Developing and Deploying Siebel Business Applications > Testing the NREC Deployment > Benefits of Load Test Automation >

Key Features of Load Test Tools

Tools for load test automation, such as LoadRunner from Mercury Interactive, provide features (like those listed below) for simulating a multiple-user environment:

• Test script recording. Rather than composing a script in a text editor, you start a recorder and perform a series of steps in the application. The test tool records the session, which you can use to perform the test.
• Virtual users. A single test script can be executed simultaneously by many virtual users from a single machine.
• Controlled test execution. Use the test tool to specify parameters that indicate how the load test is run, such as how quickly to add users, how many users to add, and which scripts to run.
• Result tracking. The test tool records important statistics, such as memory usage and response times, for tracking KPIs and isolating bottlenecks.

Not all load testing tools have all of these features, and some have more. For more information, refer to the documentation for your load testing tool.