StresStimulus v2.8 public beta, released today, is expected to be another breakthrough in a rapid succession of StresStimulus releases. It will be the second major version of 2013. While 2.5 had undergone major internal reengineering and paved the way to new extensibility potentials, 2.8 takes full advantage of these potentials.
Pro Edition Highlights. The Pro edition now offers Functions, which return internal load engine variables and can be used for request parameterization. Variables, such as an iteration number, a request or a timestamp of its issuing, can now be used to modify requests, similarly to Extractors.
Enterprise and Service Provider Edition Highlights.
- Besides all benefits of the Pro Edition, the Ent/SP Editions also include built-in Data Generators for creating streams of emulated data, which can be fed into the HTTP workload. It allows to more realistically mimic physical users interacting with web application by entering real-world business data.
- Parameter Finder helps testers quickly locate missing extractors and create necessary dynamic parameters. It saves time on test configuration and reduces chances of not-adequate tests. If you are just starting with load testing, Parameter Finder will help you configure the most sophisticated tests quickly and flawlessly like a Pro. If you are a seasoned QA professional, but just aren't familiar with the internal details of a specific web application, Parameterization Finder will answer your questions about hidden dynamic parameters without necessarily talking to developers.
- One of the major highlights of v2.8 is introduction of Scripting. Internal test object model is now exposed as XML script. Test objects and their properties are mapped to corresponding XML elements and attributes. This makes learning StresStimulus scripting so easy. There is no additional language to learn - if you are familiar with StresStimulus UI, you are familiar with StresStimulus scripting. The built-in script editor now provides an alternative way of modifying tests. Furthermore, if you need to create, clone, move or edit test objects in bulk, then using “find and replace” in the script editor, instead of UI, will save you time. You also can store test scripts in a version control system, so making and tracing test modifications is now much easier.
Backward, no forward compatibility. V2.8 beta is designed to be backward compatible, but not forward compatible. It will open tests saved in v2.5, but not vice versa. So if you decided to go back to 2.5, keep the copies of the test files in the 2.5 format.
Formats of test files in StresStimulus Editions. The Ent/SP Editions store tests in a format that is different from the Pro edition format. For example, .ssconfig file, the main test configuration file in Ent/SP is stored in XML format, while in Pro it is still binary. Nevertheless, compatibility between Editions is provided as follows.
- Ent/SP can open tests created in Pro format, but saves all tests in the Ent/SP format.
- Pro can open tests created in Ent/SP format, but gracefully removes (and gives a proper warning) all unsupported objects and features such as data generators transactions and XML script. While this operation in most cases will not break the test integrity, naturally, removing certain test objects may unpredictably impact test configuration and behavior.
Moving test from Pro to Ent/SP (without adding Ent/SP features) and back to Pro, should keep test integrity intact. However moving test from Ent/SP to Pro and back to Ent/SP very likely will cause the loss of test objects and is not recommended. We recommend to backup test files before any cross-edition transitions.
Licensing. After installation, v2.8 beta will honor your existing license. If you have a commercial or trial license for v2.5, then after installing v2.8 beta your current number of licensed VUs will be unlocked automatically without activation. If you have a free or noncommercial version of StresStimulus, then v2.8 beta will be activated to your allowed number of VUs without registration.
Time-limited beta. The initial v2.8 public build will be followed by several updates in the upcoming weeks. As in previous versions, this beta is time-limited and will be replaced by a production version at the time of its release.
Release notes. To navigate to other parts of the v2.8 release notes, click the links below:
Downloads. V2.8 beta is available for download here.