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Benefits of Load Test Automation

Load testing measures key performance indicators (KPIs) of your Siebel application while it is under a load of multiple users. Response time and reliability are examples of KPIs. To perform load testing without load test automation, you can direct users to log in and run through a business process during a specified period of time. This technique is effective but costly.

You can use a test automation tool to simulate the load and achieve comprehensive and precise results without the cost associated with multiple human testers. Load testing automation also reduces the risk associated with user errors.

Features of Load Test Tools

Tools for load test automation provide the following features:

• Recording test scripts. For more information, see Features of Functional Test Tools.
• Using virtual users. Many virtual users from a single computer can simultaneously run a single test script.
• Controlling the execution of the test. Use the test tool to specify parameters that indicate how to run the load test. For example, how quickly to add users, how many users to add, and which scripts to run.
• Tracking results. The test tool records important statistics for tracking KPIs and isolating bottlenecks. Example statistics include memory usage and response time.

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

How You Can Use the Siebel Correlation Library to Perform Load Testing

The Siebel Correlation Library allows you to use a third-party tool to automate load testing on a Siebel application. This is a dynamically linked library (DLL) that provides services to help the testing tool generate and run test scripts against your Siebel application.

After you install the Correlation Library and set up your test environment, the Correlation Library helps the test tool translate the recorded test session in a script that you can run to test your Siebel application. The Correlation Library acts as an interpreter for the test tool. The test tool does the following work:

• Records HTTP traffic from the Siebel application. This HTTP traffic equates to a Web page.
• Sends the Web page to the Correlation Library.

The Correlation Library parses the Web page and returns to the test tool the appropriate correlation information for the Web page. The correlation information allows you to parameterize data values.

For more information, see the chapter about automating load tests in Testing Siebel Business Applications.

The Correlation Library can parameterized the following entities:

• Application data entities. Application data entities are associated with the function of the Siebel application. Examples of application data entities include Row ID, SWE Timestamp, and SWE Count.
• Transaction data entities. Transaction data entities contain record data that the user enters in the Siebel application. Examples of transaction data entities include Contact Name and Account Name. The Correlation Library does not handle transaction data entities. You must parameterize them manually.

Setting Up Your Environment to Use the Correlation Library

You can set up your environment to support automated load testing. Note that the Correlation Library is licensed for use only by licensed users of Siebel Test Automation. If you have not purchased a license for Siebel Test Automation, then you cannot write to or access the Correlation Library. For more information, see Testing Siebel Business Applications.

To set up your environment to support automated load testing

1. Install your load testing tool.
2. Locate the ssdtcorr.dll file in your Siebel Server installation.

   The ssdtcorr.dll file includes the Correlation Library. It is located in one of the following directories:

   • siebsrvr\bin on Windows
   • siebsrvr/lib on UNIX
3. Copy the ssdtcorr.dll file to a location that is accessible to the load testing tool.

   For example, the bin directory of the load testing tool.

4. Set up your test tool so that it communicates properly with the Correlation Library.

   For more information, see the documentation from your test tool vendor.