Configure global Controller and test options

This topic describes how to configure global Controller and test options for your LoadRunner Enterprise project.

In this topic:

About the Controller

The Controller is the manager of a performance test that receives the scripts, their runtime settings, and a list of load generators to use. The Controller issues instructions to the load generators including which scripts to run, how many Vusers to run per script, and the time at which to start running the Vusers.

During the performance test, the Controller displays online monitoring information. At the conclusion of the test run, the Controller collates the data for analysis.

Before you run a performance test, you can configure load generator and Vuser options for all your performance tests in the project. Although the default settings correspond to most environments, you can modify the settings to customize the test behavior.

Note: The settings apply to all future test runs in the project and generally only need to be set once. The settings apply globally to all the load generators in a performance test.

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Configure monitor run options

You can activate the Transaction monitor, configure the behavior of the transaction data, and set the data sampling rate, debugging, and frequency settings for the online monitors.

  1. From the LoadRunner Enterprise navigation toolbar, click and select Controller Options (under More Tools).

  2. Select the Monitors tab.

  3. Configure the monitor run options as required:

    UI Elements

    Description
    Transaction Data

    Configures the behavior of data for the Transaction, Data Point, and Web Resource online graphs.

    • Enable Transaction Monitor. Select this option to activate the online Vuser Transaction monitor to begin monitoring transactions at the start of a test run.

    • Sample information at frequency <>. Select the frequency, in seconds, at which the online monitor samples the data to produce the Transaction, Data Point, and Web Resource online graphs.

      The higher the frequency, the less network traffic there is. The data is averaged for the frequency period defined, and only one value is sent to the Controller.

      Default value: 5 seconds.

      Tip:

      • For a small test, use a frequency of 1.

      • For a large test, use a frequency of 3 - 5.

    Note: You cannot modify these settings during a test run; you must stop the test run before deactivating the monitor or changing its frequency.
    Server Resource Monitors

    Configures the behavior of the Server Resource monitors.

    • Data Sampling Rate. The period of time (in seconds) between consecutive data sampling. By default, the online monitor samples the data at intervals of three seconds. If you increase the sampling rate, the data is monitored less frequently. This setting applies to all graphs.

    Note:

    • The sampling rate configured here is applied to all server monitors that you subsequently activate. It is not applied to server monitors that have already been activated. To apply the new sampling rate to activated server monitors, save your performance test and reopen it.

    • Each type of monitor has a different minimum sampling rate. If the default sampling rate, or the rate set here is less than a monitor's minimum sampling rate, the monitor samples data at its minimum sampling rate. For example, the minimum sampling rate for the Oracle Monitor is 10 seconds. If the data sampling rate is set here at less than 10 seconds, the Oracle Monitor continues to monitor data at 10 second intervals.
    Debug

    • Display Debug Messages. The online monitor provides debugging capabilities. Select this option to display the debug messages in the Output window.

    • Debug level. For the Network monitor, you can indicate the debug (detail) level of messages sent to the log, ranging from 1-9.

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Configure runtime settings

You can specify runtime settings for your test relating to Vuser quotas, stopping Vusers, and random sequence seed, to prevent system overload, and to control the way in which Vusers stop running.

  1. From the LoadRunner Enterprise navigation toolbar, click and select Controller Options (under More Tools).

  2. Select the Run-Time Settings tab.

  3. Configure the runtime settings as required:

    UI Elements

    Description
    Vusers Quota

    Vuser quotas prevent your system from overloading. The Vuser quotas apply to Vusers on all load generators.

    Number of Vusers that may be initialized simultaneously on all load generators. Limits the number of Vusers initialized at one time (when you send an Initialize command).

    Default value: 999
    When Stopping Vusers

    Controls the way Vusers stop running when you manually stop a test run:

    • Wait for the current iteration to end before stopping. (Default option) The Vuser completes the iteration it is running before stopping. The Vusers move to the Gradual Exiting status and exit the test run gradually.

    • Wait for the current action to end before stopping. The Vuser completes the action it is running before stopping. The Vusers move to the Gradual Exiting status and exit the test run gradually.

    • Stop immediately. The Vusers stop running immediately, moving to the Exiting status and exit the test run immediately.
    Random advance mode of file type parameter

    • Use random sequence with seed. Enables you to set a seed number for random sequencing. Select this option if you discover a problem during the test run and want to repeat the test using the same sequence of random values.

