Using LoadStorm, you can create a step that will login many test users for your web application. (For more information please visit our Add a Step knowledgebase) This is desirable because it provides a more realistic simulation of real-world activity on your site, and therefore produce performance metrics corresponding to database access, business logic processing, and dynamic page creation associated with personalization.
It is possible to re-use the same “John Doe” over and over again in your load test; however, that isn’t always the best practice. Most testers would prefer to use a file of test users that match records in the target system’s tables. LoadStorm will allow you to submit a login form with data filled-in from such a test file.
LoadStorm calls these files “Form Data Sets”. There are 3 files built into LoadStorm that contain usernames, passwords, email addresses, first names, and last names. You may download any of these files in CSV format in order to import the test user information into your target system’s credentialing tables.
The key is to choose the correct data set in the scenario’s meta data edit screen from a drop down menu of all form data sets in your account. Then when you create a step to perform the login, choose the correct form tab, and select the button labeled “Form Data” to the right of each field. You will then be able to select field names that correspond to each column of data.
For example, if the first field on your login form is “name”, then you will click the drop down menu and select the column name containing usernames (you probably called it username when you created the CSV). This partial screen shot shows an example.
Once you have setup all of the form fields correctly, then you want to choose a radio button that indicates the type of submit to use. There are three choices, and the first radio button is almost always the correct one to try. The other two are needed sometimes depending on the way the form submission is coded in the web application. Abstract Javascript submission code can necessitate the second or third options.
Try the first option. Save the step. 99% of the time this option works. If you don’t get the response that you expected in the iFrame, then edit the step and try the second option. Repeat. If none of them work, please contact us at [email protected] and provide us with the test plan/scenario/step to research. Sometimes we can fix our code to work with your code.