deviation of avg.
response time
Max execution time
Rate per second
No. of attempts

Transaction Report Transaction Throughput

Page
Overview of the transaction
frequency and the no of user
adding load over the run
Graph (left) overall rates for
starting and completing
transaction during interval
Table (left) shows
Transaction rate per sec
No of transaction

Graph (right) no of active and

completed user over the course
Table contains
Active user
Completed user
Total users

Verification Point Report

Summary (Graph and Table)
% verification point passed per interval

Page verification Point (Table)

No of VP passed
No of VP failed
% of VP passed

Page Element Verification Point (Table)

No of page and element
No of VP passed
No of VP failed
% of VP passed

Resource Monitoring
Used to capture data such as CPU usage, Memory etc.
Comprehensive view of a system to aid in problem
determination
Can be done by
Test agent
Tivoli Monitoring agent
Windows Performance Monitor
UNIX rstatd monitor

How to perform
Enabling resource monitoring
Adding resource monitoring data source

Resource Monitoring Enabling

Enabling resource monitoring
Enable resource monitoring from scheduler tab

Adding resource monitoring data source

Configure the time interval
Configure the counters

View report
A separate tab generated with the details log

Performance Scheduler
General
Run Duration
Think Time
Resource Monitoring
Statistics
Test Log
Response time Break down
Problem Determination

Response Time BreakDown

Response time breakdown lets you drill down into
the response time statistics on any HTTP page
element.
The statistics show how much time was spent in
each part of the system under test.
Which application on which server is the
performance bottleneck, and then drill down
further
to determine exactly which package, class, or
method is causing the problem.