Create a Test

You can create a Test if you are an administrator or a tester in a Workspace. When you create a Test in NeoLoad Web, you then configure it with associated scenarios included in the NeoLoad project.

To create a Test, follow these steps:

  1. Select a Workspace as described in Workspace selector.

  2. In the left navigation panel, select the Tests view.

  3. Click the CREATE button.

    The Create a new Test dialog box opens.

  4. Name: Enter the name to assign to the test.

  5. Description: Enter a short description to assign to the test.

  6. Click the CREATE button.

    It automatically saves and adds the Test to the list of the Tests view. From that list, you can then select the test (configuration) you want to run.

    It also displays the configuration screen of the Test.

    The name and description of your test configuration can be modified.

Upload a NeoLoad project

The first step consists in uploading a project previously created in NeoLoad.

The project must be included in a zip file:

  • Created manually by saving and zipping it in NeoLoad, or

  • Exported via the NeoLoad Export Project wizard. For more information, see Export a project to NeoLoad Web in NeoLoad documentation, or

  • Retrieved from a Git collaboration server.

The content to upload can be:

  • A zipped NeoLoad Controller project.

  • A zipped NeoLoad Controller project with YAML file(s), the ‘"default.yaml" file will be loaded (it can contain includes).

  • Zipped YAML file(s) only, the "default.yaml" file will be loaded (it can contain includes).

  • A single YAML file, it cannot contain "includes" in that case.

For more information about the use of YAML files for executing YAML-based projects, see NeoLoad as-code in the NeoLoad documentation.

Caution: The zip file including the NeoLoad project must not exceed 250 Mo. If having the same name, the test project elements included in the YAML file replace those existing in the NeoLoad project.

A click on the Select File button allows selecting the project to be uploaded. Once selected, the screen displays the name of the project and the name of the user who uploaded it as well as the date and time of the upload. You can also drag and drop the project file into the upload zone.

Upload a password-protected project

NeoLoad projects can be password-protected (opens in a new tab). You'll recognize a password-protected project by seeing a lock icon next to the file name after the upload.

If that's the case, simply enter the password of the project after the upload by clicking Fill password button in the upload section.

Note that NeoLoad Web only validates the password when you start your test. If the password is incorrect, you can change it once again by selecting the Edit password button.

From Git

When working on a collaborative project, the NeoLoad project to upload can also be selected from a Git repository. A click on the From Git button displays the Repository Definition dialog box.

For more information about how to add a Git Repository, see Git repositories.

Repository: The list box allows selecting the repository to select the NeoLoad project from.

Branch: The list box allows selecting the branch associated with the repository previously selected. A click on the refresh button updates the branches available in the repository.

A click on the CLONE AND ZIP button retrieves the project from the Git server and zips it for upload.

Select a scenario

To run a test, at least one population is required per scenario.

There are two options available:

  • You can select a scenario from the uploaded project. Once the project has been uploaded, the scenario(s) that have been designed in the NeoLoad project are available in a combo box.

  • You can customize a new scenario based on the populations from the uploaded project. This requires to have a project uploaded using NeoLoad Web 2.8 or higher. Otherwise, the custom scenario option is not available.

Customizing a scenario is subject to certain limitations:

  • No peak and no custom load policies

  • No advanced scenario settings like rendezvous policies, URL exclusion filters and APM settings

Select a scenario from the uploaded project

Click the From project radio button and select the required scenario in the dropdown list when many scenarios are available. The interface displays the details of the selected scenario as shown below.

Project: This is the name of the project the selected scenario is included in.

Scenario: This is the name of the scenario as defined in the NeoLoad Controller.

Number of Virtual Users: This indicates the number of Virtual Users included in the scenario.

Duration: This is the test scenario duration.

Customize a scenario

This feature allows you to define Virtual User behavior and set scenario parameters such as load policy (constant or ramp-up), the number of Virtual Users to be simulated during the test, and the duration of the test. You can do this by time length or number of iterations.

After you upload a project, select the Custom button in the test configuration. The first population of the uploaded project is added to the scenario and displayed for customization.

By default, all populations have the settings shown in the screenshot below. You can customize these settings for each population.

To add other populations defined in the NeoLoadproject you uploaded, clickSELECT POPULATIONS button.

