Integrate load testing into your development tools: IDE, jUnit, nUnit, Jenkins, Selenium and Microsoft Visual Studio. Starting with version 12.55, you can run your JMeter scripts and integrate JMeter with additional script types in any performance test.

• Mercury Tools Application

LoadRunner is a software testing tool from Micro Focus. It is used to test applications, measuring system behaviour and performance under load. LoadRunner can simulate thousands of users concurrently using application software, recording and later analyzing the performance of key components of the application.

LoadRunner simulates user activity by generating messages between application components or by simulating interactions with the user interface such as keypresses or mouse movements. The messages and interactions to be generated are stored in scripts. LoadRunner can generate the scripts by recording them, such as logging HTTP requests between a client web browser and an application's web server.^[1]

Hewlett Packard Enterprise acquired LoadRunner as part of its acquisition of Mercury Interactive in November 2006.^[2][3] In Sept 2016, Hewlett Packard Enterprise announced it is selling its software business, including Mercury products, to Micro Focus.^[4] As of 01-Sept-2017, the acquisition was complete.^[5]

• 2History

Architecture[edit]

The key components of LoadRunner are:

Mercury Tools Application

• Load Generator generates the load against the application by following scripts
• VuGen (Virtual User Generator) for generating and editing scripts
• Controller controls, launches and sequences instances of Load Generator - specifying which script to use, for how long etc. During runs the Controller receives real-time monitoring data and displays status.
• Agent process manages connection between Controller and Load Generator instances.
• Analysis assembles logs from various load generators and formats reports for visualization of run result data and monitoring data.

Modules are available to enable LoadRunner to capture, replay and script different application and networking technologies. These include support for:^[6]

• applications using Microsoft .NET and Java
• database servers such as Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle
• internetworking protocols such as DNS, FTP and LDAP
• e-mail protocols including IMAP, MAPI, POP3 & SMTP
• remote client technologies such as Citrix ICA and RDP.

LoadRunner can be run standalone or multiple instances can pooled for use by several people under the control of HP PerformanceCenter.

History[edit]

HPE LoadRunner in the Cloud[edit]

From 2010 Hewlett Packard started to offer on-demand versions of LoadRunner available by cloud computing services such as Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud and later Microsoft Azure.^[13][14] Version 12.50 added the use of Google Compute Engine. Selected HP partners are also able to provide LoadRunner in the Cloud as an on-demand service from their SaaS platforms.

Scripting Languages[edit]

LoadRunner client emulation scripts are usually created using the ANSI C programming language.^[15] However, Java^[16] and .Net programs can also be run by LoadRunner. Version 12.50 added the use of JavaScript for Web-HTTP/HTML scripts.

Scripts from other testing tools such as Apache JMeter, NUnit, and Selenium can be run by LoadRunner by declaring an interface library. This enables scripts to send key-value pairs to the Controller as the script runs, enabling response times to be associated with specific conditions such as the number of items displayed in the User Interface.

LoadRunner scripts can also be called from within Jenkins.

Support for JMeter Tests[edit]

LoadRunner 12.55 enables testers to run Apache JMeter scripts from Controller, alongside Vuser scripts can view the results to LoadRunner measurements. This feature is provided as beta version.^[17]

References[edit]

1. ^Mar, Wilson. 'LoadRunner architecture'. Wilsonmar.com. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
2. ^Krazit, Tom. 'HP snaps up Mercury Interactive'. CNET. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
3. ^'HP To Acquire Mercury Interactive For $4.5 Billion'. Information Week. UBM Tech. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
4. ^'HPE selling software business to Micro Focus'. www.zdnet.com. Retrieved 2016-11-30.
5. ^'Micro Focus Completes Merger with HPE Software Business, Creating One of World's Largest Pure-play Software Companies Micro Focus'. www.microfocus.com. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
6. ^Colantonio, Joe. 'LoadRunner 11.50 Licensing Change and Protocol Bundles'. JoeColantonio.com. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
7. ^Damore, Kelley (8 November 1993). 'LoadRunner mimics net users'. InfoWorld.
8. ^Ballou, Melinda-Carol (25 July 1994). 'Client/Server testing booms'. Computerworld.
9. ^'New products'. Computerworld. 5 December 1994.
10. ^Cole, Barb (17 April 1995). 'Mercury rises to deliver client/server testing tools'. Network World.
11. ^'LoadRunner 4.0 Press Release'.
12. ^'Mercury Interactive Addresses Testing Needs for Exploding Base of SAP Business Application Solutions'.
13. ^Broersma, Matthew. 'HP puts LoadRunner in the cloud'. ZDNet. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
14. ^Fulton, Scott M. 'HP Aims to Redefine Apps Performance Testing with Cloud Platform'. ReadWrite. Wearable World Inc. Archived from the original on 7 April 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
15. ^http://lrhelp.saas.hpe.com/en/12.53/help/WebHelp/Content/VuGen/c_c_vuser_scripts.htm
16. ^http://lrhelp.saas.hpe.com/en/12.53/help/WebHelp/Content/VuGen/Protocols/Java/137650_toc_java_prog.htm
17. ^https://lrhelp.saas.hpe.com/en/12.55/help/WebHelp/Content/Controller/jmeter_intro.htm

External links[edit]