Which tool do you use for load testing?

Question

Which tool do you use for load testing for J2EE application?

Answer 1

hi,
i use jmeter for without issues..
first make sure that the system from where you are doing load testing is in the same lan(without firewall) to that of server. Here you are testing the capacity of server and not the network bandwith.
So assuming very good network connection what is the servers performance level...
If u have to decide which tool is decent enough to load testing,
i would suggest go for jmeter. its reliable and i have used it without problems.
Here is my quick tutorial for jemeter which i made for my teams reference.
REFERENCE
     For Getting Started refer to any tutorial for Jmeter
     You can refer to introduction on
          http://jakarta.apache.org/jmeter/usermanual/
RUNNING LOAD TEST
     Extract jakarta-jmeter-2.3RC4.zip in c:
     install jdk-1_5_0_12-windows-i586-p.exe
     Run C:\jakarta-jmeter-2.3RC4\bin\jmeter.bat
     In Test Plan add Thread Group
     Right Click Thread Group -> Add->Sampler->HTTP Request
     Select HTTP Request added fill details
          Serverip:www.xyz.com
          Port:80
          Path:/xyz-webapp/index.jsp
          Use KeepAlive: Checked
          Retrive All Embeded images from HTML: Checked(For geting images inside html)
     Right Click Thread Group -> Add->Listner->Graph Results
     Click on Thread Group Fill details
          No of Threads:3(This means no of simultaneous users)
          Ramp Up Period:1(3 Request will be made in 1 second period)
          Loop Count:5(Above process should be repeated how many times)
     Save TestPlan
     Run -> Clear All
     Run -> Start
          Click on Graph Results for Output
     Try adding different listener in Thread Group
          Thread Group -> Add->Listner->Summary Report
     Listeners coud be added at thread group level or HTTP Request Level
RECORDING A TEST.
     Add a HTTP proxy server in workbench by right clicking on it and selecting Add->Non test Element->HTTP Proxy Server.
     In Test Plan Add Thread Group
     In HTTP proxy server select Target Controller as Test Plan > Thread Group.
     Go to Internet Explorer and go to internet settings and set proxy server as localhost and the port
          which is configured in Jmeter proxy server.Save Settings.
     In Jeter proxy server start by Clicking on Start button in the HTTP Proxy Server Flap.
     In browser navigate the application which you want to test.
     The nodes will be added in the Thread Group.
     Once Navigation is done stop the proxy server and save the test plan from file menu.
LOGGING INTO APPLICATION.
     When we have to login into system and then navigate the system
          we need a cookie to be tracked after login. This could be achieved
          simply by Add -> Config Element -> HTTP Cooie Manager.
     After adding the HTTP Cooie Manager simply run the test.
LOOPING COUNTER.
     When a request is made multiple parameter is sent to server.
     Parameters are sent from the HTTP Request node added in the Thread Group
          in "Send Parameter with the request" table.
     If we run the loop count 10 times the parameters will be sent same in every request.
     If you have to send parameters like user1,user2,user3,user4....
          then add -> Pre processor -> Counter.
     Put start as 1 and and Maximum as 10 or whatever required.
     Put Referene name as iCtr or whatever.
     In the "Send Parameter with the request" in value column put user${iCtr}