Software testing is to identifying the bugs in software application. It have two main types are Manual and automation testing. In the latest world automation testing mostly used. We are going to discuss about the JMeter tools and what are the testing used in this tools in this article.
Agenda
- History of JMeter
- What is JMeter?
- Why we use JMeter?
- Benefits of JMeter
- How to Install the JMeter tool?
- How to use JMeter tool in the Software application testing?
- Advantages of JMeter tool
- What type of testing to do using JMeter tool
- Conclusion
- Reference Links
History of JMeter:-
Stefano Mazzocchi he is the original developer of JMeter Appache Software Foundation. He wrote it primarily to test the performance of Apache JServ it replaced by the Apache Tomcat project. We modify the JMeter to build up the GUI and to add functional-testing capabilities.
JMeter became a Top Level Apache project in November 2011, which means it has a Project Management Committee to an obligated the website. The first official release version of the JMeter 1.0 was released on 15.12.1998. It is stable licensed under Apache License 2.0 and stable version is 5.1, released on February 19, 2019 and the latest trends version of Jmeter is 5.5 version in java 8+ released on 14.06.2022.
The primary goal of future developments will be,
- Support of HTTP/2 protocol
- Possible rework of core architecture to introduce a pool of threads or switch to async model allowing us to take advantages of async io
- Enhancements to Webservices protocols (REST/ SOAP)
- Enhancements to JMS Protocol implementation
Reference Links:- Jmeter
What is JMeter?
JMeter is one of the java tools which is used to perform load testing client/server application. Appache Jmeter is open source software a 100% pure java desktop application designed to load test functional behavior and measure performance of the application.
Why we Use Jmeter?
Why should use jmeter for my testing?, Because it’s a powerful tool with enormous testing capabilities.
- Have you ever tested a web server to know how efficiently it works?
- How many concurrent users can a web server handle?
- Also the main reason for using this tools in software testing it is open source and various plugins can be downloaded from the plugin manager
- Supports all types of performance testing like load and stress testing
- Supports Web UI and API services
- Read test data from Excel file
For example: Do performance testing of Google for 100 users. What would you do?
And the answer is it’s not feasible to arrange 100 people with PC and internal access to accessing simultaneously at google.com. So we need a software tool like JMeter that will simulate real user behaviors and performance testing and its types like load, stress on your site.
Benefits of JMeter
- JMeter offers easy installation on any operating system
- JMeter allows API testing, database testing, and MQ testing with ease
- Test IDE allows test recording from browsers or native applications
- It offers key features like the thread group. It helps to see whether software performance is better
- JMeter is an easy-to-use tool that does not need extensive knowledge of programming.
How to install JMeter
1. To check the java is installed on your system
Open the command prompt on your system and to check java version “java –version”. If already installed java version on your system lets go to next step for jmeter download.
2. Download the Jmeter
Install jmeter we go to the official website that is jmeter.appache.org now here you have the binaries so you can download any of these tgp or zip file from the appache jmeter website. The latest version of jmeter available is the 5.1 so you can download any of these binaries.
Reference Links:- jmeter.appache.org
3. Unzip and keep Jmeter folder at any location
Installation of JMeter is extremely easy and simple. To unzip the zip or tar file of jmeter into the directory where you want to set or locate the JMeter to be installed.
4. Start Jmeter
Once completed the all steps you can go to downloads on your system and find that the appache jmeter file is already there and inside when you will get to see all these files of jmeter.
For Windows-jmeter/bin-jmeter.bat
For Mac-open terminal-jmeter/bin-sh meter.sh
You can be start JMeter with 3 modes llike
- GUI Mode
- Server Mode
- Command Mode
JMeter in GUI Mode
If you are using Window, just run the Jmeter file like /bin/jmeter.bat to start JMeter in GUI mode
The first top page in GUI page is “Menu bar” and the below these first line is “Tool bar” and the “Test status” is right corner of the tool bar
JMeter in Server Mode
The next one is Server Mode, it’s you run the bat file bin\jmeter-server.bat. Server Mode is used for distributed testing. This testing works as a client server model. And this model, the JMeter runs on a server computer at server mode. On a client computer, Jmeter runs in GUI mode
Jmeter in Command Mode
JMeter in GUI mode consumes much computer memory. For saving the resource, you may choose to run jmeter without the GUI.
The jmeter command line are jmeter-n(specified jmeter is to run in command line mode)–à-t testplan.jmx(Name of file contains the test plan)-à-l log.jtl(log file stores test result)-à-H proxy_Server –p 8000(proxy server host name and port)
How to use the Jmeter tool in the application
- Start Jmeter
- Create a Test plan
- Create a Thread groups (users)
- Add a sampler (Http)
- Add Listeners
- Finally Run the test
Elements of JMeter
Thread Group
- Sampler
- Listeners
- Configuration
Thread Group
A Thread group is a basic element of the jmeter test plan. As said in the name Thread Group is a group of threads (users) that are executing the same scenario. The thread group holds other test elements like controllers, samplers, config elements also the listeners.
