Load test Process and why to use JMeter ?

Why to use JMeter

Easy to install and use Free!
- Java — most platforms.
- GUI vs. command line.
- Just download and run.
Feature-rich Post forms
- Record from browser.
- Load test data from files.
- Add logic, variables & functions.
- Run one test from multiple machines.
- Test many protocols, not just HTTP.

Load Test Process

- System Analysis : Enable customers to convert their goals and requirements into a successful test script. You can create your own test Script consistently and carefully UI design allows you to create your own test easily.
- Creating Virtual User Scripts: Tester must emulate the real user by driving the real application as a client. JMeter support this by adding thread group element. This would tell the number of users you want to simulate, how often the users send requests, how many requests they send, what request (FTP Request, HTTP Request, and JDBC request) and validate that your application is returning the results you expect.
- Defining User Behavior : JMeter allows you to simulate human actions more closely by controlling how long JMeter engine delays between each sample so you can define the way that the script runs.
- Creating a Load Test Scenario : JMeter offers support for this step by assigning scripts to individual virtual user, tester can define any number of virtual users needed to run the tests, allowing the user to simulate concurrent connections to server application, enabling user to create multiple threads ( virtual user) executing different test plan and increasing the number of virtual users in a controlled fashion.
- Running Load Test Scenario : With JMeter you can run your tests in a very easy way.
- Analyzing Results : JMeter offers support for this step by:
. displaying the data visually (Graph Results).
. save data in file.
. allows user to see one multiple views of the data.
. displays the response from the server.
. shows the URL of each sample taken.
. listeners will show different sets of data.
. it can send email based on test results.