You raise good points, Scott. Certainly, to test a site inside a firewall, you'll need to install some software. But if that's not a concern, and if you want to avoid installing (and learning) some software, this hosted solution is still a worthwhile alternative. It's dead easy. And even for just 5 users, it could be useful as Chris noted.
I previously installed by WAST and OpenSTA (as well as Empirix E-test Suite, Mercury Interactive's Astra QuickTest, and Parasoft WebKing). And I found they all had complications that kept me from using them on an ongoing basis. I'm just raising this as an alternative for any who may have been through the same process. /charlie PS Do you know, Scott, why a reply to your note would be setup to go just to you and not to the list? I almost didn't catch that. I've not noticed that happen with any other notes on the list, even several received today. Just curious. :-) > -----Original Message----- > From: Scott Stirling [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Wednesday, April 03, 2002 7:34 AM > To: 'charles arehart '; 'JRun-Talk ' > Subject: RE: load testing (was RE: Difficult To Reproduce Session Issue) > > > Most people have their development/staging networks are behind > firewalls and this outside load test won't be allowed through. > So downloading it will most likely be their only option. > > Just to reiterate, Microsoft Web App Stress Tool (revamped, > called ACT, and shipped commercially in VStudio .NET > Enterprise/Architect) is free, easy to use, and you can easily > get it up and running in minutes and hammer the crap out of your > site with 100 or 200 virtual users or however many you want. > > http://webtool.rte.microsoft.com > > Scott Stirling > JRun QA > Macromedia > > -----Original Message----- > From: charles arehart > To: JRun-Talk > Sent: 4/2/2002 11:32 PM > Subject: RE: load testing (was RE: Difficult To Reproduce Session Issue) > > To be honest, I was excited about OpenSTA (being open source and all), > and > the docs were really well-done, so I was psyched. But then I found I > couldn't quite get it to work at all. It was one of those justifications > for > the point Celeste had made: it didn't matter if it was free if it took a > long time to get some use of it. > > Add, too, that it did require an install of the product. One bene I > liked in > the OpenDemand tool was that it required no software install. > > /charlie > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Pete Freitag [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > > > I like OpenSTA http://www.opensta.org/ it's a free web site load > testing > > tool. Like all testing tools you can't just sit down and use it, > > but if you > > spend a few minutes going over their example you will be on your way. > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: charles arehart [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > > > I appreciate all those points, Celeste. And as someone who's also been > > around the IT world a long time (20 years), I realize that > > politics are part > > of the game. I just don't know how much that's really the heart > > of the issue > > of why people don't test. Indeed, it may be that a developer thinks > that a > > testing tool will take too long to learn to use (even if it's free) > and > > therefore it's worth even less time to try it out. > > > > But I'm trying to find out if anyone has found better alternatives. > I've > > looked at several web app testing tools (load and regression). Some > are > > free, some are expensive. I've looked at java testing tools (free and > > commercial). Yes, they all take time to learn to use, so I've been > > disinclined to use them as well. And I've talked to many of the > commercial > > companies about dropping their prices, or permitting a lower volume of > > testing for lower costs (if not free). Even testing for 5 concurrent > users > > is better than not doing any testing at all. > > > > Fortunately, I do have good news for those who've been willing to > follow > > this thread (or at least read this note): I recently learned of a > company > > (Open Demand, at www.opendemand.com) who have both a packaged load > testing > > tool and (better for many, for cost and complexity) a hosted solution > as > > well. The hosted solution is really easy to use (and no software > > to install, > > of course). In fact, after discussions some discussion I got them to > agree > > to setup a mechanism for people to trial the service for free for > > 5 virtual > > users (with no time limit for trying it out), which is really generous > of > > them. I was really psyched to see that. > > > > If anyone here wants to try it out, the trial link is currently > > http://www.opendemand.com/cf/. Don't mind the fact that the URL (and > the > > page) mentions CF (ColdFusion). It's just that they're initially > > focusing on > > the CF community but will very shortly have a link for the Java > community. > > Of course, the tool doesn't care what the back-end server is running. > It > > does the testing across the net from their hosted solution to > > your site, so > > the back-end's really transparent to the tool. Naturally, some may > argue > > that a stress test should take place within the server's network. The > > company offers a packaged solution for that purpose as well. > > > > I hope folks will check it out and report what you think of it. > Indeed, I > > hope that the 5-user test may be helpful to some in doing their first > load > > testing. Sure, 5 users isn't much, but if your site is relatively > > low-trafficked, you ever know what running 5 concurrent users might > stress > > in your system. Think about it, to get 5 users at once some sites > > would need > > to average thousands of users a day. By the same token, even if you > don't > > expect that load, it's also possible that you could have that load in > a > > sudden burst. Hey, it's free, so try it out against as many > > threads through > > your site as you'd like. (It's not just a tool to test one page > > but instead > > acts like a record and playback while you traverse your site creating > a > > "scenario".) > > > > If you're interested in trying more virtual users, the paid service > starts > > at $149 for 50 users for up to 60 minutes of testing (usable over > whatever > > period of hours/days it takes to use up that time). Contact Don Doane > > ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) for more pricing info. > > > > I hope you guys will pardon if this leans towards a sales pitch. As > the > > whole thread started out, it's really about testing, and getting > people to > > do it more. It was just coincidental that at about the same time I was > > arranging them to allow this trial service. > > > > /charlie > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Haseltine, Celeste [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > > > > > Charles, > > > > > > My response wasn't directed at just "what to do when the bosses > don't > > > listen", but also how to "not push your ideas to the point that > > > you alienate > > > the bosses you are trying to convince". Again, unless you are an > > > officer of > > > a company, or are the owner, you are often NOT in a "decision > > > making" role. > > > Therefore, the only thing you can do is to try and convince > > > people to test a > > > product before deployment. But you can't force your bosses to do > > > something. > > > And if you try to do so, you will risk your job and your > professional > > > reputation. > > > > > > Again, manpower issues and money issues are the key here. Even > > > if the tools > > > are free, it takes the use of "x man-hours" to test a product, > > > when those "x > > > man-hours" could be used towards something viewed as "more > > profitable" or > > > more important to the company by upper management. This is > > > especially true > > > when you are in a very small shop as I am. I can push all I > > > want, but if I > > > push too much, I run the risk of alienating the very people I > > am trying to > > > convince. And if I do alienate my "bosses", what have I gained > > > for my group > > > and "my cause"? Nothing. In fact, by pushing too far, I could end > up > > > hurting my group and my "cause" more, by not giving my management > team a > > > "graceful out" once they realize that I was probably right all > > > along. This > > > is called politics. And the higher you move up as an IT > > professional, the > > > more important the "how well you play the political game" > > becomes vs. "how > > > often you are right and your boss is wrong". > > > > > > Perhaps someone else on this list has a better approach to > > > convincing their > > > management team for taking the time and the money to do things such > as > > > testing. I'm always interested in hearing other/better > > > approaches. But for > > > me, this is the way I have approached all "opposition" to any IT > > > recommendation that may be viewed as "not necessary, too costly, > etc.", > > > testing included. As I mentioned before, people and companies both > make > > > mistakes, and hopefully learn from them. Sometimes you just have to > let > > > your upper management make what you know is a decision that > > will probably > > > come back to haunt them, and then just move forward from that point > on. > > > > > > Celeste > ______________________________________________________________________ This list and all House of Fusion resources hosted by CFHosting.com. The place for dependable ColdFusion Hosting. Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
