You can record a socket API test from any client program
on your computer. When you record, the recording wizard automatically
starts the client program and records all the data that transits through
the socket API.
Before you begin
Tests are stored in performance test projects. If your
workspace does not contain a performance test project, the test creation
wizard creates one with a name that you can change. To store a test
in a specific project, verify that the project exists before you record
the test.
Ensure that you have a working client program and
that you can connect to the server.
Ensure that the session
that you are recording is reproducible. This means that when the recorded
actions are replayed by the test, the same responses from the server
will be received.
IBM® Rational® Performance Tester does
not support socket recording in the 64 bit versions of Microsoft Windows
2003 and Windows XP.
Procedure
To record a socket test:
- In the Performance Test perspective, click the New
Test from Recording toolbar button
or click .
- In the New Test from Recording wizard,
click Create a test from a new recording, select Socket
Test, and click Next. If
you are recording sensitive data, you can make a selection in Recording
encryption level.
- On the Select Location page, select
the project and folder to create the test in, type a name for the
test, and click Next. If necessary,
click Create Parent Folder
to create a new project or folder.
- On the Select Client Application page,
select the type of client program to use to record the test:
- To specify any client program that is located on your computer,
select Managed Application, and click Next.
On
the Managed Application Options page, click Browse to
specify the Program path. If necessary, specify
the Working directory, and inArguments type
the command-line arguments that the program requires.
If the
program requires user input from a command-line interface, select Open
console for user input.
- To record a TN3270 terminal emulation session, select IBM
Personal Communication or Attachmate EXTRA!
X-treme if these programs are installed, and click Next.
If
required, specify a session file to start the TN3270 session.
Note: Using
this method to record a TN3270 session produces a low-level socket
API performance test that is based on the TN3270 protocol traffic.
To record a TN3270 test, see
Recording a TN3270 performance test.
- To record an HTTP session, select Microsoft Internet
Explorer or Mozilla Firefox, and
click Next.
If you choose Mozilla
Firefox, you can specify a Firefox profile.
Note: Using
this method to record an HTTP session produces a socket API performance
test that is based on the HTTP traffic. To record an HTTP test, see
Recording an HTTP test.
- If the application uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and
Transport Layer Security (TLS) authentication to authenticate the
server or the client application, specify the following options, and
click Next:
- Select The server requires a specific client certificate if
you are using client authentication. Specify a certificate keystore
file name and password. If multiple certificates are required, click Multiple
certificates and specify a certificate keystore file name
and password for each host name and port.
- Select The client requires a specific server certificate to
provide the certificate keystore file name of the server and a password
for each host name and port.
If you do not provide the server certificate,
you must configure the client application to authenticate the certificate
of the proxy recorder as though the proxy recorder were the actual
server. Click Save this certificate to save
the certificate that is generated by IBM Rational Performance Tester,
and import the .cer file into the client application.
If necessary, select whether to use SSL 3.0 and TLS 1.0 encryption.
See Socket performance testing guidelines for more information about
SSL and TLS authentication.
- If this is the first time that you record a socket API
performance test, read the Privacy Warning,
and select Accept to proceed.
- Click Finish to start recording. A progress window opens while the client program starts.
- Use the client program to perform the actions to test. You can use the Recorder Test Annotations toolbar
to add comments, record synchronizations, or take screen captures
during the recording.
- To add a comment to the recorded test, click the Insert
comment icon
.
- To add a screen capture to the recorded test, click the Capture
screen icon
.
Screen and window captures make your tests easier to read and help
you visualize the recorded test. You can change the settings for screen
captures and add comments to images.
- To manually add a test synchronization to the recording, click
the Insert synchronization icon
.
- To manually add a transaction folder to the recording, click the Start
Transaction icon
and Stop Transaction icon
to start and stop the transaction.
- To insert a split point into the recorded test, click the Split
point icon
. With
split points, you can generate multiple tests from a single recording,
which you can replay in a different order with a schedule. See Splitting a test during recording for
more information about splitting a test.
- When you have finished test actions in the program, stop
the recorder. You can do this by closing the client program or by
clicking the Stop
push button in the Recorder Control view. A progress window opens while the test is
generated. On completion, the Recorder Control view
displays the Test generation completed message,
the Test Navigator lists your test, and the test opens in the test
editor.