Note: Only the populations listed in the panel will be executed when the test is run. To exclude a population from the execution, click the trash icon in the header of the population.

Tip: As you customize a population's settings by entering your changes in the fields on the left of the screen, you get an updated preview of the shape of the load you are configuring. The graph allows you to visually check the consistency of the settings configured in the left.

Virtual Users: Specify the total number of concurrent Virtual Users to be generated during the test

Duration/Iteration (radio button): Choose between Duration or Iteration mode:

  • If you choose the Duration mode, the population is played for the duration specified in the field below. In the graph, the horizontal axis represents the duration of the test and stops at the end of the test.

  • If you choose the Iteration mode, the population is played for the number of iterations specified in the field below. In the graph, the horizontal axis represents the iterations (1 iteration is arbitrarily represented as 5 minutes). The max limit is the value of the duration field in iterations.

Duration/Iteration (field): Enter the duration in format hh:mm:ss and the number of iterations with a digit.

Step ramp-up: Enter the duration after which new Virtual Users are added each time a bunch of Virtual Users needs to be added: at the beginning of the test for a simple test or for each ramp-up step as defined below.

Add (x) VUs every (x) seconds/minutes/hours/iteration(s): Here you can configure a more complex ramp-up load, incremented by x users every x iteration or period of time.
(If these fields are left with "zero", the load policy will be constant.)

Tip: If you want a proxy to be used for the Controller(s) and Load Generator(s) to access your application, you must configure it in NeoLoad >Preferences >Proxy. For more information, see Proxy in NeoLoad documentation.

Note: In case the load configured does not reach the maximum number of VUs allowed, a red dotted line shows the max VUs line. See screenshot below.

Select a Zone for NeoLoad Controller

NeoLoad allows you to select the Zone used for the NeoLoad Controller. You can select a static, dynamic, or NeoLoad Cloud Platform Zone out of the ones previously created in the Resources view. For more information about creating and managing Zones, see Zones.

A Zone is a set of resources that includes at least one Controller Agent and/or one Load Generator Agent. You need to create Zones to provide ready-to-use resources (Controllers and Load Generators) to launch a test from NeoLoad Web.

Note: Zones should be created according to your needs. You can group them geographically, by Controller version number, by provider type (static or dynamic), etc.

You can use a default Zone when at least one Controller Agent is compatible and available for the test.

Note: When no Zone identifier is assigned, the default Zone regroups all Controller Agents connected to NeoLoad Web via the URL connection parameter specified in the settings interface. This gains you time if you choose to not assign a Zone ID to a Controller Agent.

Click the radio button(s) of the displayed Zones to select which Zone(s) to use for the Controller Agent. When several Zones are available, they are regrouped and accessible by clicking the list box.

A click on a radio button of a displayed Zone selects the Zone to be used for the Controller Agent. When several Zones are available, they are regrouped and accessible by clicking the list box.

Select Load Generators from available Zones

NeoLoad allows you to specify the number of Load Generators in each available Zone. On average, a Cloud Load Generator can run 500 VUs.

For each Zone available, enter the number of Load Generators to be used.

Each Zone has a maximum capacity in terms of available Load Generators. For instance, a NeoLoad Cloud Platform Zone has a maximum capacity of 25 Load Generators, by default.

Multiple Zones can be configured with Load Generators. In the example above, the test is configured with 10 Load Generators in “USA Central – Iowa", 5 in “USA East – Virginia", and 15 in “USA West – Oregon”.

The total number of Cloud Load Generators distributed across the multiple zones are limited by the size of the project.

Project size Maximum number of Cloud Load Generators in multiple zones
Up to 250 Mb 50
Up to 160 Mb 150

When no Zone identifier is assigned, the Default zone regroups all Load Generator Agents connected to NeoLoad Web via the URL connection parameter specified in the settings interface. This gains you time if a Zone ID isn’t assigned to a Load Generator Agent

For more information about creating and managing Zones, please refer to the Zones documentation.

Name the Test Result

This step allows assigning a name to the Test Result to identify it clearly for each test run.

Test Result naming: By default the field is populated with "#${runID}" to assign a number to the Test Result name that is incremented each time the test is run. This default value can be removed if necessary.

You Test is now configured. Please refer to the page Run a Test for information on how to start it.