The test creation wizard
starts when you record a test. To record the test, a proxy recorder
intercepts the HTTP traffic between the browser and the web server.
You can record a test from Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, or from another browser.
Before you begin
The following recorders are available for recording HTTP
traffic from a browser:
- SOCKS proxy recorder: Use this recorder when no proxy connections
are required.
- HTTP proxy recorder: Use this recorder when a proxy connections
are required to connect to the network or when the client program
does not support SOCKS.
- Socket recorder: Use this recorder for low-level network traffic
when the client does not support proxies.
If you are using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), the proxy
recorder can cause authentication problems because SSL relays traffic
between the client and the server. Depending on the authentication
method in place, the client might require that the proxy recorder
authenticate itself as the server and the server might require that
the proxy recorder authenticate as the client. If the client program
requires an authenticated server, you must either have access to the
server certificate keystore and provide it to the proxy recorder or
configure the client to accept the default certificate from the proxy
recorder instead of the certificate from the actual server.
Procedure
To record an HTTP performance test with a browser:
- In the Performance Test perspective, on the toolbar click New Test From Recording
or click .
- In the New Test From Recording wizard,
click Create a test from a new recording, select HTTP Test, and click Next. If you are recording sensitive data, you can select a Recording encryption level.
- On the Select Location page, select
the project and folder to create the test in, type a name for the
test, and click Next. If necessary,
click the Create the parent folder
to create a performance test
project or folder.
- On the Select Client Application page,
select the web browser to use. The type of application
defines the recorder that can be used. The following client application
types are supported for recording a service test:
- Microsoft Internet Explorer: This option
records traffic that is sent and received with Internet Explorer.
- Mozilla Firefox: This option records
traffic that is sent and received with Firefox.
- Managed Application: This option starts
a browser that is not in the list.
On the Managed Application
Options page, click Browse to specify
the Program path. If necessary, specify the Working directory, and in Arguments, type the command-line arguments that the program requires.
If the program requires user input from a command line interface,
select Open console for user input.
- Unmanaged Application: This option
records HTTP traffic from one or multiple client programs that use
a proxy. You must manually start the client programs, and the proxy
recorder records all traffic that is sent and received through the
specified network port.
- On the Recorder Settings page, depending
on the browser that you selected, specify these details:
- Specify the recording method.
- Select Record traffic with the proxy recorder to record HTTP or SOCKS traffic through a proxy.
- Select Record traffic with the socket recorder to record low-level network traffic for applications where a proxy
cannot be used. Use this option primarily when you are not using Mozilla
Firefox or Microsoft Internet
Explorer.
Note: When using proxy recording, you can filter out HTTP or
HTTPS requests to a specific endpoints so that any requests to those
endpoints are not recorded. See
Proxy recording preferences
- If the server requires client SSL authentication, you
must provide the client certificate keystore for the proxy recorder
to be authenticated by the server as though the proxy recorder were
the client. Select The server requires a specific client
certificate. Specify the file name and password of the
server certificate keystore. If multiple certificates are required,
click Multiple certificates, and click Add to specify a certificate keystore file name and password
for each host name and port.
- If you selected Mozilla Firefox, you can choose to use a temporary Firefox profile. This starts
Firefox without any bookmarks, plug-ins, or toolbars that might be
associated with your usual profile. Select Use an alternate
Firefox profile, and then select Use a temporary
Firefox profile.
- Click Advanced to specify whether
to use an HTTP or SOCKS proxy recorder (if you selected Record traffic with the proxy recorder) to review and
edit network connection settings that the browser uses, or to specify
advanced SSL authentication settings.
- Click Finish. A progress
window opens while your browser starts.
- In the browser address box, type the address of the web-based
application to test, and activate the link.
Note: If you
enter the address of a secure website (one that starts with https:), your browser might display a security alert.
Depending on the security certificate for the site, you might be required
to accept a security risk to proceed with the recording.
- Complete the user tasks to test. While you are recording,
follow these guidelines:
- Wait for each page to load completely. This wait does not affect
performance results, because you can remove extra "waiting time" (think
time) when you play back the test.
- Do not change browser preferences.
You can use the
Recorder
Test Annotations toolbar to add comments, record synchronizations,
or take screen captures during the recording.
- To change the page name, click the Change page name icon
. In the resulting test, the page element in the test editor uses
the new name, however the original name is preserved in the Page Title Verification Point area so that page title
verification points still work correctly.
- To add a comment to the recorded test, click the Insert
comment icon
.
You are prompted for a comment.
- To add a screen capture to the recorded test, click the Capture screen icon
. Screen and window captures make
your tests easier to read and help you visualize the recorded test.
You can change the settings for screen captures and add a comment
to the image.
- To manually add a synchronization point to the recording, click
the Insert synchronization icon
.
- To manually add a transaction folder to the recording, click the Start Transaction icon
and Stop Transaction icons
to start and stop the transaction. Transactions can be nested.
- To insert a split point into the recorded test, click the Split point
icon
. With split points, you can generate multiple tests from a single
recording, which you can replay in a different order with a schedule.
See Splitting
a HTTP test during recording for more information about splitting
a test.
- After you finish the user tasks in the browser, stop the
recorder. You can stop the browser by closing the client program or
by clicking the Stop push button
in the Recording
Control view.
Results
A progress window opens while the test is generated. On completion,
the
Recording Control view displays the
Test generation completed message, the test navigator
lists your test, and the test opens in the test editor.