What’s Performance Center?
Posted: June 29th, 2008 | Author: TnT Admin | Filed under: Products | Tags: Performance Center, Products | No Comments »
Performance Center is an enterprise version of LoadRunner (LR) that allows concurrent runs in an organization by managing a pool of Controllers and Load generators. It is built on a web interface and suitable for organizations that require running multiple load test projects across the organization. You can find out more about the sales talk from the vendor here if you like. To put it simply, Performance Center can run multiple load test while LR can run a single load test.
Performance Center is designed to manage load tests in the concept of projects (or load test projects). And for each project, you are able to trace the number of runs pertaining to each individual project. Privileges such as Administrators, Consultants, Tester and Managers are also introduced in Performance Center. Administrator role maintains the Performance Center setup as a whole and has the rights to manage the resources, determine the maximum number of concurrent users the project can generate. While privileges for users such as Consultant, Tester or Manager can be configured depending on the organization requirements.
Through Performance Center, Controllers and Load Generators can be managed together as a pooled resource via a single point of control. In this way, resources are better utilized. Furthermore, there can be configurations to limit the usage of Load Generators to the projects assigned. License entitlement (or enforcement?) is increased with one more layer of control. the amount of concurrent runs and the total number of vusers that the Performance Center can generate. As it is an enterprise version of LoadRunner, the LR license engine still applies, such as the number of vusers, the protocols and monitors entitlement. Both Performance Center and LR licenses are needed in order for the full Performance Center to function properly.
Technically, Performance Center is an enhanced web version of LoadRunner. The internal infrastructure is built on DCOM links that needs to exist in the same LAN. Another thing to note is that Performance Center maintains a database that keeps information of the load tests as well as the configurations of the setup.
The basic infrastructure of Controller and Load Generator still applies even after migrating over to this software. Therefore, the troubleshooting for LoadRunner, tips and tricks still applies for them. For the Controllers and Load Generators, they can be located in a separate LAN. PC comes with a nice feature of managing the resources such as patch updates and restarting function over the interface.
VUGen and Analysis remains the same as a client-side program. Performance Center provides these two components by making them downloadable in its download web pages through a download link. This page, with the right ASP knowledge, can be configured to include other downloads.
With all the above mentioned, being an enterprise version of LoadRunner means more user usage and more features which coherently means more money to pay for by the organization. Therefore, conduct some evaluation before jumping into the decision of purchasing this behemoth product.
To sum up, Performance Center is an enhanced web version of LR with the capabilities of running multiple load tests instead of a single load test. It is managed in projects and can be traced to the number of runs. The licenses have increase to one additional layer in controlling the total number of concurrent runs allowed. Before jumping into this product, do an evaluation if there is a need for this product in the organization.
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