Load Testing Tools

by AlohaRubyConference.com on February 22, 2022

In order to maintain applications which are suitable for large number of requests, it is important to make that specific application undergo load testing.

Load testing helps in writing, running and defining the test scenarios. A test scenario can either be a web application or a script that can be used in the stimulation of a typical behavior of the user in multiple pages. Once the test scenario is defined, you can execute it and determine how your application works.

There are many load testing tools out there that can be used in building, conducting and analyzing the stress and load tests for different web applications and services. While using these tools, many of them requires you to create a test scenario beforehand and when the scenario is performed on the website or application it helps in the stimulation of many virtual users as well.

Some of the famous load testing tools is:

1. Tsung:

It is a multi protocol load testing tool.

Purpose:

The purpose of this open source load testing tool is to test the performance of services and scalability b stimulating the users.

Applications:

HTTP servers and other services.

Locust:

It is a load testing tool for websites, web-based services and web applications.

Purpose:

Locust is a scalable and distributed load testing tool and helps you to write test scenarios in Python, plus it comes with web-based user interface.

JMeter:

JMeter is used as performance and load testing tool.

Applications:

It is an open source Java-based tool used to test web applications and services. It also assists you in testing services like databases, mail services and LDAP.

LoadUI

LoadUI exists in both open source and commercial editions.

Purpose:

It is cross-platform stress testing tool and lets you configure, create and redistribute the load tests in real time. You can learn more about how this works on LoadTesting.co.

Loadster:

Loadster comprises of two parts:

An engine for running and distributing the load tests.
A tool which is used for building and testing the test scenarios.

Applications:

It is used for testing high performance web applications.

WAPT:

WAPT alongside being a load testing tool also helps you in building, generating and monitoring load tests by using graphical user interface.

One thing that separates WAPT from other load generating tools is that it does not let you limit the virtual users you use while performing load testing.

ApacheBench:

ApacheBench is used to tell you how many requests per second your web server is able to serve. It also tells you how your web server installation should perform.

Purpose:

It is used for benchmarking web applications and APIs and is able of serving as well.

Webserver Stress Tool:

Webserver stress tool comes with a graphical user interface in order to help you in analyzing and running your load tests.

Purpose:

This tool is able to produce a variety of different tests in order to verify your web services and applications.

If you are not interested in building your own infrastructure, there are many load testing services out there, which are able to help you in setting up large scale load tests. For more information on web hosting services and how they impact load testing, check out WebHostingProf.com.

These tool services help you in conducting time to time tests.

LOAD TESTING CLOUD SERVICES:

BlazeMeter

Type: APIs and Web
Description: load testing service - JMeter
Price: $199 per month

Load Impact:

Type: APIs and Web
Description: load testing service by Websuite
Price: $60

LoadStorm

Type: APIs and Web
Description: cloud testing service generated by SaaS
Price: $40 per month

Loader.io

Type: APIs and Web
Description: Sendgrind based free cloud testing
Price: free

How to Track Website Uptime

by AlohaRubyConference.com on November 3, 2022

Perhaps one of the most common questions asked regarding website monitoring revolves around the practical methods all website administrators should undertake to monitor their website uptime. Thankfully, administrators don’t need to manually check the performance and availability of their website every few minutes within their browser. In order to effectively track the uptime of your website, you must utilize either a paid or free website uptime monitoring tool. However, there are many different options available to website administrators when it comes to monitoring their website uptime. The following list is the absolute best website uptime monitors available for both small startups and sprawling enterprises.

Service Uptime

serviceuptime-website-monitoring

Service Uptime is one of the most powerful websites uptime monitoring solutions available on the current market. This website monitoring solution actively works to ensure your site is available throughout the year and with its powerful monitoring capabilities, it’s designed to reduce website maintenance expenses while simultaneously saving you money by preventing website downtime. This service is available as a free or paid subscription. Obviously, if you have a paid subscription then you’ll receive a higher degree of protection and monitoring. That being noted, their free subscription is well-designed and capable of monitoring even the most complex of websites.

