LoadRunner is a software testing tool from Micro Focus. It is used to test applications, measuring system behavior and performance under load. It helps to simulate user’s activity by generating messages between application components or by simulating interactions with the user interface such as keypresses or mouse movements.
Components: Virtual User Generator, Controller, and the Agent process, LoadRunner Analysis and Monitoring.
- Load Generator generates the load against the application by following scripts
- VuGen (Virtual User Generator) for generating and editing scripts
- Controller controls, launches and sequences instances of Load Generator - specifying which script to use, for how long etc. During runs the Controller receives real-time monitoring data and displays status.
- Agent Process manages connection between Controller and Load Generator instances.
- Analysis assembles logs from various load generators and formats reports for visualization of run result data and monitoring data.
Why we need LoadRunner?
LoadRunner is one of the most robust, powerful and well-known load testing platforms out there, yet within its complete HP integrated environment – it’s also one of the simplest and easiest tools to use.
LoadRunner supports RIA (Rich Internet Applications), Web 2.0 (HTTP/HTML, Ajax, Flex and Silverlight etc.), Mobile, SAP, Oracle, MS SQL Server, Citrix, RTE, Mail and above all, Windows Socket.
There is no competitor tool in the market which could offer such a wide variety of protocols vested in a single tool.