    • Use seed <#>. Each seed value represents one sequence of random values used for test execution. Whenever you use this seed value, the same sequence of values is assigned to the Vusers in the test.

    This setting applies to parameterized Vuser scripts using the Random method for assigning values from a data file. It also affects the random percentage of recorded think time (see information about the Run-Time Settings dialog box in the Virtual User Generator Help Center.

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Configure timeout settings

You can set timeouts for various LoadRunner Enterprise commands. When a command is issued by the Controller, you can set a maximum time for the load generator or Vuser to execute the command. If the command is not completed within the time limit, the Controller issues an error message.

  1. From the LoadRunner Enterprise navigation toolbar, click and select Controller Options (under More Tools).

  2. Select the Timeouts tab.

  3. Configure the timeout settings as required:

    UI Elements

    Description
    Command Timeout (seconds)

    Enable timeout checks. Enables load generator and Vuser timeout checks described below.

    Note: If this option is not selected, LoadRunner Enterprise waits an unlimited time for the load generators to connect and disconnect, and for the Initialize, Start Vusers, Duration, and Stop Vusers actions to be executed.
    Load Generator

    Load generator timeout limits:

    • Connect operation (sec). The amount of time (in seconds) that elapses before connecting to any load generator. If a connection is not successful within this time, the status of the load generator changes to Failed.

      Default connection timeout: 30 seconds

    • Disconnect operation (sec). The amount of time that elapses before disconnecting from any load generator. If the load generator does not disconnect within this time, the status of the load generator changes to Failed.

      Default disconnection timeout: 120 seconds
    Vusers

    Vuser timeout limits:

    • Init stage (sec). The timeout value for the Initialize action.

      Default time limit: 180 seconds

    • Run stage (sec). The timeout value for the Start Vusers action.

      Default time limit: 120 seconds

    • Pause stage (sec). The timeout value for the Duration action.

      Default time limit: 120 seconds

    • Stop stage (sec). The timeout value for the Stop Vusers action.

      Default time limit: 120 seconds

    Note: Calculations consider the number of active Vusers and their influence on the timeout values. For example, 1000 Vusers trying to initialize take much longer than 10 Vusers. An internal value is added to the specified timeout value based on the number of active Vusers.

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Configure debug information

You can select the type of information to trace during a test run. According to the selection here, trace files are created and are used to gather information for debugging purposes.

  1. From the LoadRunner Enterprise navigation toolbar, click and select Controller Options (under More Tools).

  2. Select the Debug Information tab.

  3. Configure the timeout settings as required:

    UI Elements

    Description
    Enable the following traces

    The trace flags related to performance testing problems that you are encountering:

    • General. Performs a general trace during the test run.

    • File Transfer. Traces problems with the transfer of files during the test run.

    • Incoming communication. Traces incoming communication during the test run.

    • Outgoing communication. Traces outgoing communication during the test run.

    Note: The LoadRunner Enterprise agent and the Controller create some temporary files that collect information such as the parameter file sent to the Vuser, the output compilation file, and the configuration file. The LoadRunner Enterprise agent files are saved in brr folders in the TMP or TEMP directory of the agent machine. The Controller files are saved in lrr folders in the TMP or TEMP directory of the Controller machine. At the end of the test run, all of these files are automatically deleted.

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Configure IP spoofing and advance warning settings

You can select a mode for allocating multiple IP addresses when IP spoofing is enabled. It also enables you to display advance warning in the Performance Test Designer Window.

  1. From the LoadRunner Enterprise navigation toolbar, click and select Controller Options (under More Tools).

  2. Select the General tab.

  3. Configure the general settings as required:

    UI Elements

    Description
    Multiple IP Address Mode

    The Controller can allocate an IP address in one of the following ways:

    • IP address allocation per process. Allocates IP addresses per process.

    • IP address allocation per thread. Allocates IP addresses per thread, resulting in a more varied range of IP addresses in a test run.

    Note:

    • Web Vusers require IP address allocation per process.

    • WinSock Vuser IP addresses can be allocated per thread or per process.
    Advanced Warnings Select to display advanced warnings in the Messages pane of the Performance Test Designer window.

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Configure collate result settings

You can specify behavior related to collation of the run results.

  1. From the LoadRunner Enterprise navigation toolbar, click and select Controller Options (under More Tools).

  2. Select the Collate Results tab.

  3. Configure the collate settings as required:

    UI Elements

    Description
    Output Message Database

    • Add output.mdb to RawResults.zip if it is smaller than RawResults.zip size (MB). Collator process adds output.mdb to RawResults.zip only if it is smaller in size than the RawResults.zip file size specified.

