Load test system and method

• US 7,047,446 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2000
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Maurer, Dawn C., Sherriff, Joel L., Chhina, Ramendra S., Straathof, Jeffrey A.
• Primary Examiner(s): ELISCA, PIERRE E
• Application Number:
  US09/697,994
• Time in Patent Office: 2,028 Days
• Field of Search: 714/38, 714/47, 714/33, 714/28, 714/32, 714/39, 702119-123, 702/186, 717/2, 717/3, 717/4, 717/5, 324/11, 709/229, 709/200, 709/203
• US Class Current: 714/38.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3414 Workload generation, e.g. scripts, playback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535

Abstract

An improved system and method for load testing software applications is provided. The user interface and/or application calls are captured to generate a script to emulate a user session. The script may include source language statements and, with or without editing, may be compiled into an executable script. Multiple scripts may be executed on a script driver to simulate multiple users to load test a system.

Claims

1. A method of load testing a software application comprising:

producing human-readable load testing scripts; and

emulating a user using the human-readable load testing scripts, the human-readable load testing scripts being produced by the steps comprising;

capturing calls on a computer system to emulate the user, the calls being captured by an in-memory replacement of the calls;

recording timing information of the captured calls; and

generating a human-readable load testing script from the captured application calls according to the timing information of the captured calls, such that the user is emulated.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising editing the script.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein editing the script includes adding program control statements.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein editing the script includes altering data in the script.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising compiling the script.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing the script to emulate the user.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising generating a report of response times when the script is executed.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing the script a plurality of times simultaneously to emulate a plurality of users.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting a timer to determine the timing information of the captured calls.

10. The method off claim 1, wherein the captured calls are user interface calls or application calls.

11. A computer program product that produces human-readable load testing scripts used for emulating a user in load testing a software application, comprising:

computer code that captures calls on a computer system to emulate a user, the calls being captured by an in-memory replacement of the calls;

computer code that records timing information of the captured calls;

computer code that generates a human-readable load testing script from the captured application calls according to the timing information of the captured calls, such that the user is emulated; and

a computer readable medium that stores the computer codes.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising computer code that compiles the script.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising computer code that executes the script to emulate the user.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising computer code that generates a report of response times when the script is executed.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising computer code that execute the script a plurality of times simultaneously to emulate a plurality of users.

16. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising computer code that sets a timer to determine the timing information of the captured calls.

17. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the captured calls are user interface calls or application calls.