Building a WebService Test Plan

Wiki MarkupIn this section, you will learn how to create a Test Plan to test a [WebService]. You will create five users that send requests to One page. Also, you will tell the users to run their tests twice. So, the total number of requests is (5 users) x (1 requests) x (repeat 2 times) = 10 HTTP requests. To construct the Test Plan, you will use the following elements: \[:[ Thread Group|UserManual Reference/ThreadGroup: Thread Group\] , [ WebService](SOAP) Request (Beta Code) , and Graph Results .|UserManual Reference/WebServiceSampler] , and [ Graph Results|UserManual Reference/GraphListener] .

Adding Users

The first step you want to do with every JMeter Test Plan is to add a Thread Group element. The Thread Group tells JMeter the number of users you want to simulate, how often the users should send requests, and the how many requests they should send.

...

Next, you need to modify the default properties. Select the Thread Group element in the tree, if you have not already selected it. You should now see the Thread Group Control Panel in the right section of the JMeter window (see Figure 10.1 below)

http://jakarta.apache.org/jmeter/images/screenshots/webtest/threadgroup.png

^{Figure 10.1. Thread Group with Default Values}

Start by providing a more descriptive name for our Thread Group. In the name field, enter Jakarta Users.

...

Finally, clear the checkbox labeled "Forever", and enter a value of 2 in the Loop Count field. This property tells JMeter how many times to repeat your test. If you enter a loop count value of 0, then JMeter will run your test only once. To have JMeter repeatedly run your Test Plan, select the Forever checkbox.

In most applications, you have to manually accept changes you make in a Control Panel. However, in JMeter, the Control Panel automatically accepts your changes as you make them. If you change the name of an element, the tree will be updated with the new text after you leave the Control Panel (for example, when selecting another tree element).

See Figure 10.2 for the completed Jakarta Users Thread Group.

http://jakarta.apache.org/jmeter/images/screenshots/webtest/threadgroup2.png

^{Figure 10.2. Jakarta Users Thread Group}10.2

Adding WebService Requests

In our Test Plan, we will use a .NET webservice. Since you're using the webservice sampler, we won't go into the details of writing a webservice. If you don't know how to write a webservice, google for webservice and familiarize yourself with writing webservices for Java and .NET. It should be noted there is a significant difference between how .NET and Java implement webservices. .NET webservices are document centric, whereas Java webservices tend to be RPC centric. Neither approach is perfect and each has limitations.

JMeter sends requests in the order that they appear in the tree. 

Start by adding the sampler WebService(SOAP) Request (Beta Code) to the Jakarta Users element (Add --> Sampler --> WebService(SOAP) Request (Beta Code) ). Then, select the webservice Request element in the tree and edit the following properties (see Figure 10.5):.

1. Change the Name field to "[ WebService(SOAP) Request (Beta Code)". 2. |UserManual Reference/WebServiceSampler]"
2. Enter the WSDL URL and click "Load WSDL"
   http://jakarta.apache.org/jmeter/images/screenshots/webservice_sampler.png
   ^{Figure 10.3. Webservice Request}
   

If the WSDL file was loaded correctly, the "Web Methods" drop down should be populated. If the drop down remains blank, it means there was a problem getting the WSDL. You can test the WSDL using a browser that reads XML. For example, if you're testing an IIS webservice the URL will look like this: http://localhost/myWebService/Service.asmx?WSDL.

Next, select the web method and click "Configure". The sampler should populate the "URL" and "SOAPAction" text fields. Assuming the WSDL is valid, the correct soap action should be entered.

The last step is to paste the SOAP message in the "SOAP/XML-RPC Data" text area. You can optionally save the soap message to a file and browse to the location. For convienance, there is a third option of using a message folder. The sampler will randomly select files from a given folder and use the text for the soap message.

An important note on the sampler. It will automatically use the proxy host and port passed to JMeter from command line, if thoe fields in the sampler are left blank. If a sampler has values in the proxy host and port text field, it will use the ones provided by the user. If no host or port are provided and JMeter wasn't started with command line options, the sampler will fail silently. This behavior may not be what users expect.

...

...

Adding a Listener to View Store the Test Results

The final element you need to add to your Test Plan is a Listener . This element is responsible for storing all of the results of your HTTP requests in a file and presenting a visual model of the data.

Select the Jakarta Users element and add a Graph Results listener (Add --> Listener --> [ Graph Results|UserManual Reference/GraphListener]). Next, you need to specify a directory and filename of the output file. You can either type it into the filename field, or select the Browse button and browse to a directory and then enter a filename.

http://jakarta.apache.org/jmeter/images/screenshots/graph_results.png

^{Figure 10.7. Graph Results Listener}10.4

Saving the Test Plan

Although it is not required, we recommend that you save the Test Plan to a file before running it. To save the Test Plan, select Save Test Plan from the File menu (with the latest release, it is no longer necessary to select the Test Plan element first).

JMeter allows you to save the entire Test Plan tree or only a portion of it. To save only the elements located in a particular "branch" of the Test Plan tree, select the Test Plan element in the tree from which to start the "branch", and then click your right mouse button to access the Save As menu item. Alternatively, select the appropriate Test Plan element and then select Save As from the Edit menu.

...

...

Running the Test Plan

From the Run menu, select Run.

JMeter lights up a green square in the upper-right-hand corner to indicate if a test is currently running. The square is turned gray when all tests stop. Even after you select "stop", the green light will stay on until all test threads have exited. 

Once JMeter has finished running your Test Plan, select Stop from the Run menu.

If you selected a file to save the results to in your listener, then you will have a file that can be opened in any visualizer. Each visualizer will display the results in it's own fashion.

It is possible to have the same file open in more than one visualizer. This is not a problem. JMeter will ensure during the test run that no sample is recorded to the same file more than once.