Tip #4: Using JMeter properties

Sometimes I need to modify some parameters in the Test Plan and it requires me to start JMeter, open the Test Plan file and edit these parameters there. But it's better to use JMeter properties for this task. Look at the image below.

There are JMeter properties used as values of "Number of Threads (users)" and "Loop Count" options: ${__P(users)} and ${__P(count)}. Also we must add two parameters to JMeter command line:

jmeter -t TestPlan.jmx -Jusers=10 -Jcount=50

Now you can specify necessary parameters on the fly. I recommend you to use properties for the following options: number of users, loop count, host, port, results and data filenames, etc.

Tip #3: Pauses in test plan

For complete user simulation you need to add pause after each transaction. In most cases you will use only two types of pauses:

1. Constant pause. Just add Test Action controller after the Transaction controller. Specify the pause duration in ms and be sure that "Pause" item of "Action" option is checked.
   
   
2. Variable pause. Add Test Action as described above but specify the pause duration as 0 (zero). Then add Uniform Random Timer as a child of Test Action and specify the minimum value and maximum offset value.
   
   
   

Video: Using open source tools for performance testing

Interesting video about performance testing at Google.

Tip #2: Basic web test plan structure

The best practice is to group logically related HTTP requests to transactions using Transaction controllers. As the result you will get not only response time values of HTTP requests but response time values of the whole transactions too.

Thread group

    Transaction controller 1

        HTTP Request 1

        HTTP Request 2

        ...

        HTTP Request N

    Transaction controller 2

        HTTP Request 1

        HTTP Request 2

        ...

        HTTP Request N

    ...

    Transaction controller N

        HTTP Request 1

        HTTP Request 2

        ...

        HTTP Request N

Tip #1: How to record HTTPS requests by JMeter's recording proxy

If you ever tried to record HTTPS requests by the recording proxy of the lastest stable version of JMeter (2.3.4) you know that it's impossible. And HTTPS spoofing option can not help in the most cases.

I investigated this problem and found interesting thing. There is already a bug 47622 in JMeter's Bugzilla that already has RESOLVED FIXED status. Some guys added a patch and fake SSL certificate to JMeter so it allows to record HTTPS requests now. But you must use developer (nightly) build instead of stable release until this bugfix is added to next stable release.