Status Cake

Who doesn’t love cake? Well, if you’re not into sweets, you’ll soon change your mind thanks to the powerful monitoring solution offered by Status Cake. This effective monitoring solution offers a free and paid subscription service. If you’re on a budget, then this is one of the most comprehensive free plans available. With the free plan, your website is checked every five minutes, and the best part, you can add an unlimited number of websites to be monitored. At the end of every month, you’ll receive a detailed report showcasing insights into the performance and availability of your site. Other features include: real browser testing, malware check, SSL monitoring, content matching checks and 30-second monitoring intervals with the paid subscription. There is a myriad of valuable add-on features you’re able to take advantage of, so definitely do yourself a favor and review this monitoring site.

Monitor Us

uptime_and_performance

Monitor Us is the ideal solution for business owners who do not feature the financial capabilities of paying for a monitoring tool. This 100% free website availability monitoring service allows users to check the continual availability of their site based upon different locations throughout the world. Monitoring hits are sent out using a variety of protocols, ranging from HTTP to PING. If your site should dip below the designated performance/availability metrics, administrators are sent alters through email, SMS, instant messaging and even a live voice. Reports are given in great detail to provide valuable insights into the inner-workings of your site. This is the ultimate website monitoring tool for those who do not have the time or money to waste on continuous website monitoring. Uptimepal (https://uptimepal.net) and InternetSeer (http://internetseer.com) are also other options that allow a person the ability to perform website monitoring checks at a relatively cheap price point.

Effective Website Monitoring Tips

by AlohaRubyConference.com on November 3, 2022

monitoring-tips

When it comes to establishing a fully functioning website, there are many tips and techniques you may follow. While some of these are based around the design and implementation of site infrastructure, the most powerful post-launch performance-saving techniques involve continual website uptime and performance monitoring. This is especially important if you operate a content-heavy or an eCommerce website. Although the exact levels of monitoring your site require is determined by the type of website you operate, there are several universal website monitoring tips all administrators must follow for a well-designed website.

Monitor Key Pages of Your Website

While complete web app monitoring is an essential component to determine the overall functionality of your site, it’s essential that you focus extra attention on several key pages. Of course, these pages vary based upon the type of site you have. Therefore, the following pages are broken into two website categories.

Traditional Website and Mobile Applications - When it comes to a traditional, non eCommerce site, make sure to establish monitoring on the: Home Page; Essential Landing Pages, such as user registration pages; Pages that come from differentorigin servers; Pages with dynamic technologies, such as forums or support centers; and, dynamically-generated web pages.
eCommerce Websites - When it comes to an eCommerce website, you must place monitoring agents on the following pages: Product Catalog; Customer Shopping Cart; Customer Checkout Page; and, Product Detail Pages.

Performance Monitoring With Established Alert Triggers

When you’ve established a monitoring solution for your key pages, it’s imperative that you set forth various performance metrics and alert escalations based upon the severity of an error. When it comes to setting performance metrics regarding errors and issues with the functionality/performance of your site, consider establishing three levels of errors:

Critical Error Alerts - These alerts involve issues regarding network connectivity and page status codes, such as a major error that results in a 400-Page Error. This type of error should be sent to the development team and to senior management.
Standard Error Alert - While there’s nothing standard about an error, these errors tend to involve HTML content errors that lead to a decrease in content performance. Consider sending this error alerts to the development and operations team.

Warning Error - If the monitoring solution detects a potential error, moreover, the an aspect of your site performance dips below your designated performance baselines, an error alert will be sent. While an actual error as yet to occur, warning alerts are essential to correct a problem before it has a chance to alter the end-user experience. This is an essential component of website uptime monitoring as it allows you to rectify a situation before users are negatively affected.

