NeoLoad – Test Scenario

Before creating a NeoLoad Test Scenario, you need to understand:

• What are the different options available to create an accurate performance test scenario?
• What is the meaning of different sections which help in scenario creation?

So, let’s start. The ‘Scenarios’ tab is divided into five sections which are:

1. Scenarios
2. Populations
3. Duration Policy
4. Load Generators
5. Load Variation Policy

Explanation

1. Scenarios: It contains the list of test scenarios. By default, there is a scenario named scenario1 that you can rename by double clicking on it or via ‘Advanced parameters for this scenario’ setting. You can add or delete the scenario by pressing ‘+’ or ‘-‘ button respectevely which is in the right side of the section. If you deleted all the scenarios then the other sections will be greyed-out. At the bottom of this section, there are 3 buttons:
   1. Advanced parameters for this scenario: When you click this button, a pop-up appears with the following tabs:
      1. General Information: It contains the generic information about the selected scenario like:
         1. Name: Name of the selected scenario
         2. Description: To provide the description related to the selected scenario
         3. Service Level Agreement: If you do not have SLA then this option will be disabled else you can choose the approriate SLA from the drop-down list. In addtion, check-mark this option to apply the SLA in the test.
         4. Advanced runtime:
            1. Display Virtual User status during the test: Check/Uncheck as per your need.
            2. Store variables for raw data export: Check/Uncheck as per your need.
         5. Monitoring Parameters:
            1. Before the first Virtual User starts, monitor for _ seconds: Check/Uncheck as per your need and provide the value in the field.
            2. Once all the Virtual Users have stopped, monitor for _ seconds: Check/Uncheck as per your need and provide the value in the field.
         6. Debug mode:
            1. Logging level when the scenario is started in debug mode: The recommended option is ‘Only Virtual User iterations containing errors’. If you want to run the test in the debug mode then select ‘All Virtual User iterations’ option.
      2. Rendezvous policies: To define the setting for Rendezvous policies. Select the appropriate option as per your requirement:
         1. Release when _ %of Virtual Users arrived at the rendezvous point: The input value range should be in between 0 and 100.
         2. Release when _ Virtual Users arrived at the rendezvous point: The max input value should not be more than the total number of virtual users.
         3. Release manually: Use a JavaScript action to free waiting Virtual Users
         4. Timeout between Virtual Users _ seconds: Provide the delay time in seconds
      3. Schedule a test:
         1. Enable scheduling for this scenario: Check mark it to enable the test schedling option and provide the following details:
            1. Date: To provide the test scheduling date
            2. Time (hour): To provide the scheduling time in hour
            3. Time (minutes): To provide the scheduling time in minutes
            4. Repeat test every _ : Check mark this option if you want to repeat the test. Select the interval like day, hour or minutes from the drop down.
            5. Launch the test in debug: Check/Uncheck as per your need.
            6. Show SAP GUI interface and take screenshots on error (recommended for debug only): Check/Uncheck as per your need.
            7. Transfer data to NeoLoad Web: Check/Uncheck as per your need.
            8. Description: To provide the details about the test scheduling.
      4. URL exclusion filter: To exclude the request from the test run whose URL is matched with the defined regular expression.
         1. Enable URL filtering: Check/Uncheck as per your need.
         2. URL exclusion filter: You can use some pre-defined filter from the list or add new filters by clicking ‘+’ button.
      5. Automatic Filter: There are four types of automatic filters:
         1. Time Interval Filter: Check/Uncheck as per your need and provide start and end time.
         2. Error Filter: Check/Uncheck as per your need.
         3. Population Filter: Check/Uncheck as per your need and provide the population name.
         4. Zone Filter: Check/Uncheck as per your need and provide the zone name (IST, BST etc.).
      6. APM: This option is helpful when NeoLoad is intergrated with Dynatrace.
   2. Start debugging the currently selected scenario: To run the selected test scenario in debug mode
   3. Start playing the currently selected scenario: To execute the selected test scenario

2. Populations: This section contains a list of defined populations along with a summary tab. The summary pane provides the information about population name, duration, load policy, Start policy, Starts VUs, Stop policy, No. of LGs, and max VUs count.
   1. Advanced parameters for this scenario: It contains the settings for:
      1. Start Policy: To define test kick-off settings
         1. Start policy for this population: Select the appropriate option
            1. Immediate: at the start of the test
            2. Delayed: after _ seconds: Input the delay time value
            3. Sequential: after the end of the population _: This option is enabled only when there are multiple populations are defined. Select the population from the list after that this population will run.
         2. Virtual Users start: Select the appropriate option
            1. Simulataneously: All the Virtual Users start at the same time.
            2. Sequentially: All the Virtual Users start over a period of _ seconds: Input the time value
         3. Stop Policy: Select the appropriate option
            1. Immediate: all the Virtual Users immediately stop their current iterations and go to their End containers.
            2. Delayed: give _ seconds to finish their current iterations and go to their End containers.
            3. Indeterminate: allow all Virtual Users to end their current iterations and go to their End containers.

3. Duration Policy: To set the test duration i.e. how long a test will run? Select an appropriate option.
   1. No limit (Stop manually): A test may run for infinite time until interrupted externally.
   2. By Iteration: A test will run for the defined number of iterations. Example: 100 iterations
   3. By Time: _ hours _ minutes _ seconds: The test will run for the defined time duration: Example: 1 hour 15 minutes 0 seconds
   4. Apply to all: Click this button to apply the Duration Policy to all the populations

4. Load Generators: Select the defined load generator for the test scenario to run the test.

5. Load Variation Policy: To set-up the workload profile. This section has four options to execute different types of performance test.
   1. Constant: A constant load i.e. simulated users will be active throughout the test. This type of load variation policy is applicable for normal load test, soak test etc.
   2. Ramp Up: A gradual increase load test scenario can be created by selecting ‘Ramp-up’ option. Provide the value for Initial user number, Increment by, load increment interval, maximum number of users. This type of load variation policy is applicable for Step-up test.
   3. Peaks: This type of load variation policy is applicable for Spike test. Provide the user number and duration value for Minimum and Maximum Load. You can also define whether the test will start with minimum or maxmum load.
   4. Custom: Import CSV file having the load variation policy. The graph reflect the workload model as per the data available in the CSV.

How to create Test Scenario in NeoLoad?

Follow the below steps to create a performance test scenario in the NeoLoad tool:

1. Go to ‘Runtime‘ section
2. Click on ‘Scenarios’ tab (By default you are in ‘Scenarios’ tab)

3. Select the scenario.
   1. If you want to edit the scenario setting then use ‘Advanced parameters for this scenario’.
4. Check mark the appropriate population in the ‘Populations’ section
5. Set the ‘Duration Policy’ by choosing the appropriate option
6. Select the LG(s) from the given list under Load Generators section
7. And at last you have to choose the appropriate Load Variation Policy as per the type of performance test you are going to execute.

This is how you can set the test scenario in the NeoLoad tool.

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You may be interested:

• NeoLoad Tutorial
• NeoLoad Monitors
• NeoLoad Variable Type

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