System and methods for load testing a transactional server over a wide area network
First Claim
1. A system that provides functionality for remotely load testing target server systems over a wide area network, the load testing system comprising:
- a plurality of load testing servers connected to the wide area network, said load testing servers hosting a load testing application that provides functionality for applying a load to a target server system over the wide area network and for monitoring response times of the target server system during application of said load;
a controller that provides functionality for controlling the plurality of load testing servers over a network connection to execute load tests of the target systems, wherein the controller provides functionality for a human operator to specify load testing operations to be performed by each of the plurality of load testing servers;
a database that is accessible to the plurality of load testing servers, the database storing test scripts that specify user transactions for load testing specific target server systems, and storing target system performance data generated by the load testing servers during execution of load tests; and
a web site that provides secure access to at least some of the data stored in the database to enable users to remotely participate in load testing of the target server systems.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A load testing system comprises multiple load testing servers that are configured to apply a load to a target web site, or other target server system, remotely over the Internet. Using a web site associated with the system, a business entity can upload information (transactions to be tested, etc.) about a target server system to be tested. The business entity also preferably sets up a staged implementation of the target system. The uploaded information is used to generate and run one or more load tests against the staged system, and the results are stored in a database that is remotely browsable via various online reports and charts. The system includes a controller that permits an operator to assign load testing tasks to specific load testing servers. The controller preferably implements a load balancing algorithm to distribute a load associated with load test execution events among the load testing servers.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A system that provides functionality for remotely load testing target server systems over a wide area network, the load testing system comprising:
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a plurality of load testing servers connected to the wide area network, said load testing servers hosting a load testing application that provides functionality for applying a load to a target server system over the wide area network and for monitoring response times of the target server system during application of said load;
a controller that provides functionality for controlling the plurality of load testing servers over a network connection to execute load tests of the target systems, wherein the controller provides functionality for a human operator to specify load testing operations to be performed by each of the plurality of load testing servers;
a database that is accessible to the plurality of load testing servers, the database storing test scripts that specify user transactions for load testing specific target server systems, and storing target system performance data generated by the load testing servers during execution of load tests; and
a web site that provides secure access to at least some of the data stored in the database to enable users to remotely participate in load testing of the target server systems. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of providing load testing services to each of a plurality of business entities that operate transactional servers, the method comprising:
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providing a web site through which the business entities upload data regarding specific transactional servers to be load tested;
generating load tests for each of the transactional servers using data uploaded by the corresponding business entities;
running each of the load tests from a server farm that is located remotely from the corresponding transactional server, such that request messages and responses thereto are passed between the server farm and each of the transactional servers over a wide area network;
storing performance data resulting from running the load tests in a database, said performance data indicative, for each transactional server, of how the transactional servers responds under load conditions; and
providing web-based access to the performance data over the wide area network to allow said business entities to evaluate results of load test runs;
whereby computing resources used to conduct load tests are shared by the plurality of business entities, and the transactional servers of such business entities are load tested without a need for the business entities to set up load testing servers. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of load testing a web site, the method comprising:
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providing a staged implementation of the web site that is remotely accessible via the Internet;
running a load test against the staged implementation of the web site from a server farm that is remote from the web site and coupled to the web site by the Internet, wherein running the load test comprises ramping up a load applied to the staged implementation of the web site over time; and
providing web-based access to performance data measurements taken during running of the load test to permit users to remotely analyze results of the load test. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A system that provides functionality for remotely load testing target server systems over a wide area network, the load testing system comprising:
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a plurality of load testing servers connected to the wide area network, said load testing servers hosting a load testing application that provides functionality for applying a load to a target server system over the wide area network and for monitoring response times of the target server system during application of said load;
a controller that provides functionality for controlling the plurality of load testing servers over a network connection to execute load tests of the target systems;
a database that is accessible to the plurality of load testing servers, the database storing test scripts that specify user transactions for load testing specific target server systems, and storing target system performance data generated by the load testing servers during execution of load tests; and
a web site that provides secure access to at least some of the data stored in the database to enable users to remotely participate in load testing of the target server systems;
wherein the controller implements a load balancing algorithm that assigns load testing tasks to individual load testing servers so as to distribute a processing load. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. A system that provides functionality for remotely load testing target server systems over a wide area network, the load testing system comprising:
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a plurality of load testing servers connected to the wide area network, said load testing servers hosting a load testing application that provides functionality for applying a load to a target server system over the wide area network and for monitoring response times of the target server system during application of said load;
a controller that provides functionality for controlling the plurality of load testing servers over a network connection to execute load tests of the target systems;
a database that is accessible to the plurality of load testing servers, the database storing test scripts that specify user transactions for load testing specific target server systems, and storing target system performance data generated by the load testing servers during execution of load tests; and
a web site that provides secure access to at least some of the data stored in the database to enable users to remotely participate in load testing of the target server systems, wherein the web site hosts a collaboration application that allows users to remotely participate in the development of load tests. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. A system that provides functionality for remotely load testing target server systems over a wide area network, the load testing system comprising:
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a plurality of load testing servers connected to the wide area network, said load testing servers hosting a load testing application that provides functionality for applying a load to a target server system over the wide area network and for monitoring response times of the target server system during application of said load;
a controller that provides functionality for controlling the plurality of load testing servers over a network connection to execute load tests of the target systems;
a database that is accessible to the plurality of load testing servers, the database storing test scripts that specify user transactions for load testing specific target server systems, and storing target system performance data generated by the load testing servers during execution of load tests; and
a web site that provides secure access to at least some of the data stored in the database to enable users to remotely participate in load testing of the target server systems, wherein the web site hosts a registration application that provides functionality for users to register to use the plurality of load testing servers to load test target server systems. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. A system that provides functionality for remotely load testing target server systems over a wide area network, the load testing system comprising:
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a plurality of load testing servers connected to the wide area network, said load testing servers hosting a load testing application that provides functionality for applying a load to a target server system over the wide area network and for monitoring response times of the target server system during application of said load;
a controller that provides functionality for controlling the plurality of load testing servers over a network connection to execute load tests of the target systems;
a database that is accessible to the plurality of load testing servers, the database storing test scripts that specify user transactions for load testing specific target server systems, and storing target system performance data generated by the load testing servers during execution of load tests; and
a web site that provides secure access to at least some of the data stored in the database to enable users to remotely participate in load testing of the target server systems;
wherein the database stores load testing data for each of a plurality of customers of a load testing service associated with the plurality of load testing servers, and the web site provides each such customer secure access to the load testing data of that customer.
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Specification