Knowledge Base

Recording HTTP URLs for Complex Web Applications

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For load and stress testing tools like Webserver Stress Tool you need a list of URLs to be tested. For complex applications using several frames or popups it can be quite complicated to come up with this list of URLs. The solution is using an HTTP logging proxy.

To load, performance, and stress test an HTTP application or web server using a HTTP request generator like Webserver Stress Tool you must have a list of URLs the testing tool generates requests for. Since Webserver Stress Tool does not simulate all the client processes (e.g. javascripts) it cannot come up with this list of URLs.

Why doesn't Webserver Stress Tool simulate everything that happens inside the browser: The answer is PURE POWER: Simulating the javascripts of hundreds or even thousands of users would make the test client machine so slow, you wouldn't get a stress or load test for the server anymore!

The built-in URL recorder of Webserver Stress Tool works fine with simple web front ends. But as soon as more than one pop up, several frames, AJAX features or Flash are used the recorder hits its limits. The solution is to use an HTTP logging proxy. You configure Internet Explorer (or any other browser) to access the web application to be tested through this proxy and the proxy logs all HTTP requests (URLs, POSTDATA etc.) so you can later extract the URLs and feed them into Webserver Stress Tool.

Good tools to start with are Fiddler Debugging Proxy from Microsoft or HTTPTracer from Lazy Dog Software.

After you have your set of URLs it is very likely that you have to use placeholders to replace the "per user" data in these URLs (sessions ids, usernames, passwords etc.). Use the placeholders and data merging of Webserver Stress Tool to accomplish this.

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