Are client activities recorded by Vugen?
Posted: April 22nd, 2008 | Author: TnT Admin | Filed under: Concepts | Tags: Scripting, Vugen | 3 Comments »Vugen is NOT designed to record client-side activities. The main functionality of LoadRunner is to load test a server, a SUT (System Under Test), through emulating network traffic to load against the SUT. The network traffic is as mentioned previously in earlier posts, captured (sniffed) and replayed during the script creation. Client activity exist only on the client machine and does not contributes to the network traffic loading on the SUT. With no traffic being generated, Vugen will not be able to record anything and of course not replayed as no traffic is generated.
Mercury/HP Support have provided some information on this particular topic in Document ID 3803 – Nothing gets recorded while performing some client side activity and Document ID 42319 – VuGen is not replaying the rendering of an Excel file in the browser’s MS Excel plug-in. In both articles, it just merely describes what is client side activity and it cannot be recorded. (Take note that you required a valid login to the support website to access the article.)
At the release of LR 8.1 FP3, a new protocol called Web (Click & Script) was introduced. Document ID 48261 – New Features/Enhancements for the Web Click and Script protocol in LoadRunner 8.1 Feature Pack 4 provides more details in it as an enhanced released of FP4. This protocol “promises” that the scripting will be make easy and it will resolve some of the client-side activities such as Javascripts. However, to my experience, I wasn’t successful in using it (or maybe I missed out some steps concerning this new protocol)… anyway… you can give it a try in recording those web applications with Javascripts/AJAX or similar components embedded into the web application (if you have intentions in recording the client-side activities). I would be more concerned with actual load been generated to the SUT and will use the conventional Web (HTTP/HTML). Similarly, there is an AJAX protocol that was introduced in LR 9 to record AJAX applications.
Having the concept in mind, I would like to go a little further with the following example.
For activities such as, opening of file, editing in Excel sheet, or bat files performing copying operations are considered to be client-side activities. Think about it, do they generate any network traffic (unless you the activities really have a network call to a remote server)?
Another example is that if a web application allows opening of files such as documents over the browser (e.g. Sharepoint). The underlying mechanism for the file opening operation still requires a client installation of the program (e.g. MS Word), and subsequent activities are done locally on the client machine even though it exist in a browser. This of course is also considered as a client-side activity.
So, before recording the application, please ensure that you know the functionality of the Business Process that you are recording and determine if it is a client or server activity. This will greatly reduce the unneccessary effort in scripting and later realizing that it is client activity. If it is a client activity, a no-go, wrong tool for the job! It served no purpose of the tool to conduct non-performance tests. Consider other tools such as Quick Test Professional or Silk Test for functional testing client-activities.
Hi,
I visited this blog for the first time and really found it very helpful. I have a great confusion regarding QTP and Loadrunner. In Loadrunner, we perform text check and to make sure whether we are on the right page.(which means that we are also checking functionality using these web checks.) So why do we need QTP(in which we add these checks to check the functionality) if we can do the same thing thru Loadrunner. Plase explain.
Well, the checks are actually to verify if the server is responding correctly. Of course, we do not want to load the servers yet not ensuring things are working as per expected. QTP may have capabilities of checking more than text and image checks. Myself is not a QTP user and will not be able to comment much. But QTP is to pass in different parameters to ensure the application is responding properly. While LoadRunner passes different parameters to negate caching effect on the server. The main difference on an high view will be functional testing versus performance testing. Although I do not have an exact answer for you, my advise to you is only that LoadRunner’s purpose is to load test the server not the client application while QTP purpose is to test the client application. Hope that helps
Hi All.
Before I place my thoughts here, I would like to tell you guys that I am a performance testers and no way deals with QTP…
Ok, now back to business..
Yes QTP and LR has functionality to check the server response by placing text checks,but their applications are totally different in reality.
If i am client and need to test many test cases (in 100’s) for my web application, then i would better go for QTP which is basically designed for this functionality.. However, if my requirement is to check the performance of same test cases under heavy load then i will take LR and simulate the same
Please remember that your selection of tool determines the budget of your project and as well as how well you meet your requirements..
QTP helps you to conduct client side activities, which LR wont (leave click and script for time being)/. Also qTP can measure client side activities(response time including Browser rendering..), and QTP scripts are more robust to code change/build changes than LR, as LR scripts will fail with single change in NAME -PAIR value but QTP script will work untill GUI cordinate changes..
So in short make a wise decision based upon your need..