How Do I Know If My Website is Available Worldwide?

by AlohaRubyConference.com on November 3, 2022

website-worlwide

When you’re dealing with an international audience, there are many considerations you must make. While the design elements of your site are perhaps one of the most important, because you’ll want a streamlined site that small and easily accessible by users who live across the world, perhaps the most important element to consider when dealing with a global audience is determining whether or not your website is available worldwide. Thankfully, there are several online tools that help determine your worldwide availability, and even the performance users experience when they access your site.

Testing Your Worldwide Site Availability

Testing the availability of your website throughout the world is just as important as testing your local, or domestic, site availability. Simply because a user is located across the globe does not mean that they deserve a slow or less-functional experience. If you’re interested in creating a website that’s faster for ALL users, then you must continually monitor and test the availability of your site.

This is done through a myriad of options; however, the easiest of these options is to use an online site testing solution, such as Site 24×7. This testing service features over 50 geographical locations spread throughout the world. By entering your website domain into its database, you’re instantly given a detailed account of the availability of your site in specific countries.

When using an online availability tool, it’s important to receive several metrics within its results, not just a “Yes, your site is available.” For example, the best site availability tools are those that provide you with results pertaining to:

DNS Resolve Time - This element is responsible for initiating and sequencing that result in your website being rendered, or translated. The faster this element, the faster your website loading will be for international and domestic users.
Connect Time - How long does it take from the moment a user requests your site when the site connects with the user? This connection duration ultimately determines the functionality and performance of your site.
First Byte Time - What is the duration of time between the request of your site and the loading of its first byte? This is an essential piece of information to help you understand how your site servers are communicating with user browsers.
Last Byte Time - How long did it take for the entire website to be rendered and downloaded? Again, this piece of information is used to help administrators fine-tune their website loading times and overall availability.

Total Response Time - While each of the aforementioned determines the overall performance of your site, they are just small pixels that add up to an entire image. It’s essential that a global website availability tester showcase the total response time from beginning-to-end. This allows you the clearest view into how your website performs and what users are experiencing when they attempt to access your site and its included information.

Is My Website Up In China? The Basics of Global Website Monitoring

by AlohaRubyConference.com on November 3, 2022

global-monitoring

As our world becomes smaller due to the digital connectivity of businesses and persons, the scope of your website audience is far greater than you can imagine. While it’s no secret that website monitoring is an essential component to create a stable digital environment, is standard monitoring solutions ideal for both domestic and global audiences? Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. When it comes to dealing with an international audience, you must tirelessly work to ensure your site is up and running in countries throughout the world. This practice is done through techniques known as Global Website Monitoring.

What is Global Website Monitoring

Imagine that your primary web host servers are located in Atlanta, Georgia. While the bulk of your traffic is local users, the information you place within your website is interesting to those living in Paris, France. When users from Paris accesses your site, data from your servers must travel thousands of miles, through an intricate network of overseas servers and cables. Throughout its journey, this data has ample time to manipulate and become bogged down, which ultimately alters the user experience for overseas visitors.

This is where global website monitoring comes into play. When you utilize this service, the pathway your data travels are continually monitored by checking your site at various spots throughout its journey. When an issue, such as a lack of performance or a “hang up” happens, the monitoring solution immediately notifies website administrators so they may tend to the issues at hand.

It’s important to note that not every website monitoring solution offers global monitoring. While this may not be a major issue for any websites who tend primarily to a more localized audience, if your site has potential to benefit those from around the world, than global website monitoring is an essential component to your monitoring solution. The need for a global website monitoring tool is even greater for eCommerce sites who wish to deal with international customers. It’s no secret that the faster your eCommerce site performs, the higher your conversion rate. This fundamental truth also applies for international visitors, who will hopefully become customers.

When seeking out a global website monitoring solution, it’s best to locate one that features monitoring networks throughout the majority of countries. Obviously, the amount of monitoring coverage varies based on the solution provider; however, it’s a good idea to select a solution that features at least 50 geographical locations. This provides a website that’s accessible by visitors throughout the world. The best part, their experience will be just as swift and effective as those who are just down the street from your web host servers.