In order to run effective load testing, you need to use a minimal amount of machines, and for this reason, you do not use real browsers and instead go with simulation. On the other hand, you may ask, yes, this is true but I’d like to understand how my real users behave!
The Real and Simulated New York and Tokyo Experience
What is the user experience in a real browser during the load testing? How will my real users behave in New York and in Tokyo? Is there a difference in their user experience?
There is no other option but to execute it with real browsers from the locations you would like to measure.
The next obvious question is how do my mobile users behave? What is their user experience? Are they affected when the load size on the system is high? What do 4G location services do to a mobile device? Does a crowded downtown area with many “location pings” affect performance? What about 2G? it affect the battery?
Same answer. In order measure the mobile user experience, you need to measure it via mobile device.
WebLOAD to the Rescue!
Let’s see how WebLOAD answer these questions by executing holistic tests that cover everything. WebLOAD lets you execute a simulated virtual client to create an effective load by simulating browser and mobile activity. Better yet, WebLOAD allows you to execute real browsers or real devices on dedicated machines in order to measure the real user experience. All these measurements are collected to the test database, to be further analyzed via WebLOAD Analytics Module or via WebLOAD Dashboard.
Let’s take a look on the architecture image below.
As you can see in the image, the main load generation is done via simulation. It can also be done via simulation from different locations in your organization using on load generators or using cloud load generators from several locations (Amazon, for example). Nothing is new at this point. This is a pure simulation of virtual clients, as done traditionally in load testing for years.
On top of the basic load generators, you can add real browsers activity using Selenium, Ranorex and Original Software. The real browser acts as a probing client. As you know, this means you have one browser on a machine that measures the real user experience – the same as real user is working. You can of course use more than one real browser machine and execute real browsers from several locations. This allows you to attain the real user experience from different locations during load. WebLOAD collects performance measurement from the browser itself and get real timings of the browser activity.
Real Mobile User Experience
Similar to the browser, you can also execute real mobile devices from different locations in the world using our integration with Perfecto Mobile. As with the browser, you can measure the user experience activity as well as the mobile system information that helps you learn the effect of the server behavior on the mobile CPU, memory, battery and other measurements.
The Perfect Mix!
Mixing real clients and simulated clients gives you the power to create a load test with a practical testing environment on one hand, while it gives you the ability to measure all types of real user. One of the advantages with this solution is that besides activating the real device/browser and collecting measurements from it, you are reusing your investment. Let’s say you have a ready-made Ranorex functional test scenario – you can use it – and you don’t need to create a dedicated scenario just for WebLOAD.
Your Dream WebLOAD Integrations
What are your dream WebLOAD integrations? We want to hear from you! Let us know and maybe your integration will be added to our R&D schedule.