Sampler
Samplers tell JMeter to send request to a server and wait for a response. They are begin in the order they emerge in the tree. Each sample results generates one or more sample results. The sample results have various attributes like success/fail, elapsed time, data size etc.
Listeners
The listener is a component that displayed the results of the samples. The results can be shown in a tree, tables, graphs or log file. To add either of the Listeners View Results Tree or View Result Table to a test plan
Configuration
The final elements of the jmeter is configuration element it is allow you to create defaults and variables to be used by samplers. It contain zero, one or more child elements. Because the configuration element class is defined as abstract, you cannot create an instance of it.
Advantages of JMeter tool in software testing:-
Open Source: It is open source and built in java platform it is highly extensible and platform independent.It means Jmeter is totally free, allows developer use the source code for the development.
User Friendly: Now JMeter has a comprehensive GUI which helps to create test plan and configure the elements now adding element is easy on jmeter. To generate a test plan using a text editor and doesn’t take time to familiar with it.
Easy Installation: You just go the official website and download the zip file and unzip (extract) the folder then you just copy and run the jmeter.bat file to run Jmeter. No installation needed.
Support: It is basically designed as performance testing but also supports other non-functional test such as stress, distributed testing web service testing by creating test plan also it provides supports for protocols such as the HTTP, JDBC,SOAP, LDAP, JMS and FTP.
It also supports the visualization plugins allow you to extend your testing.
Documentation: The comprehensive documentation now this is one of most important things to be highlighted because of its robust documentation user can have a clear idea on every single step starting from scaratch including installation and configuration of the test settings and make the final report.
Recording: JMeter allows users to record HTTP or HTTPS is to create test plan using recording facility now we use proxy server that allows jmeter to watch and record your actions while you browse your web application with a normal browser.
Reporting: Now jmeter supports dashboard report generation a host of reports are generated through imeter which helps the user to understand performance test execution results.
Also Read: How Manual and Automation Test Works in Software Testing
What type of testing to do using JMeter tool
- Performance Testing
- Load Testing
- Stress Testing
Performance Testing:-
Performance testing is defined as to ensure that the software application will perform well under their expected workload that examines like speed, stability, Reliability, Scalability and Response time.
It is nothing but testing the stability and response time of an application by applying load is called as performance testing.
The main purpose of this testing is to identify and eliminate the performance bottlenecks in the software application not to find out the bugs in the application.
Performance testing is also popularly called as “Perf Testing”.
Example: To check the maximum number of users that the application can handle before it crashes.
It means check the database execution time when 500 records are read/written simultaneously. And to verify the response time of the application under low, normal, moderate and heavy load conditions.
Procedure for Performance Testing
- To develop the right testing environment
- Identify the performance acceptance criteria
- Plan and design performance testing environment
- Test the design implementation
- Run/Execute the test
- Analyze, Tune, and Retest
Types of Performance Testing
Load Testing: It says that testing the stability and response time by applying load which is less than the design number of users or equal to the design number of users that is called load testing.
Scalability Testing: Where we test the stability and response time of an application by applying load which is more than the design number of users and here we try to find out where exactly point it is called as scalability testing.
Volume/Flood testing: Stability and response time of the application by transferring the huge volume of data in volume testing or flood testing. It means testing the capacity of your database (DB).
Soak Testing/Endurance Testing: It is most type of performance testing. They test the stability and they also test response time they also apply the load they leave it like that continuously for a longer period of time.
Stress Testing: It is nothing but you are testing the stability and response time by applying a load more than the design number of users it is called as stress testing.
Also Read: Selenium Automation Testing in Software Engineering
Jmeter in Performance Testing:-
In this type of testing method performed using Apache Jmeter to test performance of web application. This tool helps to test both static and dynamic resources, also help to discover concurrent users on website and it gives a graphical results for performance testing.
It is used to simulate a heavy load on a server, group of servers, networks to test its strength or to analyze overall performance under different load types.
JMeter in Load Testing:-
Load testing in jmeter it means modeling the expected usage by simulating multiple users to access the web service concurrently.
JMeter in Stress Testing:-
In Every web server has a maximum load capacity. When the load goes far away the limit, the web server starts responding slowly and produce errors. The main purpose of this stress testing is to find the maximum load the web server can handle.
Also Read: Top 7 Website Design Trends in 2022
Conclusion:-
While the choice of automation tools mainly depends on the requirements, cost, effectiveness, etc. Finally we thing the JMeter tool is one of the best tools and more popularity among organizations and that offers a great user experience. There are a lot of possibilities to explore and perform about this tool, especially small to medium ones who cannot afford license costs, as it is license –free.
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