Rendezvous points are used to synchronize a number of Virtual Users to carry out tasks at the same moment, in order to create an intense load on the server at a specific point in the application being tested.
When running a test scenario, it can be useful to ensure that a certain number of Virtual Users carry out certain tasks simultaneously. This can be done using Rendezvous points. A rendezvous point allows to create a specific load spike at a given point in the Virtual User execution.
For example, you might want to assess the performance of a web application for managing bank accounts when ten users simultaneously check their account balance. To simulate this functional case, you must force the Virtual Users to carry out the task at exactly the same time.
A Rendezvous works a little like the line at a fairground ride:
To create a rendezvous, you need to have read and understood the following:
A rendezvous action has the following attributes:
A rendezvous point is identified by its name. Several Rendezvous logical actions may use the same rendezvous point and for that, they must use the same name.
Once the rendezvous points have been configured, you must configure the rendezvous behavior when the scenario is run.
A rendezvous behavior is configured for each scenario. Its attributes are:
There is a one-to-one relationship between a rendezvous point name and a rendezvous. Each unique rendezvous action name corresponds to one specific rendezvous.
A release policy is defined according to the following attributes:
timeout
is expressed in seconds.timeout
is local to the Load Generator. When a Rendezvous on a Load Generator times out, only the users lined up at the Rendezvous on that Load Generator will be released. Other Load Generators with users lined up at the same Rendezvous are not affected.The following release conditions can be set:
Release when XX% of the users have arrived at the rendezvous
: XX is the ratio of the number of users lined up at the Rendezvous against the number of users currently being executed and eligible for the rendezvous. A user is eligible for the rendezvous if its execution chain contains a Rendezvous point with the same name as the Rendezvous .Release when XX users have arrived at the rendezvous
: XX is a fixed number of users.Release manually
: When this option is selected, you will need to release the Virtual Users using JavaScript actions. For more information, see the documentation on the Class RendezvousManager.When the Controller decides to release users from a Rendezvous, it dispatches the number of users to be released equally between Load Generators, based on their current load.
Each Load Generator maintains an arrivals list of Virtual Users for each rendezvous. Several rendezvous points with the same name are considered as being the one and same rendezvous. Therefore, the users are released in the same order as they arrived at the rendezvous.