    • Always exclude output.mdb from RawResults.zip. Collator process always excludes output.mdb from RawResults.zip.
    Timeout

    Collate Timeout (Min). The maximum amount of time, in minutes, the collate process should continue running without progress.

For details on collating run results, see Collate run data.

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Configure general test options

You can set general Scheduler, testing, and collate options for the test from the Test Options dialog box.

  1. Select a performance test in the test management tree and click Edit Test.

  2. In the Groups and Workload tab, select More > Test Options in the Groups pane toolbar. The Test Options dialog box opens.

    Note: This is accessible only when the Groups and Workload view is displayed.

  3. Configure the following testing options as required:

    UI Elements

    Description
    General tab
    Enable Scheduler

    Enables the Scheduler so that you can run the test according to a user-defined schedule. To define a schedule, this option must be selected.

    • Stop test when Scheduler ends and Vusers are inactive. Automatically stops the test when the test schedule has stopped and all the Vusers are in any of the following inactive states: Down, Pass, Fail, Error, or Stop.

    • Start the Scheduler after a delay of HH:MM:SS. Enables you to specify when, after the Run Test command has been issued, the Scheduler should start running the schedule. If this option is not selected, the schedule starts to run as soon as the test starts running.

    • Wait for all groups to initialize. Instructs the Scheduler to wait until all the Vusers in all the Vuser groups have finished initializing before starting to run any of the groups.

      Note: If you select this option, if any of the Vuser groups' Initialize action is Initialize each Vuser just before it runs, the Scheduler automatically changes this setting to Initialize all Vusers simultaneously.

    • Pause Scheduler at test start. Pauses the Scheduler at the start of a test run, enabling you make changes to the test design just before the test is about to run. You can then restart the Scheduler manually.

    Enable IP Spoofer

    After you define multiple IP addresses, and before you run the test, select this option to enable IP spoofing. For details about multiple IP addressing, see Configure multiple IP addresses.

    Note: You must enable IP spoofing before running a test.
    Set maximum number of concurrent Vusers

    The maximum number of concurrent Vusers allowed for this test.
    Disable Default Monitors

    LoadRunner Enterprise host monitors are automatically activated at the start of a test run by default. Select this check box to manually disable host monitors (this can save time in the initialization process when there are many load generators in the test). For details on the default monitors, see Monitors enabled by default.
    Do not change record Think Time (for Goal Scheduler)

    If selected, LoadRunner Enterprise runs the test using the think time recorded in the script. For details, see Distribute Vusers by goal.

    Note:

    • If you select this option, you may need to increase the number of Vusers in your scenario in order to reach your target.

    • This option is overridden by Ignore think time in Runtime Settings > Think Time. For details, see Configure runtime settings.
    Collate tab
    Collate Vuser logs

    Collates Vuser logs from remote load generators after the test ends. This setting is defined per test, and is saved across test runs. This option is selected by default so that the behavior remains consistent with previous versions of the application.

    Tip: We recommend clearing this option when extended log is enabled for one or more of the groups.
    Collate results

    Select an option for collating the run results:

    • During test run (SP3) / At runtime (SP2). Results are collated during the course of the test run, except for Vuser log and NV data which is always collated at the end of the test run. Collating during runtime reduces the time required to collate all data at the end of the test run.

    • At end of the test run (SP3) / At the end of test run (SP2). This prompts automatic collation upon completion of the test run (the default setting).

    For details on collating run results, see Collate run data.

    Note: The collate results option is disabled in the user interface if the system administrator has set the post-run action to Do not collate results, or when During test run/At runtime is selected because the results are being collated during the run.

    Collaborate and export results

    Available in versions: 2020 SP3 and later

    Select Upload results to an external analysis database server (InfluxDB) to enable collaboration with other data vendors and to view the data in third-party dashboards. LoadRunner Enterprise automatically uploads result data to an external InfluxDB server (if defined) during the run or after the collate process finishes according to the Collate results option selected above. The raw data is uploaded with the following tag structure: <Domain>_<Project>_<Run ID>

    This option is selected by default when the project has been assigned to an external Analysis database server. For details, see Manage analysis servers.

    Note: Test results are only uploaded if the project is assigned to the analysis database server; they are still uploaded to the LoadRunner Enterprise repository and are available in the user interface.

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See also: