loadrunner & performance center network … · contents networkvirtualization 1 what'snew...

Software Version: 12.55

User Guide for LoadRunner & Performance Center

Network Virtualization

Document Release Date: August 2017 | Software Release Date: August 2017

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Network Virtualization (12.55) of 83

Contents

Network Virtualization 1

What's new 5Highlights for version 12.55 5

What's New in version 12.53 6

Chapter 1: Introducing Network Virtualization 9How do I test how my application responds over different networks? 9

How do I get started? 9

Chapter 2: Licensing 10Community license 10

Purchased license 10

Install an NV Insights license for VuGen 11

Open NV License Manager 11

Install a seat license 11

Install and use floating licenses 12

Chapter 3: Configure NV profiles with NVNetwork Editor 14Chapter 3: Configure NV profiles with NV Network Editor 14

Open NV Network Editor 14

Create NV profiles 15

Configure gateway parameters 16

Configure the WAN parameters 19

Latency and packet loss [WAN Parameters] 20

Packet effects [WAN Parameters] 23

Link faults [WAN Parameters] 24

NV profile parameters 26

Chapter 4: Add and configure virtual locations 29Enable network virtualization 31

Set the network virtualization mode 32

Vuser protocol limitations 32

Chapter 4: Define virtual location test level settings 32

Select virtual location definition method 36

Configure virtual locations 36

Define custom virtual location parameters 37

Extract virtual location parameters from the NV Global Library 38

Import virtual location parameters from an NV profile 40

User Guide for LoadRunner & Performance CenterNetwork Virtualization


Specify virtual location runtime settings 41

Allocate bandwidth to Vusers 42

Set packet capture for a virtual location 44

Create a local IP filter for a virtual location 45

Create a local IP filter 46

Exclude machines from network virtualization 46

Chapter 5: Customize NV integration settings 47Set the active adapter on NV for Load Generator 48

Change the NV for Controller port 48

Change the NV for Load Generator and NV Network Editor port 49

Set the default maximum packet list buffer size for each load generator 50

Enable the cleanup threshold on NV for Load Generator 51

Chapter 6: Analytics 52NV Insights Report 52

Prerequisites 52

NV Insights report overview 53

Dashboard 55

Start time 55

Analysis coverage 55

Transaction status 56

Network impact 56

Optimization grades 59

Transaction distribution by script and virtual location 60

Help button 61

Summaries 61

Protocols 62

Duration Breakdown 62

Metrics 62

HTTP Waterfall 62

General analysis 62

TruClient analysis 65

Optimization Recommendations 73

Resource Analysis 74

Endpoint Latencies 79

Appendix: Network Virtualization—Standalone 81

Send Us Feedback 82

User Guide for LoadRunner & Performance CenterNetwork Virtualization


What's newThisWhat's New provides an overview of the features that were introduced or enhanced in NetworkVirtualization for LoadRunner and Performance Center 12.55.

Highlights for version 12.55

Note about version numbers:

12.55 refers to the LoadRunner or Performance Center version.

9.13 refers to the Network Virtualization version installed on the LoadRunner or PerformanceCenter machine.

Network Virtualization:

l Support for Network Virtualization emulation on Linux load generators.

l Includes latency compensation, enabling compensation for extraneous network latency.

See also:

Network Virtualization Integration

NV Insights Report (previously NV Analytics Report):

l Added support for the HTTP/2 protocol.

l Now includes Client-side breakdown data for TruClient scripts (added to the HTTP Waterfall report),providing links between client activities and network traffic.

l Displays TruClient steps, events, pages, and snapshots.

l New Resource Analysis page to help identify issues related to the largest resources, and theresources with the longest download time.

l Now includes Transaction status, and errors that occurred during the transaction run.

See:

NV Insights Report

NV Insights Report for VuGen

NV Insights Report for Controller


https://lrhelp.saas.hpe.com/en/12.55/help/WebHelp/Content/Controller/toc_wan_emulation.htm

https://admhelp.microfocus.com/nv/en/nv-perform/en/latest/help/Content/Report/Report_Overview_Integ.htm

https://admhelp.microfocus.com/lr/en/latest/help/WebHelp/Content/VuGen/UI/ui_NV_insights_report.htm

https://admhelp.microfocus.com/lr/en/latest/help/WebHelp/Content/Controller/NV_Insights.htm

What's New in version 12.53NV Insights Report

You can now generate a single report for HTTP/HTTPS traffic via the Controller. This report covers allof the selected scenarios in a Performance Center test. You choose scenarios in the Controller byselecting the new NV Insights check box. Learn more

This comprehensive report includes:

l Dashboard showing summary information for the test and each of its scripts. The impact of differentnetworks on the transaction duration is clearly illustrated, as are optimization grades that includelinks to optimization recommendations for your applications.

l Visual comparisons of transaction results time grouped by transaction or virtual location

l Advanced filtering capabilities

l Detailed results for each transaction and virtual location

l Highlighting for resources that require optimization

l Support for the following protocols:

l TruClient Web

l Web HTTP/HTML

l Flex

l SAP Web

l Siebel Web protocols

Updated VuGen Report

A separate report is available for each transaction run via VuGen. These reports include:

l New look and feel

l Advanced filtering capabilities

l Highlighting for resources that require optimization

l Optimization recommendations are now also available fromHTTP Analysis page

l Support added for the TruClient Web protocol

l New NV-related runtime graphs

l Virtual location details are displayed when the test finishes, including:

l Average throughput (bytes/second) statistics

l Transaction summary details

HPE AutoPass Licensing

LoadRunner and Performance Center now directly manage AutoPass licensing for NetworkVirtualization Vusers.

User Guide for LoadRunner & Performance CenterWhat's new


Purchased license

l NV licenses are managed by the LoadRunner or Performance Center license utility

l NV Insights report - full report with optimization recommendations

l NVAnalytics license for Vugen

l NV Global Library license

Community license

l 2 free NVVusers

l NV Insights report

l First 30 days—Full report limited to 2 virtual locations

l After 30 days—Partial report limited to 2 virtual locations

l NVAnalytics report in VuGen

l First 30 days—Full report

l After 30 days—Partial report

Network Virtualization Help Center is available on the Web

Documentation is now available both online and as a downloadable .zip file from the NetworkVirtualization Help Center.

To download an offline copy of the Network Virtualization Help Center, click Download Help Centerfrom the Explore footer at the bottom of the home page.

Microsoft Windows

l Support was added for Windows 10.

l 64-bit support was added.

Browser support

Support was added for Microsoft Edge.



https://admhelp.microfocus.com/nv/en/nv-perform/en/12.53/help/Content/Resources/_TopNav/_TopNav_Home.htm

https://admhelp.microfocus.com/nv/en/nv-perform/en/12.53/help/Content/Resources/_TopNav/_TopNav_Home.htm

of 83Network Virtualization (12.55)


Chapter 1: Introducing NetworkVirtualizationNetwork Virtualization integrates seamlessly with LoadRunner and Performance Center to test howyour application responds over different networks.

By emulating real-world network conditions in your load and performance testing processes, NetworkVirtualization improves the accuracy of software testing, and provides recommendations to improveyour application's performance over different networks.

How do I test how my application responds overdifferent networks?You can introduce network conditions into your testing environment, such as latency, packet loss, andbandwidth, to accurately test how your application responds under a multitude of network conditions.

After you run your scenario or test, open the NV Insights report to see how your application performsover different networks. Then, you can use the report's recommendations to help you optimize yourapplication's performance—especially over slow networks.

How do I get started?

See also:l "Appendix: Network Virtualization—Standalone" on page 81

l Implement network virtualization in LoadRunner scenarios: LoadRunner Help Center

l Implement network virtualization in Performance Center tests: Performance Center Help


https://admhelp.microfocus.com/lr/en/12.55/help/WebHelp/Content/Controller/toc_wan_emulation.htm?cshid=240203

https://admhelp.microfocus.com/pc/en/12.55/online_help/pchelp_CSH.htm#100540

Chapter 2: LicensingNetwork Virtualization requires a license.

Community licenseCommunity licenses are automatically included in a LoadRunner or Performance Center installation.

The Community license includes:

NV Vusers 2 free NVVusers.

Enables you to run tests that include 2 NV Vusers.

NV Insightsreport

Enables you to generate the NV Insights report during LoadRunner /Performance Center tests for up to 2 NV virtual locations.



The 30 day period begins the first time you use the feature.

NV Insightsreport in VuGen

Enables you to generate the NV Insights report in VuGen.



The 30 day period begins the first time you use the feature.

Purchased licenseA purchased license provides access to the following functionality:

NV Vusers Enables you to run tests using the number of purchased NV Vusers.

NV Insights report Enables you to generate the full NV Insights report during LoadRunner /Performance Center tests.

NV Insights reportin VuGen

Enables you to generate the full NV Insights report fromVuGen.

NV Global Library Enables you to import network profiles from the NVGlobal Library ofworld-wide network conditions.

Next steps:l Learn how to install the NV Vusers, NV Insights, and NV Global Library license. (Done via

Performance Center or the LoadRunner license utility)

l "Install an NV Insights license for VuGen" on the next page


https://admhelp.microfocus.com/pc/en/latest/online_help/Content/PC/Manage-Licensing.htm

https://admhelp.microfocus.com/lr/en/latest/help/WebHelp/Content/License/toc_LicenseUtility.htm?cshid=240202

Install an NV Insights license for VuGenWhen NV Insights for Vugen is first installed, it uses a 30-day trial license. The trial period begins thefirst time you use the NV analysis functionality in VuGen.

To continue after the trial license period, you must install a valid license on the VuGen machine.

Caution: If you install any Network Virtualization product on a virtual machine, do not clone themachine after the trial license has started.

There are two different licensing models available for NV Insights for VuGen:

Seatlicense

A license that is created for a specific computer, and cannot be transferred to anothercomputer. (Also known as node-lock instance license.)

Floatinglicense

Licenses are shared dynamically between multiple client users. The licenses are held by alicense server and can be checked out as necessary bymachines which have both VuGenand the NV component installed. (Also known as concurrent license.)

Open NV License ManagerOn the VuGen machine, open the NV License Manager in one of the following ways:

1. From theWindows Start menu, select All Programs > HPE Software > HPE NV for PerformanceTesting > NV License Manager.

In Windows 8.x or higher, you can access NV License Manager from the Start or Apps screen.

2. From a web browser, navigate to the following URL:

http://<IP address>:<port>/shunra/license/

For example:

http://198.51.100.24:8182/shunra/license/

When you start NV License Manager, it displays the currently installed license.

Install a seat licenseTo install the NV Insights for Vugen license:

1. Open NVLicense Manager on the computer on which VuGen is installed.

2. Click Update license.

3. Select Update via > File or key.

4. Copy the machine code displayed below.

5. Click HPE license portal to connect to the HPE licensing site and generate a license.

6. After generating the license: In NV License Manager, click the folder icon that appears to the right

User Guide for LoadRunner & Performance CenterChapter 2: Licensing


https://h22255.www2.hpe.com/mysoftware/index

of the License File box to locate and upload the license file.

7. Click Update. The updated license details are displayed in the NV License Manager main page.

Install and use floating licensesFloating licenses are managed via Micro Focus AutoPass License Server. Before you can check out alicense on the VuGen machine, you must set up an AutoPass License Server.

Set up your AutoPass License Server

1. Download and install the latest AutoPass License Server:https://marketplace.microfocus.com/itom/content/autopass-license-server

2. Click HPE license portal to connect to the HPE licensing site and generate a license. You will need toprovide the IP address of the AutoPass License Server.

3. After generating the license, install the license file on the AutoPass License Server machine asdescribed in the AutoPass documentation.

Check out a license

1. Open NVLicense Manager on the computer on which VuGen is installed.


3. Select Update via > License server.

4. Fill in the fields as follows:

Licenseserveraddress

Select the machine where the license server is installed, or enter its IP address.

Licenseduration(days)

Choose for how long to check out the license. By default, the maximumnumber ofdays is 30.

On the AutoPass License Server, you can reduce the maximumnumber of daysthat a license can be checked out. Refer to the AutoPass documentation fordetails.

Under moresettings

l Provide the port of the AutoPass License Server (5814 by default).

l By default, the AutoPass License Server uses HTTPS secure communication.

Clear Use secured communication if the AutoPass License Server is configuredto use only HTTP.

5. Click Checkout license.



https://marketplace.microfocus.com/itom/content/autopass-license-server

https://h22255.www2.hpe.com/mysoftware/index

Return a license

After you are finished using a floating license, you can return it to the License Server to make it availablefor other users.

1. Open the NV License Manager on the machine that needs to return a license.


3. Select Update via > License server.

4. Click Return license.

See also:l "Licensing" on page 10



Chapter 3: Configure NV profiles with NVNetwork EditorNVNetwork Editor lets you create complex NV profiles. Thereafter, you import the parameters from theprofile into virtual locations, inside LoadRunner or Performance Center. To learn more about NVprofiles, see "Configure NV profiles with NVNetwork Editor" below.

Chapter 3: Configure NV profiles with NV NetworkEditorYou use NVNetwork Editor to create complex NV profiles. Thereafter, you import the parameters fromthe profile into virtual locations in LoadRunner scenarios or Performance Center tests using VirtualLocation Editor.

Virtual Location Editor enables you to create virtual locations inside LoadRunner or PerformanceCenter that include only latency, packet loss, and bandwidth parameters. Alternatively, you can importnetwork emulation parameters from the NVGlobal Library to create a virtual location.

If a virtual location requires additional emulation parameters, you can import these parameters from anNV profile using Virtual Location Editor. You use NVNetwork Editor to create these NV profiles.

This section describes how to use the Network Editor.

l For a list of NV profile parameters, see "NV profile parameters" on page 26.

l For details on using the Virtual Location Editor, see "Add and configure virtual locations" on page 29.

Note: Each NV profile file that you create with NVNetwork Editor can includemultiple flows. Aflow is a set of parameters that defines a network. When you import parameters intoLoadRunner or Performance Center, you specify fromwhich flow to import the parameters.

The NVNetwork Editor is installed as part of the NV for Load Generator installation – NVNetworkEditor is installed automatically each time NV for Load Generator is installed. For details, see Installation.

See also:l "Open NVNetwork Editor" below

l "Create NV profiles" on the next page

Open NV Network EditorNetwork Editor is a browser-based application that can be opened from an NV for Load Generator host,or from a browser on any other computer.


To open the Network Editor from an NV for Load Generator host machine

Select Start > All Programs > HPE Software > HPE Network Virtualization > HPE NV for LoadGenerator > NV Network Editor.

In Windows 8.x or higher, you can access Network Editor from the Start or Apps screen.

To open the Network Editor from a browser

Type the following:

http://<NV for Load Generator host IP>:<NV for Load GeneratorPort>/Shunra/networkeditor/

Example: http://192.0.2.0:8182/Shunra/networkeditor/

The NV for Load Generator Port is set initially when NV for Load Generator is installed. Port 8182 isthe default port.

Create NV profiles1. Open NVNetwork Editor, and on the home page, click New.

2. Click Add new flow.

3. In the New Flow page, specify the required parameters as described below:

a. Setting Client and Server IP Ranges: In order to be able to save the NV profile, it is necessaryto enter at least a single client IP address range and a single server IP address range.

Note: These IP addresses are not used by LoadRunner or Performance Center, so it isnot necessary to specify actual addresses.

b. Configuring Gateway Parameters: For details, see "Configure gateway parameters" on the nextpage.

c. Configuring the WAN Shape: For details, see "Configure theWAN parameters" on page 19.

4. To enable packet capture, click Packet List, and select Enable packet list capture.

User Guide for LoadRunner & Performance CenterChapter 3: Configure NV profiles with NVNetwork Editor


5. After selecting the required parameters, click OK. The Flow Summary displays all the flows in the NVprofiles. To edit a flow, click the pencil icon; to delete a flow, click the "x"; to delete all flows, click thetable icon.

6. Click Save to save the NV profile to a file named, by default, HPE Emulation Profile.ntxx, in thebrowser's default download folder.

Next steps:l Import the NV profile file into LoadRunner or Performance Center. For details, see "Import virtual

location parameters from an NVprofile" on page 40.

Configure gateway parameters

When you use NVNetwork Editor to create an NVprofile, you can specify gateway parameters, asdescribed in this section, and WAN parameters, as described in "Configure theWAN parameters" onpage 19.

OverviewWhen network virtualization is applied, gateway parameters are used to emulate the behavior of accessgateways on the real networks. For example, in the NV profile, you can specify the bandwidth or queue



limitation that a specific gateway imposes on the actual network.

Note:

l Entering gateway parameters is optional when you configure an NVprofile.

l The definitions of the gateway parameters are the same for both the client and the servergateways.

The gateway parameters can be configured separately for incoming and outgoing traffic.

Click the Client Gateway and Server Gateway tabs to configure the gateway parameter settings.

The gateway settings include the following:

l Bandwidth Settings

l Queue Settings

Bandwidth SettingsBandwidth values can be either defined or imported from a pre-recorded file.

You can specify different bandwidth values for upstreamnetwork traffic and downstreamnetworktraffic.

Note: The following procedures are valid for both the upstream and downstream settings.

Define Bandwidth Settings

You can select pre-defined bandwidth settings, or specify custombandwidth settings.

1. In the Client Gateway or the Server Gateway tab, select one of the following options:

a. Predefined: Select one of the available values. (The available values correspond to commonbandwidth settings, such as T1, etc.)

b. Custom: Specify a specific bandwidth. (Valid values are between 2.4 and 10,000,000 Kbps.)

2. Click OK.

Import Recorded Bandwidth Settings

You can import the bandwidth values from a recorded file. Use Network Capture or Network CaptureExpress to record the bandwidth of a network over a period of time. Network Capture and NetworkCapture Express measure and record the bandwidth, and save the values to an .ntx file.

Note:



l Importing recorded bandwidth settings is supported only for Vuser groups that share thespecified bandwidths – not by Vuser groups that allocate the specified bandwidth to eachVuser. For details, see "Allocate bandwidth to Vusers" on page 42.

l You can import recorded parameters from a .ntx file directly into a virtual location, asdescribed in "Import virtual location parameters from an NVprofile" on page 40. Import therecorded parameters into an NVprofile (using NVNetwork Editor) only if you want to editthe recorded parameters, before importing them into a virtual location.

1. In the Client Gateway or the Server Gateway tab, click Recorded then click Choose File.

2. Locate and select the required file, and then click Open.

Queue SettingsThe Queue settings define the queue limitations and packet overhead that you want to use in youremulations.

Enable Queue Limitation

This group contains parameters that emulate limitations imposed on the maximum size of IP packetqueues at the gateway NIC. If you specify a queue size, NV emulates network behavior by droppingdata packets when the queue is full.

1. In the Client Gateway or the Server Gateway tab, select Queue Limitation.

2. Select from the following parameters:

Parameter Description

Queue Size Select the amount of memory (KB) that NV allocates to the queue [16 to 4,096MB].

Drop Mode

l DropTail

Select this option for NV to drop newer data packets when the queue is full.



Parameter Description

l RandomEarlyDetection (RED)

This option provides a more sophisticated queuemanagement method. The REDalgorithm keeps track of the average increase in queue occupancy. If it detects anincrease, it signals to the packet source that the queuemay soon be full, byrandomly dropping very small amounts of data packets.

Keep Queue size between:

Indicate the minimumand maximumaverage occupancy. The system issuessignals (by dropping data packets) when the average occupancy fluctuatesbetween the two values. It drops all packets if the average occupancy exceedsthe maximum threshold.

Fill mode l Use the fixed size: 1,500 bytes for each packet.

l Use the actual packet size.

Enable Packet Overhead

If your gateway adds overhead bytes to the IP data that flows through the gateway NIC, use thisparameter to specify the number of additional bytes, in order to emulate the bandwidth consumptionthey impose on the network.

1. Select Packet Overhead.

2. Select either Ethernet (adds 18 bytes to each packet) or PPP (adds 9 bytes to each packet).

Configure the WAN parameters

When you use NVNetwork Editor to create NV profiles, you can define the following WAN parameters:

l Latency and Packet Loss: The latency defines the time it takes an IP packet to cross theWAN (one-way); the packet loss determines howmany packets are dropped.



For details, see "Latency and packet loss [WAN Parameters]" below.

l Packet Effects: Dynamic IP packet routing effects, including out-of-order packets (reordering),duplicated packets, and packet fragmentation.

For details, see "Packet effects [WAN Parameters]" on page 23.

l Link Faults: Possible damage to bit streams, network disconnections, and network congestion.

For details, see "Link faults [WAN Parameters]" on page 24.

Note: You can manually specify the latency and packet loss parameters, or you can import theparameters from an .ntx file. Packet Effects and Link Faults are always set manually, i.e. theycannot be imported from a file.

l For details on how to set the client and server gateway parameters, see "Configure gatewayparameters" on page 16.

Latency and packet loss [WAN Parameters]

Latency is the time it takes an IP packet to cross theWAN. You can define a fixed latency or astatistically distributed latency.

Set latency and packet loss parameters

1. Click the WAN tab, and then select Latency and Packet Loss.

2. Select:

l Custom: To set the parameters manually. For details, see Specifying CustomLatency and PacketLoss.

l Recorded: To import a recorded file (.ntx) produced by Network Capture or Network CaptureExpress. For details, see Importing network conditions from a recorded file below.

Specify Custom Latency and Packet Loss

1. To define the settingsmanually, click Custom.

2. To set the latency values, select one of the following options:

Fixed Enter the number of milliseconds, from0 to 8,000.



Uniformdistribution:

Specifies a changing latency over time (also referred to as jitter). Type theminimumand maximum latency values in the Minimum and Maximum boxes.This causes NV to randomly change the latency between the minimumandmaximumvalues (from0 to 8,000ms).

You can limit the change in latency between each two consecutive packets to aspecified number. To use this option, select Limit latency change and enterthe maximumallowed change, in milliseconds. For example, if you enter 45, NVwill change the latency by a maximumof 45milliseconds between twoconsecutive packets.

Normaldistribution

Causes latency to fluctuate randomly and non-uniformly around an averagevalue (milliseconds) that you specify in the Average box. This option can beused to emulate jitter conditions.

The Standard Deviation parameter allows you to exert some control over therandom change in latency. Entering a value in this parameter sets a range fortwo thirds of the random values. For example, if the average is 600milliseconds and the standard deviation is 100milliseconds, two thirds ofrandom latency values will be between 500 and 700.

LinearLatency

Allows you to set a range of latency values and to indicate the time it takeslatency to increase from theminimum to the maximumvalue in the range.

Enter the range in Minimumand Maximum (from0 to 8,000ms), and the cycleduration in Graph duration (from1 to 65,535 seconds). For example, if youdefine a range of 100 to 200milliseconds and a cycle duration of 100 seconds,NVwill increase latency by onemillisecond each second.

When the NV reachesmaximum latency, it cycles back to the minimumvalue.

3. To add packet loss parameters into an NV profile, select a Packet Loss option:

Note: Packet loss can also be imported in a recorded file.

Nopacketloss

WAN behavior is not affected by packet loss. In this case, NV does not lose anypackets and the impairment is not applied to network traffic.

Periodicloss

NVdiscards one packet for every xth packet that passes through theWAN. Enter anumber (from2 to 65,535) in the Lose one packet every x packets box. For example,if you enter 8, NV discards every 8th packet that enters theWAN.

NV counts packets separately in both directions. It loses the incoming xth packet andthe outgoing xth packet.



RandomLoss

Allows you to set the probability for losing each packet (enter a percentage from0.01 to 90). For example, entering 2means that each packet has a 2 percent chanceof being dropped while passing through the emulated WAN cloud.

BurstLoss

Allows you to introduce a "bursty" packet loss model in the emulated WAN cloud, bysetting a number of packets to lose (burst size) every time a loss event occurs. Youcan specify the probability of the loss event (Burst Probability), and theMinimumand Maximumparameters (from1 to 65,535 packets) that specify a range for therandom size of each packet loss burst.

Gilbert-EliotLoss

Allows you to emulate a good state and a bad state in the network by specifying anaverage packet loss percentage in the Lose parameter of the two states (from0.01%to 100%).

In Change state, you specify the chances that the network will leave the specific stateand move to the other (from0.01% to 99.99%). For example, if the tested networkhas, at any given time, a 10% chance of moving fromgood to bad and a 50% chanceof moving frombad to good, you specify 10 and 50 in the respective Change Statefields.

Import network conditions from a recorded file

Note:

l Importing recorded network conditions is supported only for Vuser groups that share thespecified bandwidths – not by Vuser groups that allocate the specified bandwidth to eachVuser. For details, see "Allocate bandwidth to Vusers" on page 42.

l You can import recorded parameters from a .ntx file directly into a virtual location, asdescribed in "Import virtual location parameters from an NVprofile" on page 40. Import therecorded parameters into an NVprofile (using NVNetwork Editor) only if you want to editthe recorded parameters, before importing them into a virtual location.

1. Select Recorded and then click Choose file.

2. Locate and select the required .ntx file, and then click Open. A summary of the network conditionsis displayed.

3. Modify the latency and packet loss by selecting a percentage in the Multiply latency values by andMultiply loss value by lists.

This factor allows you to predict future load cases or to prepare somemargins of service level overthe current status. In this field, you can specify a number between 0 and 200 percent to have thelatency and packet loss values multiplied by it. For example, the value of 100%means that NVwilluse the recorded values as they are. The value 200means that each value will be doubled(multiplied by 200%).



4. Select a Packet Loss value.

5. Select a Playback Mode.

Playimportedvaluessequentially

While emulating the network, NVwill cyclically use the latency values one afterthe other in the order in which they were recorded.

Playimportedvaluesrandomly

While emulating the network, NVwill pick one of the recorded values randomly,for each packet. This allows you to experience random values from the realnetwork to predict more network scenarios.

Packet effects [WAN Parameters]

Emulate IP routing effects such as disruption of packet order (reordering), packet duplication, andfragmentation.

Select the effect you want to emulate, and then configure the associated parameters.

Out of Order

To emulate packet reordering, NV can generate an out-of-order event, based on the probability set inthe Chance parameter (from1% to 50%), by randomly removing a packet from the data stream. Then itstarts counting the incoming packets. It returns the removed packet after the nth packet has entered.The nth packet is picked randomly from the range that you indicate in the Maximumand Minimum(Packet offset from original location) parameters (from1 to 64 packets).

For example, if you indicate a range of 5 to 10, NVwill return the removed packet randomly to the datastream (after the 5th, or 6th…or 10th packet that follows the removed one). In order to have NV returnall removed packets after a predefined number of incoming packets, the same value can be used forboth Minimumand Maximumoffset.

Duplicate Packets

NV emulates duplication by copying a packet that it selects randomly. The number of copies that will becreated when the event occurs is specified in the Minimumand Maximumparameters (from1 to 20packets).



For example, if you specify a range of 2-4 packets, NV duplicates a packet 2, 3, or 4 times (randomly),when it decides to do so (according to the probability specified in Chance – from1% to 99%). To create apre-defined number of copies, enter the same value in both the Minimumand Maximumparameters.For example, entering 3 in both parameters causes NV to create 3 copies of the packet when the eventoccurs.

Fragmentation

To emulate the packet fragmentation effect you need to set a packet size, in bytes, in the MaximumTransmission Unit parameter (from64 to 1,460 bytes). This would be the maximum size a gatewayalong the path route would allow (MTU). Bigger packets are likely to be fragmented or discarded whenthe fragmentation event occurs (according to the probability set in Chance – from1% to 99%).

Whether or not the packets will be eventually fragmented depends on the state of the Do Not Fragment(DF) bit in the packet's IP header and on the policy you define via the options included in theFragmentation group. If the flag is OFF, the packet is fragmented anyway. If the flag is set to ON, thepolicy you select applies.

A description of the DF=ON policies is as follows:

Option Effect

Ignore Do Not Fragment (DF) bit Fragment the packet.

Generate ICMP Error Messages toSource

Discard the packet and inform the packet's source, using anICMP packet.

Do Not Generate ICMP ErrorMessages

Discard the packet without informing the packet's source.

Link faults [WAN Parameters]

Link faults consist of effects caused by physical link malfunctions, specifically bit errors anddisconnections. NV emulates bit errors by toggling bits at a given frequency. To achieve "disconnection"in theWAN Cloud, you can tell NV to stop responding for a given period. Click the Link Faults tab to setthe parameters that help emulate the link faults.

You can emulate any of the link faults or all of them. Select the check box of the fault type that youwant to emulate, and then enter the parameters described below.



Bit Error

In the Average Frequency box, type a number of bits (from102 to 1012). Bit toggling will occur everytime that the indicated number of bits (on average) has crossed theWAN Cloud.

In the Minimumand Maximumparameters (Number of toggled bits), enter a range of numbers from1to 500. NV randomly picks a number in the range and toggles as many bits.

Disconnect

The parameters in this group allow you to emulate a physical disconnection of the network. In theAverage Frequency box type the desired number of seconds (from3 to 300). NVwill emulate adisconnection once every so many seconds on average. In the Minimumand Maximumboxes(Disconnection time span), indicate a time range in milliseconds (from10 to 30,000ms). NVwillrandomly pick a time value from this range and the lines will remain "disconnected" during this time, bydropping all packets that go through theWAN Cloud during this period.

Congestion

The Congestion feature helps you emulate a periodic and momentary rise in WAN Cloud traffic, whichresults in increased latency and packet loss.

Note: The Latency and Packet Loss values during the congestion event override the originalvalues (either manually defined or imported).

CongestionParameter Description

Averagecongestionfrequency

Type the frequency in seconds (from1 to 300). For example, entering 20means thatNVwill increase latency and packet loss every 20 seconds on average.

Congestiontime span

The duration of the event in milliseconds (from10 to 65,535). Type a range in theMaximumand Minimumparameters. NV randomly picks a value from this range andsets the latency and packet loss to the values you indicate in the Fixed Latency andLoss fields (below), for the selected duration. After this time, latency and packet lossreturn to their original settings (as described under the Latency and Packet Lossbranches).

Congestion event properties

FixedLatency

Enter the latency, in milliseconds, that will prevail during the congestion time (from0to 8,000ms). This value replaces the original latency setting.

Lose x% ofall packets

Enter a percentage of packets to be lost during the congestion time (from0% to 90%).This value replaces the original setting for packet loss.



NV profile parametersYou can use NVNetwork Editor to configure the following parameters in a NV profile.

WAN Specifications

Latency

Fixed Latency 0-8,000ms (Granularity = 1ms)

UniformDistributed Latency (minimum/maximum): 0-8,000ms (Granularity = 1ms)

Latency change limit 0-4,000ms (Granularity = 1ms)

Normal Distributed Latency:

Average 0-8,000ms (Granularity = 1ms)

Standard Deviation 0-8,000ms (Granularity = 1ms)

Linear Latency (minimum/maximum): 0-8,000ms (Granularity = 1ms)

Cycle Duration 1-65,535 sec

Packet Loss

Periodic Loss - Lose every nth packet n=2-65,535

RandomLoss 0-100% (Granularity = 0.01%)

Burst Loss:

Probability 0.01-90% (Granularity = 0.01%)

Burst Size 1-65,534 packets

Gilbert-Elliot Loss Two State LossModel:

Loss Probability 0.0-100% (Granularity = 0.01%)

Transition to Other State 0.0-99.99% (Granularity = 0.01%)

Packet Effects

Out Of Order:

Probability 1-50%

Offset 1-64 packets



Packet Duplication:

Probability 1-99%

Number of duplicates 1-20 packets

Fragmentation:

Probability 1-99%

MTU 64-1,460 bytes

DF Policy l Ignore DF and fragment packet.

l Discard packet and generate ICMPmessage.

l Discard packet and do not send amessage.

Link Faults

Bit Error:

Frequency One every 102 – 1012 bits

Number of Toggled Bits 1-500 bits

Disconnection:

Average Frequency 3-300 sec

Disconnection Time 10-30,000ms

Congestion:

Frequency 1-300 sec

Time span 10-65,535ms

Event Properties:

Fixed Latency 0-8,000ms

Packet Loss Probability 0%-90% (Granularity = 0.01%)

Gateway Specifications

Bandwidth Settings

Symmetric Bandwidth 2.4 Kbps - 10 Gbps



Asymmetric Bandwidth:

Uplink/Downlink 2.4 Kbps - 10 Gbps

Packet Overhead Length 0-1000 bytes

Queue Limitations

Queue Size 2-65,535 KB

Drop Mode: Drop Tail or RED

RED Queue (Minimum/MaximumThreshold) 2-65,535 KB

Fill Mode (Queue Size Policy) Byte Mode or Packet Mode

Packet Overhead l Ethernet (Add 18 bytes to each packet)

l PPP (Add 9 bytes to each packet)

Traffic Type Support IPv4



Chapter 4: Add and configure virtuallocationsYou create virtual locations in the LoadRunner Controller or Performance Center, and then includethem in your LoadRunner scenarios or Performance Center tests. You can also use several predefinedvirtual locations that NV provides.

l "Virtual locations" below

l "Predefined virtual locations" below

l "Open the Virtual Location Editor in LoadRunner" on the next page

l "Open the Virtual Location Editor in Performance Center" on the next page

Virtual locationsThe characteristics of a network are influenced by a variety of factors. One factor that has a significanteffect on the character of a network is the geographic locations of the clients and the servers in thenetwork. For example, consider a server based in New York. This server is accessed by clients that arebased in London and in Sydney. One can expect the London-New York network to behave at leastsomewhat differently from the Sydney-New York network. The difference in behavior between the twonetworks may be significant. When you implement network virtualization for this system, you addLondon and Sydney as two virtual locations. For each of these virtual locations, you define thecharacteristics of the network to emulate – the network between the client and the server in New York.

When you develop a LoadRunner scenario or a Performance Center test, you specify which virtuallocation is associated with each Vuser group or with each load generator. The virtual location definesthe network conditions that are emulated when the Vusers run.

Predefined virtual locationsNV includes a number of predefined virtual locations. Each predefined virtual location includesparameters that define a common network testing environment. You can select one of these predefinedlocations when you configure scenarios or tests in LoadRunner or Performance Center.

Note: You cannot edit, delete, or rename a predefined location.

Virtual location nameLatency

[ms]Packet loss

[%]Bandwidth-in

[kb/s]Bandwidth-out

[kb/s]

2.5G Busy 300 0.5 128 56

3G Busy 200 0.5 384 128

3G Typical 120 0 512 256


Virtual location nameLatency

[ms]Packet loss

[%]Bandwidth-in

[kb/s]Bandwidth-out

[kb/s]

3G Good 80 0 2,000 512

4G Good 40 0 10,000 7,500

AUS to US EC

(Australia to U.S. EastCoast)

120 0.5 4,000 2,000

China to US EC 210 1.0 4,000 2,000

India to US EC 160 0.5 5,000 2,000

London to US EC 55 0 10,000 4,000

Satellite 0 0 2,000 1,000

Open the Virtual Location Editor in LoadRunner

1. In the LoadRunner Controller, click the Show Virtualization Location Settings button on thetoolbar to open the Virtual Location Settings dialog box.

2. Make sure that Enable Network Virtualization is selected.

3. Under Virtual Locations, in the Virtual Location column, type the name of a location.

You cannot use the following characters:

\ / : “ ? ‘ < > | * % ^ , ! { } ( ) ; = #

4. Enter a description for the virtual location.


\ / : “ ? ‘ < > | * % ^ , ! { } ( ) ; = #

5. Click Configure to open the Virtual Location Editor.

For details on how to proceed with the Virtual Location Editor, see "Configure virtual locations" onpage 36.

Open the Virtual Location Editor in PerformanceCenter1. In Performance Center > Performance Test Designer, click Groups & Workload.

2. Click Virtual Location Editor.

3. Make sure that Virtual Location Mode is turned on.

User Guide for LoadRunner & Performance CenterChapter 4: Add and configure virtual locations


4. In the Add new virtual location box, type the name of the new virtual location.


\ / : “ ? ‘ < > | * % ^ , ! { } ( ) ; = #

5. Click Add to open the Virtual Location Editor.

For details on how to proceed with the Virtual Location Editor, see "Configure virtual locations" onpage 36.

For more details on how to work with virtual locations in LoadRunner and Performance Center, see theLoadRunner Help Center or the Performance Center Help.

Next steps:l "Select virtual location definition method" on page 36

Enable network virtualizationYou can enable or disable network virtualization for a LoadRunner scenario or a Performance Centertest. When NV is enabled, the network conditions that are specified in the virtual locations are applied tothe specified running Vusers. When NV is not enabled, network conditions are not emulated. When youcreate a new LoadRunner scenario or a Performance Center test, NV is enabled by default.

After you enable network virtualization, you must specify the mode that will be used to implement thenetwork virtualization. For details, see "Set the network virtualization mode" on the next page.

To enable network virtualization for a LoadRunner scenario or a PerformanceCenter test:

LoadRunner 1. On the LoadRunner Controller toolbar, click the Network Virtualization Settings

button to open the Network Virtualization Settings dialog box.

2. Select Enable Network Virtualization.

PerformanceCenter

1. On the Performance Center > Workload tab toolbar, click the Network

Virtualization Settings button to open the Network VirtualizationSettings dialog box.

2. Select Enable Network Virtualization.

See also:l "Set the network virtualization mode" on the next page





Set the network virtualization modeWhen you implement network virtualization for a LoadRunner scenario or a Performance Center test,you select the mode that LoadRunner or Performance Center uses to implement the virtualization.

Emulation modes

Per Group This option performs network virtualization per Vuser group. You specify the NVprofile (virtual location) that will be applied to all the Vusers in each Vuser group. Youcan specify a different virtual location for each Vuser group, even if the Vuser groupsare running on the same load generator.

Per LoadGenerator

This option performs network virtualization per load generator. You specify thenetwork emulation profile (virtual location) that will be applied to all Vusers running oneach load generator.

Note: Not supported on Linux.

Vuser protocol limitationsThe following Vuser protocols do not support the Per Group emulation mode: Citrix ICA, Java RecordReplay, Java Vuser, COM/DCOM, MAPI.

If you select the Per Group emulation mode, and a particular Vuser group runs a Vuser protocol thatdoes not support the Per Group functionality, the Per Load Generator emulation mode is applied to theVuser group. When the Vuser group runs, the load generator's default virtual location is applied to theVusers, and not the virtual location that is specified for the Vuser group.

See "Allocate bandwidth to Vusers" on page 42 for other limitations of these Vuser protocols.

How to specify the NV emulation mode1. Make sure that network virtualization is enabled for the test or the scenario. For details, see "Enable

network virtualization" on the previous page.

2. Select a method for implementing the network virtualization, Per Group or Per Load generator.

See also:l "Define virtual location test level settings" below

l "Add and configure virtual locations" on page 29

Chapter 4: Define virtual location test level settingsThe NV Virtual Location Test Level Settings apply to all virtual locations and load generators that areincluded in the test or a scenario.



After you specify these global settings, you can specify the settings for a particular virtual location orload generator. For details, see "Specify virtual location runtime settings" on page 41.

Packet CaptureYou can configure Network Virtualization to capture the packets that are transferred across a networkwhile a LoadRunner scenario or Performance Center test runs.

Note: Packet capture test level settings apply to all virtual locations and load generatorsparticipating in the scenario or test.

After you enable packet capture on the global level, you must enable packet capture for particularvirtual locations in the scenario or test, as required, and specify the packet capture settings. For details,see "Set packet capture for a virtual location" on page 44.

Settings

Packetcapture(On/Off)

You can select to capture the packets that are transferred across the network while thescenario or test runs.

If you turn on Common/Runtime Settings > Packet Capture, then you can turn onPacket Capture for the virtual locations in the scenario or test. If you turn offCommon/Runtime Settings > Packet Capture, then you cannot turn on Packet Capturefor the virtual locations in the scenario or test.

Note: Make sure to consider the use of disk space on the Load Generator.Depending on your packet capture settings, each test can save a packet list ofup to 1GB. Consider configuring the NV cleanup threshold to clean the capturedpackets, or do a manual cleanup as needed.

Maximumtotalpacketlist size

Themaximummemory space that is allocated on each load generator in the scenario ortest to store captured packets. The default size of the maximum space is 300MB perload generator.

Note: The Total packet list size cannot bemore than 25% of the RAM on theload generator.

For details on customizing the default maximum size, see "Set the default maximumpacket list buffer size for each load generator" on page 50.



Packetcapturemethod

Defines what happens when packets are captured and the maximum total packet size isreached.

l Cyclic: When themaximum total packet size is reached, the oldest packets are erased,and the newest packets continue to be recorded.

l Non-cyclic: When themaximum total packet size is reached, new packets are nolonger recorded.

To set the common packet capture settings:

1. In LoadRunner Controller or Performance Center, display the virtual location test level settings.

Show me how for LoadRunner

a. In the LoadRunner Controller, click the Show Virtual Location Settings button on thetoolbar.

b. Make sure that Enable Network Virtualization is selected.

c. Click Common Settings.

Show me how for Performance Center

a. In Performance Center, click the Virtual Location Editor button on the toolbar.

b. Make sure that Virtual Location Mode is turned on.

c. Click Runtime Settings.

2. Under Packet Capture, click the switch to enable packet capture.

3. In Total packet list size, specify the maximummemory space that is allocated for storing capturedpackets on each load generator in the scenario or test.

4. Select the packet capturing method: Cyclic or Non-cyclic. For details, see Packet capture methodabove.

5. Click OK to save the settings.

IP filterWhile you run a scenario or test that incorporates network virtualization, LoadRunner or PerformanceCenter applies various network conditions to the networks that are used by the Vusers that run duringthe scenario or test. These network conditions are applied to network traffic to-and-from all loadgenerators that are associated with the virtual locations in the scenario or test.

But what if, for some reason, you do not want to apply network virtualization to traffic associated with aspecific IP address? You can create IP filters that include lists of IP addresses to which you do not wantto apply network virtualization. Network conditions are not applied to network traffic to-or-from a



specific IP address if that IP address is included in the relevant IP filter, either as the source or thedestination of network traffic.

For reasons why you may want to exclude an IP address from network virtualization, see "Excludemachines from network virtualization" on page 46.

In LoadRunner and Performance Center, there are two types of IP filters:

l Global IP filter. A global IP filter is a list of IP addresses to which you do not want to apply networkvirtualization. The global IP filter applies to all virtual locations in the scenario or test. Networkimpairments will not be applied to network traffic if an IP address in the global IP filter is either thesource or the destination of the network traffic.

l Local IP filters. You can create a local IP filter for each virtual location in a scenario or test. The localIP filter includes those IP addresses to which you do not want to apply network virtualization. Theselocally "excluded addresses" are in addition to the IP addresses that are excluded because theyappear in the global IP filter.

Note: A local IP filter applies only to the virtual location with which the local IP filter isassociated.

For details on creating a local IP filter, see "Create a local IP filter for a virtual location" on page 45.

To maintain a global IP filter:

1. In the LoadRunner Controller or Performance Center, display the test level network virtualizationsettings, as described in "Define virtual location test level settings" on page 32.

2. Under Exclude these IP's box, type the IP address that you want to exclude, and then click the "+"sign. The IP address is added to the global IP filter.

3. Repeat the previous step for all the IP addresses that you want to exclude.

Note: IP addresses that are included in the global IP filter are displayed in gray in the local IPfilter when you configure the runtime settings for a virtual location. For details, see "Createa local IP filter for a virtual location" on page 45.

To remove an IP address from the global IP filter list, select the IP address, and then click "X".

4. Click OK to save the settings.

See also:l "Specify virtual location runtime settings" on page 41



Select virtual location definition method

After you create a new virtual location in either the LoadRunner Controller or Performance Center, youuse the Virtual Location Editor to configure the virtual location.

Virtual location configuration methods

The first page in the Virtual Location Editor provides three methods that you can use to configure theNV profile parameters for a virtual location:

Custom Manually specify the network profile parameters. For details, see "Define custom virtuallocation parameters" on the next page.

GlobalLibrary

Import the network profile parameters from the NVGlobal Library. For details, see "Extractvirtual location parameters from the NVGlobal Library" on page 38.

Importfrom afile

Import the network profile parameters from a file. The file may have been produced byNetwork Editor, Network Capture, or Network Capture Express. For details, see "Importvirtual location parameters from an NVprofile" on page 40.

Next steps:l "Configure virtual locations" below

Configure virtual locationsAfter you create a new virtual location, configure the virtual location. The configuration process differsaccording to the method that you choose.



For details per method:

l "Define custom virtual location parameters" below

l "Extract virtual location parameters from the NVGlobal Library" on the next page

l "Import virtual location parameters from an NVprofile" on page 40

Note: To learn more about virtual locations, see "Add and configure virtual locations" on page29.

Define custom virtual location parameters

Manually specify the network profile parameters.

Custom virtual location parameters

The following parameters are available for a custom virtual location:

Latency The amount of time that it takes for an IP packet to travel across the network, from theclient to the server, or from server to client. The valid range is 0 to 8,000msec.



PacketLoss

The percentage of IP packets that are sent through the network, but do not reachtheir destination. The valid range is 0 to 100%.

DownloadBandwidth

Themaximum throughput through the network [in KBs per second], for data travelingfrom the server to the client.

UploadBandwidth

Themaximum throughput through the network [in KBs per second], for data travelingfrom the client to the server.

How to specify virtual location parameters

1. In the LoadRunner Controller or Performance Center, create a new virtual location, and then openthe virtual location in the Virtual Location Editor. For details, see "Add and configure virtuallocations" on page 29.

2. Click Custom.

3. Specify all of the NV profile parameters: Latency, Packet loss, Download Bandwidth, and UploadBandwidth. See above for details about each of the parameters.

Note: For Download Bandwidth and Upload Bandwidth, you can select Unlimited to imposeno bandwidth limitation on the network.

Next steps:l Configure runtime settings. For details, see "Specify virtual location runtime settings" on page 41.

Extract virtual location parameters from the NV GlobalLibrary

Import the network profile parameters from the NVGlobal Library.

NV Global Library

The NVGlobal Library contains extensive real-world network-related data that helps you to define theparameters of a virtual location. You supply a number of input parameters to the library, and the libraryreturns parameters that define the virtual location.



Note: To access the full set of geographic locations in the NVGlobal Library, you must beconnected to the internet and be licensed to access the NVGlobal Library. If either of these twoconditions is not met, then you will have access to a limited set of geographic locations.

After you extract the parameters for a virtual location profile, you can configure various runtimesettings for the virtual location. For details, see "Specify virtual location runtime settings" on page 41.

How to extract virtual location parameters from the NV Global Library


2. Click Global Library.

3. Specify the NV Profile and the Server Location. These locations are typically the cities or states inwhich the client and server are located.

Note: To access the full set of geographic locations in the NVGlobal Library, you must beconnected to the internet and be licensed to access the NVGlobal Library. If either of thesetwo conditions is not met, then you will have access to a limited set of geographic locations.

4. Click the Next button.

5. Specify the network conditions for the connection between the client and server:

l Technology. The technology on which the network is based.

l Carrier. The carrier that operates the network.

l Time. Specifies if the network communication occurs during business hours or outside ofbusiness hours.

l Communication Quality. The quality of the connection.

Note: The editor displays only those options that are available for the network client andserver locations that you specified.

Next steps:l Configure runtime settings. For details, see "Specify virtual location runtime settings" on page 41.



Import virtual location parameters from an NV profile

Import network profile parameters from an NVprofile file into LoadRunner or Performance Center, aspart of a virtual location definition. There are variousMicro Focus software tools that you can use tocreate an NVprofile file that contains the required network profile parameters.

Tools to develop network profiles

l NV Network Editor allows you to define a complex NV profile, and to save the parameters in a NVprofile file. You can then import the parameters into LoadRunner or Performance Center, as part of avirtual location definition.

NVNetwork Editor is automatically installed whenever the NV for Load Generator is installed. Fordetails about installing Network Editor and using the Network Editor to create and save NV profiles,see "Configure NV profiles with NVNetwork Editor" on page 14.

l Network Capture and Network Capture Express can analyze a specified network, and then determineand record the parameters that define the network. These parameters include, amongst others, thelatency, packet loss and bandwidth of the network. The recorded network parameters can then beimported into LoadRunner or Performance Center, as part of a virtual location definition.

For details about installing Network Capture and using Network Capture to record and saveNV profiles, refer to the Network Capture User Guide. You can download Network Capture Expressfree fromAppStore (iOS version) and Google Play (Android version).

How to import NV profile parameters from a file


2. Click Import from a file.

3. Under Specify network profile, click Browse.

4. In the Choose File to Upload dialog box, locate and select the file that contains the required NVparameters, and then click Open.

5. If the network profile file contains more than one flow for the network, select the required flowfrom the list of flows.



Note:

l An NVprofile file has either a .ntx or a .ntxx extension – depending on the softwareapplication that was used to create the NV profile file.

l When you import an NV profile file that was created using the Network Editor, IP addressesand Excluded IPs are not imported into the virtual location.

l If the imported file contains recorded bandwidth data, then the resulting virtual location canuse Shared Bandwidth bandwidth allocation only, not Individual Bandwidth. For details, see"Allocate bandwidth to Vusers" on the next page.

Next steps:l Configure runtime settings. For details, see "Specify virtual location runtime settings" below.

Specify virtual location runtime settingsAfter you specify the parameters for a virtual location, configure the runtime settings for the virtuallocation.

Virtual location runtime settingsl Bandwidth Allocation. Allows you to specify if the specified network bandwidth is shared by all

Vusers on the Load Generator, or is available to each individual Vuser.

l Packet Capture. Allows you to specify if packets are captured on the Load Generator. You can enablethis option only if packet capture has been enabled globally for the scenario or test.

For details on enabling packet capture for the scenario or test, see "Packet Capture" on page 33.



For details on enabling packet capture for a Load Generator, see "Set packet capture for a virtuallocation" on page 44.

l IP Filters. Enables you to specify the list of IP addresses to which network impairments will not beapplied when a LoadRunner scenario or Performance Center test runs.

For details on specifying the global IP filter list that applies to the scenario or the test, see "IP filter"on page 34.

For details on specifying the local IP filter list that applies to an individual load generator in a scenarioor test, see "Create a local IP filter for a virtual location" on page 45.

How to specify the runtime settings for a virtual location1. In LoadRunner or Performance Center, create a new virtual location, and then open the virtual

location in the Virtual Location Editor. For details, see "Add and configure virtual locations" on page29.

2. Specify the NV profile parameters as described in "Add and configure virtual locations" on page 29.

3. Click Next to display the Runtime settings page.

4. Specify the required runtime settings for the virtual location. For details, see:

l "Allocate bandwidth to Vusers" below

l "Set packet capture for a virtual location" on page 44

l "Create a local IP filter for a virtual location" on page 45

Next steps:l After you specify the runtime settings for a virtual location, you can incorporate the virtual location

in a scenario or test. For details, see the LoadRunner Help Center or the PerformanceCenter Help.

Allocate bandwidth to Vusers

Specify how the bandwidth of the network is allocated when the Vusers run.






Bandwidth options

l Shared bandwidth. The specified bandwidth is shared between all Vusers in the Vuser group. This isthe default option.

If the Vuser group using the virtual location runs on multiple Load Generators, the specifiedbandwidth is assigned to each Load Generator. It is not shared between Load Generators.

l Individual bandwidth. The network's specified bandwidth is available to each Vuser that uses thenetwork. This option is recommended for Vusers that emulate mobile-based users and home-basedusers because each device has access to the full bandwidth.

Bandwidth allocation limitations

Some Vuser protocols support only the Shared bandwidth mode of bandwidth allocation: Citrix ICA,Java Record Replay, Java Vuser, COM/DCOM, MAPI.

If you specify Individual bandwidth mode for a protocol that does not support this type of bandwidthallocation, the Shared bandwidth mode will be applied when the Vusers run.

When you import NV profile parameters from a file, if the imported file contains recorded bandwidthdata, then the resulting virtual location can use Shared Bandwidth bandwidth allocation only, notIndividual Bandwidth.

See "Set the network virtualization mode" on page 32 for other limitations of these Vuser protocols.

Specify the bandwidth allocation for a virtual location

1. In the LoadRunner Controller or Performance Center, open a virtual location in the VirtualLocation Editor. For details, see "Add and configure virtual locations" on page 29.

2. Display the Runtime settings page.

3. Under Bandwidth Allocation, click one of the available options, Share bandwidth or Individualbandwidth. See above for definitions of each of these options.

4. Click Next to display a summary of the virtual location parameters and runtime settings.




Set packet capture for a virtual location

You can configure LoadRunner or Performance Center to capture the packets that are transferredacross networks while a scenario or test runs. You can then use NV Insights to analyze the capturedpackets. After enabling and configuring packet capture globally for a scenario or test, you can enablepacket capture for the individual virtual locations, as required.

Note:

l Capturing packets is relevant only when a Vuser group (that is associated with a specificvirtual location) contains only a single Vuser.

l You can enable the Capture Packets option for a virtual location only if packet capture hasbeen enabled globally for the scenario or test, using the NV virtual location test level settings.For details, see "Packet Capture" on page 33.

To enable or disable packet capture for a specific virtual location



3. Under Capture Packets, click On to enable packet capture, or Off to disable packet capture for thevirtual location.





Create a local IP filter for a virtual location

Create a filter to exclude IP addresses to which you do not want to apply network virtualization.

Overview

While you run a scenario or test that incorporates network virtualization, LoadRunner or PerformanceCenter applies various network conditions to the networks that are used by the Vusers that run duringthe scenario or test. These network conditions are applied to network traffic to-and-from all loadgenerators that are associated with the virtual locations in the scenario or test.

But what if, for some reason, you do not want to apply network virtualization to traffic associated with aspecific IP address? You can create IP filters that include lists of IP addresses to which you do not wantto apply network virtualization. Network conditions are not applied to network traffic to-or-from aspecific IP address if that IP address is included in the relevant IP filter, either as the source or thedestination of network traffic.

For reasons why you may want to exclude an IP address from network virtualization, see "Excludemachines from network virtualization" on the next page.

In LoadRunner and Performance Center, there are two types of IP filters:

l Global IP filter. A global IP filter is a list of IP addresses to which you do not want to apply networkvirtualization. The global IP filter applies to all virtual locations in the scenario or test. Networkimpairments will not be applied to network traffic if an IP address in the global IP filter is either thesource or the destination of the network traffic.

l Local IP filters. You can create a local IP filter for each virtual location in a scenario or test. The localIP filter includes those IP addresses to which you do not want to apply network virtualization. Theselocally "excluded addresses" are in addition to the IP addresses that are excluded because theyappear in the global IP filter.

Note: A local IP filter applies only to the virtual location with which the local IP filter isassociated.

For details on how to create a local IP filter, see below.



For details on maintaining a global IP filter, see "IP filter" on page 34.

Create a local IP filter



3. In the box under Exclude these IP's, type the IP address that you want to exclude, and then clickthe "+" sign.

4. Repeat the previous step for all the IP addresses you want to exclude.

Note: IP addresses that are included in the global IP filter are displayed in gray.

To remove an IP address from the local IP filter, select the address and click "X".



Exclude machines from network virtualization

In some situations, you may need to exclude certain machines from network virtualization. For example,consider the following real-life situation. Users operate an application that accesses a number of servers.All the servers are located far away from the users, except for a single server that is located close to theusers. When this scenario is emulated in a testing environment, network virtualization should be appliedto all the emulated distant servers, whereas the near-by server should be excluded fromnetworkvirtualization.

To exclude a machine from network virtualization, you add the IP address of the machine to an IP filter.For details, see "IP filter" on page 34 and "Create a local IP filter for a virtual location" on the previouspage.

The following are situations to consider excluding a machine from network virtualization:

l In a multi-protocol scenario or test that includes aWeb server and a database server. If informationfrom the database server is not required as a part of the load test, then you should exclude thedatabase server.

l Deployment and software upgrade servers.

l Servers that run and store scripts on a shared network drive.



Chapter 5: Customize NV integrationsettingsYou can customize various NV settings to meet your needs.

What do you want to do?

• Set the active adapter on NV for Load Generator 48• Change the NV for Controller port 48• Change the NV for Load Generator and NV Network Editor port 49• Set the default maximum packet list buffer size for each load generator 50• Enable the cleanup threshold on NV for Load Generator 51


Set the active adapter on NV for Load GeneratorLoadRunner and Performance Center use the active adapter on each Load Generator to impose therequired network conditions for network virtualization. For each Load Generator machine that hasmorethan one NIC [network interface card], perform the following task on the NV for Load Generatormachine to specify the NIC to be used.

1. On the NV for Load Generator computer, select Start > All Programs > HPE Software > HPENetwork Virtualization > HPE NV for Load Generator > NV Agent. The NVAgent icon appears inthe system tray of the Load Generator machine.

2. Right-click the NVAgent icon and select Active Adapter Settings.

3. In the Active Adapter dialog box, click Set Active Adapter, and select the required NIC.

Change the NV for Controller portBy default, port 8182 is the port number that is used to access NV for Controller, for both LoadRunnerand Performance Center. Although there is typically no need to change the port number, if required,you can change the port number as described below.

Note: Perform the procedure below only if NV for Controller is installed, and NV for LoadGenerator is not installed on the same computer. If both NV for Controller and NV for LoadGenerator are installed on the same computer, see "Change the NV for Load Generator and NVNetwork Editor port" on the next page.

On the NV for Controller computer:

1. Make sure that no tests are running.

2. Make sure that the new port has been allowed in the firewall.

3. Navigate to the following folder: <installation_folder>\conf.

By default, <installation_folder> is C:\ProgramFiles\HPE\NV\.

4. Open the config.properties file in a text editor.

5. Change:

com.shunra.bootstrapper.port=<current port number>

to

com.shunra.bootstrapper.port=<new port number>

6. Save the file.

7. Restart the HPE Network Virtualization service (NVWatchDogService).


User Guide for LoadRunner & Performance CenterChapter 5: Customize NV integration settings



9. Right-click the License.urlfile and select Properties. In the URL, replace the old port number with thenew port number.

10. In all browser shortcuts to the License Manager, replace the old port number with the new portnumber.

Change the NV for Load Generator and NVNetwork Editor portBy default, port 8182 is the port number that is used by a browser to access the NVNetwork Editor, andthe port number that is used to access the NV for Load Generator component. Although there istypically no need to change the port number, if required, you can change the port number as describedbelow.

For details on how to change the NV for Controller port number, see "Change the NV for Controllerport" on the previous page.

On each computer on which the NV for Load Generator or NV Network Editor areinstalled:

1. Make sure that no tests are running.

2. Make sure that the new port has been allowed in the firewall.



4. Open the vcat.properties file in a text editor.

5. Change:

com.shunra.vcat.port=<current port number>

to

com.shunra.vcat.port=<new port number>

6. Save the file.

7. Open the config.properties file in a text editor.

8. Change:

com.shunra.bootstrapper.port=<current port number>

to

com.shunra.bootstrapper.port=<new port number>



9. Navigate to the following folder: <installation_folder>\lib\shunra\vcat\.


10. Open the NVAgent.exe.config file in a text editor.

11. Search for and replace 8182 (or the current port) with the new port number.

12. Restart the Network Virtualization service (NVWatchDogService).



14. Right-click the file Network Editor.url and select Properties. In the URL, replace the old port numberwith the new port number.

15. Right-click the file License.url and select Properties. In the URL, replace the old port number withthe new port number.

16. In all browser shortcuts to the NVNetwork Editor, replace the old port number with the new portnumber.

Set the default maximum packet list buffer size foreach load generatorYou can specify that when a LoadRunner or Performance Center test runs, that the network packetsthat are transmitted across the network are captured, and stored in a buffer for future analysis. The NVCommon Settings let you specify the maximum size of the packet list buffer that is available for eachload generator in a scenario or a test. For details, see "Define virtual location test level settings" on page32. You can specify the default maximumpacket list buffer size that is applied to each new scenario ortest.

Packet capture is configured within a virtual location. One of the packet capture settings you configurein a virtual location is the maximum size of the packet list. For details, see "Define virtual location testlevel settings" on page 32.

When using the option to generate NV Insights reports in VuGen, the maximumpacket list size isdefined by the PacketListMaxSizeMB property, in the NV configuration file. You can modify themaximumbuffer size as described below.

To modify the default maximum packet list buffer size:

1. Stop all network virtualization tests that are currently running.



3. Open the file userConfiguration.xml file in a text editor.

4. Locate the PacketListMaxSizeMB property, and set it to the required value.

The permitted range is 10 - 1,000MB.

5. Save the file.

6. Restart the HPE Network Virtualization service (NVWatchDogService).



Enable the cleanup threshold on NV for LoadGeneratorThe NV cleanup threshold is a mechanism for deleting NV packet lists saved on the NV for LoadGenerator to free up disk space.

Test results are saved in the NV for Load Generator's Data folder, as defined during setup. The Datafolder is located by default in \%programdata%\HPE\NV\Emulation\Runs.

When starting a test, if the defined free disk threshold on the NV for Load Generator isn't met, the testresults folders will be deleted one by one from the oldest until the threshold is restored, or until onlytwo folders are left. If only two folders are left and the threshold wasn't restored and the test does notstart on the Load Generator, consider deleting unnecessary data or reducing the threshold.

The cleanup threshold is 3 times that of the packet list size that is defined on the NV for LoadGenerator. For details on customizing the packet list size, see "Set the default maximumpacket listbuffer size for each load generator" on the previous page.

By default the cleanup threshold mechanism is disabled. You can enable it on each machine whereNV for Load Generator is installed.

1. Stop all network virtualization tests that are currently running.



3. Open the file userConfiguration.xml file in a text editor.

4. Locate the IsCleanupEnabled property, and set it to true.

5. Save the file.

6. Restart the Network Virtualization service (NVWatchDogService).



Chapter 6: AnalyticsThis section describes the various NV reports.

NV InsightsThis comprehensive network analysis report provides information about how your application performsover various types of networks (virtual locations). This standalone HTML report covers all of theworkload groups in a single report.

The NV Insights opens to the dashboard, which provides a high-level report summary and serves as alanding page fromwhich to drill down into the multiple sub-reports.

For details, see "NV Insights Report" below.

NV Insights for VuGenThe NV Insights report consists of multiple sub-reports, each displaying different aspects of networkdata captured during the replay of a Vuser script.

See also:The following sub-reports are included in all NV Insights reports.

l Transaction Overview

l "HTTP Waterfall" on page 62

l "Resource Analysis" on page 74

l Errors

l "Endpoint Latencies" on page 79

l General Waterfall

l "Summaries" on page 61

l "Optimization Recommendations" on page 73

NV Insights ReportNV Insights is a comprehensive network analysis report that shows you how your application performsover various types of networks (virtual locations).

PrerequisitesBefore using NV Insights, ensure the following:

l Network Virtualization is installed on theWindows load generator machine (NV Insights is notsupported on Linux load generators).

l When adding virtual locations, Virtual Location Mode is set to Per Group.


l Enable Packet Capture is selected under Common Settings in the Virtual Location Editor.

l The following protocols are available: Flex, SAP Web, Siebel Web, TruClient-Firefox, TruClient-Internet Explorer, and Web HTTP/HTML.

l Only socket-based scripts are supported for NV Insights report.

NV Insights report overview

By emulating the networks you specify, NV Insights lets you:

l Compare transaction duration over several networks.

l Identify transactions that are sensitive to slower networks.

l Analyze the reasons for poor transaction performance.

l Identify resources, servers, and errors that might impact your application's performance.

l Optimize your application's performance by following the recommendations provided in the report.

You have full control over what NV analyzes. You configure the groups to include in the report byselecting the NV Insights check box in LoadRunner's Scenario Scripts pane or Performance Center'sGroups & Workloads view > Groups area.

After running a test, you can open the report from the results. This report is suitable for variousaudiences and is divided into multiple sections, enabling you or others to drill down and focus onspecific interests.

View a sample report | Download a sample report

User Guide for LoadRunner & Performance CenterChapter 6: Analytics


https://s3.amazonaws.com/nvcloud-public/NVInsightsExampleReport/index.html

https://s3.amazonaws.com/nvcloud-public/NVInsightsExampleReport/NVInsights+Example+Report.zip

To open the NV Insights report:

From... Do this...

VuGen Select Results > NV Insights.

Performance Center Select the analyzed run in the upper table and click NV Insights.

You can also download a standalone HTML report, which is packaged in a .zip file. This makes it easy toshare with others. Save the file on your local machine and extract the files to view the pages. The filesmust be saved locally to display correctly.

To download the NV Insights report .zip file:

From... Do this...

VuGen Copy the URL from the browser, navigate to the parent folder, and create a .zipfile.

PerformanceCenter

Select the zipped run report in the lower table and click Download.

What does the NV Insights report include?The "Dashboard" on the next page (available for Controller only) provides test- and script-relatedsummary information, such as analysis coverage, network impact statistics, optimization gradebreakdowns, and transaction distribution by script. From the script list on the dashboard, you can drilldown to the network analysis for specific transactions.

By drilling down, you can view and filter graphs and tables that illustrate how networks impact thetransactions in your applications, including transaction duration over different virtual locations andtotal throughput.

The interactive sidebar highlights graph statistics, including network impact range and optimizationgrades indicating application efficiency and performance.

From a transaction, you can drill down even more to the resources and view analyses and optimizationrecommendations to improve your application's performance over slow networks.

For a full list of what's available, click a link in the See also, below.

See also:l "Dashboard" on the next page

l Transaction Overview

l "HTTP Waterfall" on page 62


l Errors




l General Waterfall

l "Summaries" on page 61


DashboardThemain page of the NV Insights report provides a dashboard showing summary information for theworkload and each of its group's scripts. The impact of different networks on transaction duration isclearly illustrated, as are optimization grades that include links to optimization recommendations foryour applications.

The dashboard is available for tests run fromLoadRunner Controller and Performance CenterController.

Start time

The start date and time of the run.

Analysis coverage

Selected scripts. The total number of unique scripts included in the report.

Virtual locations. The total number of unique virtual locations included in the report. A virtual locationcan represent a geographical location, such as London, or a mobile network type, such as 4G.

Selected groups. The total number of groups that were selected for NV Insights analysis. NetworkVirtualization analyzes every group for which the NV Insights check box was selected when defining thegroups to include in the run. The NV Insights check box is located in:

l LoadRunner: Scenario Scripts pane

l Performance Center: Groups area of the Groups & Workloads view



Transaction status

Transaction status shows the total number of transactions that passed, failed, or did not run (wereskipped).

A skipped transaction is a transaction that ran successfully (regardless of the pass/fail status) on atleast one network, but did not run on at least one other network. For example, a transaction may haverun successfully both without network emulation and over 4G, but did not run over 3G, for somereason.

Transactions with errors displays the number of transactions that had errors, regardless of theirpass/fail status.

Data regarding the pass/fail status, and the number of transactions that ran with errors, is receiveddirectly from the testing tool, such as VuGen.

Visibility:

l The black area at the top of the page shows the transaction status for all transactions in entire test.

l Under Transaction distribution by script and virtual location, you can see the transaction status forthe transactions in each script.

Click to open the Transaction Overview page for more details and to drill down.

Network impact

Network impact illustrates the effect of networks on transaction duration.



Click anywhere in this box to show/hide a bar displaying the number of transactions in each range in thetest, as well as howmuch longer it took to run the transactions with virtual locations than it took to runthemwithout. The time is displayed as a percentage range. For example:

Example: If a transaction ran:

l 10 seconds without a virtual location

l 12 seconds with a virtual location

The network impact percentage would be "Up to 25% longer than baseline" because it took 20%longer to run the transaction with a virtual location.

If a transaction ran:

l 10 seconds without a virtual location

l 25 seconds with a virtual location

The network impact percentage would be "Over 200% longer than baseline" because it tookmore than twice as long to run the transaction with a virtual location.

Determining network impact

During a LoadRunner or Performance Center run session, Network Virtualization runs two additionaliterations with one Vuser on every group for which the NV Insights check box is selected.

The first iteration on each group runs without virtual locations at the beginning of the test. This createsa baseline indicating how long transactions in a script take without network emulation. If the samescript was included in more than one group, the baseline represents the minimum time it took to runthe script's transactions on all groups running that script.

Later in the test, Network Virtualization runs an additional iteration on every group using the specifiedvirtual locations. This is know as the analysis run. Analysis runs emulate real-world networks and candiffer greatly frombaseline runs.



The resulting response time gap between the baseline and analysis runs is the network impact. Thisindicates how network properties impact your application. The smaller the time gap, the better yourapplication is optimized.

Transactions with virtual locations

The highlighted numbers represent the number of transactions that ran with virtual locations(emulating networks) out of (/) the total number of transactions. For example, 10/22 indicates that outof a total of 22 transactions, 10 ran with emulated networks.

Donut Chart

Summary of all transactions selected for NV Insights analysis. Each colored piece represents the totalnumber of transactions that ran within a specific network impact range. Ranges for successfultransactions that ran with network emulation are shown as percentages (%) above or below the baselinetransaction duration.

Hover over the pieces in the chart to view the highlighted network impact ranges.



Visibility:

l The black area at the top of the page shows the network impact for all transactions in entire test.

l Under Transaction distribution by script and virtual location, you can see the network impact forthe transactions in each script.

Optimization grades

Optimization grades indicate how well your application's transactions perform. Grades range fromA-F.The higher the grade, the better your transaction is optimized.

Click anywhere in the box to see howmany transactions there are for each grade.

Importance of optimization

Optimized applications perform better and run faster and more efficiently. For example, two web pagesthat look exactly the same can load at very different speeds if one of the pages is optimized and the



other is not.

As part of the analysis process, NV Insights provides recommendations for optimizing your applicationso that network emulation is as efficient as possible. Each action is measured against accepted industrystandards as well as Micro Focus's enhanced best practices to detect performance issues.

Grading transactions

Each transaction is given a score comparing the transaction to programming best practices, as well aspriority, based on the potential performance improvement to be obtained if the recommendation isimplemented. The scores are totaled and converted to grades, based on the level of compliance, where'A' is the most compliant.

Bar chart

Each bar is a different color, representing a grade.Hover over a bar to see howmany transactionsreceived a particular grade.

Visibility:

l The black area at the top of the page shows theoptimization grades for all transactions in entiretest.

l Under Transaction distribution by script and virtual location, you can see the optimization gradesfor the transactions in each script.

Transaction distribution by script and virtual location

This area lists all of the scripts that were included in the run.

Click a script to drill down and view transaction details.

For each script, the following is displayed:



l "Transaction status" on page 56. The status of each transaction in the script.

l Virtual location. The number of transactions for each virtual location. Click the mobile/desktop iconto toggle between mobile and desktop results. Notice how this affects other data.

l Network impact. The number of transactions that ran with virtual locations (emulating networks) outof (/) the total number of transactions.

The pieces in the donut chart indicate the total number of transactions that ran within a specificnetwork impact range.

Click anywhere in this area to show/hide a bar displaying the number of transactions in each range inthe script, as well as howmuch longer it took to run the transactions with virtual locations than ittook to run themwithout.

l Optimization grades. Notice how the grades change when you click the mobile/desktop toggle. Clickanywhere in this area to show/hide a bar displaying the number of transactions that received eachoptimization grade.

Help button

Click to learn more about the terms used in this report and to access this Help. The embedded pages areincluded with the report. This ensures that anyone that accesses a report can learn more about it, evenwhen offline.

Next steps:l Transaction Overview

l "HTTP Waterfall" on the next page


l Errors


l General Waterfall

l "Summaries" below


SummariesDisplays the Client Network Server Breakdown of the action and variousmetrics.



Protocols

The following protocols are included in the summary:

l HTTP

l SSL (secure communication)

l HLS (HTTP Live Streaming)

l TCP

l UDP

Note: The side bar may be different depending on the testing tool fromwhich NV Insights wasgenerated.

Duration Breakdown

The values for the fields shown in each pie are:

l Client: Portion of time that the client process ran (does not include time waiting for a serverresponse)

l Connect: Portion of time in which the client connects to the server, such as the request in TCP or SSLhandshake (the establishment of a secure channel)

l Transmission: Portion of time data was downloaded or uploaded

l Response wait: Portion of time spent waiting for the server’s response

Metrics

l Total throughput: The total amount of transmitted data (KB)

l Packet overhead: The percentage of the total bytes per protocol used by non-data elements

l Total packets: Total number of packets associated with the protocol

l Application turns: The number of times a communication flow change occurs from the request to theresponse, per protocol

l KB per turn: The average of the throughput per application turn, per protocol

HTTP WaterfallThe HTTP Waterfall page includes both a graph and a table. The graph displays throughput values. Thetable displays the list of requests and resources sent over the network. Using this information, you canlocate bottlenecks in your application and address them accordingly.

General analysis

The following image shows an example of the HTTP Waterfall page fromVuGen:



You can:

l Click a resource to see more details.

l Click any of the table headers to sort the table according to the column.

The table displays the list of requests and resources sent over the network, in the order that theywere loaded.

l Highlight a section of the throughput graph to view only that section's details in the table.



Item Description

Graph Visual display of emulated network transaction time.

Drag the handles to focus on a specific time frame in the timeline. Onlythe resources within the selected time frame are then displayed in the table.

Click a resource in the table to highlight the associated section of the graph.

Filter Filters the resources that are included in the report.

Columns

Highlight Click to highlight other resources in the table that were downloaded:

l From the same host

l During the same session

Code The HTTP status code, such as 404 (page not found) or 200 (OK).



Item Description

Optimization Indicates that there are recommendations that you can perform to improveperformance.

Switch between desktop and mobile views to see mode-specificoptimization suggestions.

Resource The resource that was downloaded. Hover over the resource to see the fullpath.

Type The type of resource that was downloaded. Possible types:

Host The host fromwhich the resource was downloaded.

IP The IP address of the host fromwhich the resource was downloaded.

Size The response body size (bytes).

Time Response time in milliseconds.

Page The URL of the web page fromwhich the resource was downloaded.

Relevant only for TruClient.

Timeline The position of the resource in the timeline. Hover over a timeline to see thestart timestamp.

HTTP Metrics

Click a row to view the following for the selected resource. The graph highlights the time frame.

Request Headers The request header details.

Response Headers The response header details.

TimelineBreakdown

Breakdown of the time taken for the resource to be processed.

Resource Displays the resource's full URL and a link to the resource.

Optimizations Recommendations for optimizing the selected resource.

TruClient analysis

The following image shows an example of the HTTP Waterfall page for a TruClient script:



In addition to the data on network traffic, you can also view the client-side breakdown, enabling you to:

l inspect events in the client as they correlate to the network calls

l analyze which steps in the client triggered network traffic

l understand how slow resources impacted the events in the client

Examine an entire transaction, or focus on and analyze a single page.

This section includes:

l "Client events graph" below

l "Client-side breakdown popup" on page 68

l "How to examine the client-side breakdown data" on page 70

l "HTTP Waterfall Toolbar" on page 73

Client events graph

The client-side data breakdown can help you measure the quality of the user experience on yourapplication.

The bar below the graph indicates the duration that each visited page was open during the transaction.



Each page is displayed in a unique color.

l Shaded section – the time during which the page received resources.

l Clear section – the page remained open but there was no network traffic.

You can track the following client events. Learn how

Item Description

Start render The point in time, after the client request was sent, when something was firstdisplayed to the client screen.

DOM loaded The point in time when the HTML document is loaded, but before images, stylesheets, and subframes on the page are fully loaded.

Pageloaded

The point in time when the HTML document is loaded, including images, style sheets,and subframes.

Client events for a page are indicated by lines in the same color, according to the legend.



For example, by hovering over the dotted line in the graph, you can see data for the DOM loaded event:

This example shows a transaction that included navigation through multiple pages in one window:

Duration bars, displayed under the graph one on top of another, represent traffic in separate browsertabs or windows. In this example, three browser tabs or windows are open:

Client-side breakdown popup

When you click a page on the bar, a popup opens with data for all client actions and events (see examplebelow).

You can explore which network calls occurred before or after each client event, and isolate the resourcesthat need to be optimized in order to shorten the client loading time.



Popup Item Description

Page title The URL of the selected page.

Duration The time during which the page received resources, and the total time the page wasopen during the transaction.

Show onlythis page

Displays data for the selected page only in the graph and table.

To return to the full transaction view, click Exit zoom in the toolbar at the topof the page.

Steps Lists all client actions that were performed while that web page was open, such asclicking a link or filling in a form field.

l Click a step to view the relevant section marked in the timeline in the graph andtable.

l Click the image on the right to view a snapshot of the page captured duringthe selected step.



Popup Item Description

LoadingProcess

Loading times for each client event.

How to examine the client-side breakdown data

l Click or hover over a client event in the throughput graph and see an indicator in the Timeline columnof the table.

For example, click the Dom Loaded event in the throughput graph, and see where it falls in thetimeline.



Tip: Click one event and then hover over another to compare the two events in the Timeline.

l Click a page on the bar to display a popup with data on all client actions and events.



For more details, see "Client-side breakdown popup" on page 68.

l Click a step in the popup and see an indicator below the graph of relevant section, and in the timeline.You can also see the network calls that were performed during that step.

For more details, see "Client-side breakdown popup" on page 68.

l To identify potentially problematic issues, consider the following:



l Does the Start render event occur a relatively long time after the first page request was sent?

l Is there a particularly long gap between the time the last resource was received and any event?

HTTP Waterfall Toolbar

Option Description

Clear Markers Removes the event indicator line and other markers from the graph andtable.

Zoom

To display a section of the graph in greater detail, drag the markers asneeded and click Fit to zoom .

To return to the full transaction view, click Exit zoom .

Client information Show or hide client-side information in the report.

Filter Filter the resources that are displayed in the report according to pages orevents.

Optimization RecommendationsAs part of the analysis process, NV provides recommendations for optimizing network traffic in yourscript so that your application can perform as efficiently as possible.

There are many factors beyond bandwidth and latency that affect the speed at which network requestsare fulfilled. For example, two web pages that look exactly the same can load at very different speeds ifone of the pages is optimized and the other is not.

To detect performance issues, each transaction is measured against accepted industry standards as wellas Micro Focus's enhanced best practices.



The Optimization Recommendation page shows:

l A specific category for each best-practice

l Individual best-practice violations in each category

l Optimization recommendations for each category

l A grade for each category

l A total optimization grade for the entire transaction. The higher your grade, the better yourtransaction is optimized.

The optimization rules differ slightly between desktop and mobile clients. In the sidebar, you can clickthe Desktop or Mobile toggle to switch between the clients.

Note: Not every recommendation will be suitable to your environment. The recommendations inthe report are not a replacement for a full investigation of each case.

Individual numeric scores:

Prioritization emphasizes which transactionsmost affect the results. Each recommendation is weighted,based on the potential performance improvement to be obtained if the recommendation is performed,and is displayed in a negative numeric point value. For example, an individual score of -8 points indicatesthat non-compliance with the specific recommendation more significantly affects transaction responsetime than non-compliance with another recommendation that received a score of -2 points.

Letter grades:

In addition, a value fromA - F is provided, indicating level of compliance with the best practice, with Frepresenting the lowest level of compliance.

You can:

l Click the optimization rule to see which resource is not compliant with the rule.

l Click a resource to open the resource in the HTTP Waterfall.

Resource AnalysisThe Resource Analysis page displays information about the resources that were downloaded during thetransaction. You can use this page to identify potentially problematic issues in your transactions.



View resources by type and subtype

These charts, at the top of the page, provide a summary of the downloaded resources.

l "Resources by type" below

l "View resources by size and download time" on the next page

Resources by type

In the chart on the left, hover over a section of a donut chart to view details. For each resource type, thequantity, relative quantity, total size, and relative total size are displayed.

The percentage represents the relative size of the selected section out of the total number of resourcesthat were downloaded.

Consider the following when looking at this graph:

l Do the resource typesmatch your expectations?

l Are the relative sizes of each type as expected?

Resources by subtype

Suppose that a resource type is defined as code. A subtype of that resource might be HTML or CSS.

The subtype chart on the right lists each resource subtype (in the Name column), as well as the resourcetype, the total number of downloaded instances of the subtype, and the total size of downloadedinstances.

The right-most column displays a graphical representation of the relative size of the resource subtypeas compared to all resource subtypes in the transaction.

In the following example, the JavaScript code is a much larger part of the transaction than CSS code.



You can sort the table by any column.

View resources by size and download time

These graphs let you explore the largest resources.

When looking at your graphs, check whether the resources with the longest download times are also thelargest resources. Closely examine resources that are inconsistent. A relatively small resource with a longdownload timemight indicate an issue that needs to be addressed. For example, it could indicate that itis taking a long time to process the request on the server before it is sent back to the client.

Look at the By Size graph. Are there large resources that you did not expect? You might want to reviewoptimization recommendations that can help to reduce the size of those resources.

In the By Download Time graph, look at the resources with the longest download time . You might wantto review optimization recommendations that can help to shorten the download time of thoseresources.

Example

In the following example, you can see that the resource with the slowest download time is actually arelatively small resource—the 60th largest out of 68 resources.



The black line on the By Size graph, which marks the resource location, is located in the right part of thegraph, while the black line in the By Download Time graph is located on the left part of the graph. Thisindicates that it took a long time from themoment we sent the request until we finished downloadingthe response.

Note: Depending on your screen resolution, these graphs display either the 32 or 17 resourceswith the largest sizes and longest download times.

Hover over a bar in the graph and notice the following:

l A vertical line (the yellow line in the example below) in the upper graph represents the relativelocation of the bar you have selected in the lower graph.

l The resource bar you select in the By Size graph is also highlighted in the By Download Time graph(and vice versa).

Click a bar in the graph in either graph to displaymore details in a popup.

Item Description

Title Resource type and name, and a link to open the resource's URL.

Resource size Size of the actual resource, such as an image, or JavaScript code.



Item Description

Order byresource size

The position of the selected resource among all resources in the transaction,ordered from largest to smallest.

For example, 10/150 indicates the 10th largest resource out of the 150 resourcesin the transaction.

Request size/Response size. The total request size includes both the header andthe body.

Transferreddata

Total size of transferred data. This includes both the request and the response.

Order bydownload time

The position of the selected resource among all resources in the transaction,ordered from longest to shortest download times.

For example, 4/150 indicates the resource with the 4th longest download time outof the 150 resources in the transaction.

Request time. The time spent sending the network request.

Wait time. The time spent waiting for the initial response. This is also know as theTime to First Byte. This value includes the time spent on the round trip to theserver, and the time spent waiting for the server to deliver the response.

Response time. The time spent receiving the response data.

Totaldownload time

Total time for downloading the resource, including request, wait, and responsetimes.

Opens the HTTP Waterfall page and displays optimization recommendations forimproving the application.

Filter the displayed data.

Click the Filter button and expand a category to select the resource types you want todisplay. The filter impacts only the By Size and By Download Time graphs.

View resources by page

From the top-left corner of the page, under the Resource Analysis header, you can select a page fromthe drop-down list to view data for a specific web page that was accessed during the transaction.

Note: Relevant for TruClient scripts only.



Endpoint LatenciesThe Endpoint Latencies page displays details of the latency observed at the client and server endpoints.

l Source: The source IP address

l Destination: The destination IP address

l URL/IP: The URL or IP address of the server

l Average (ms): The average value observed in the packet capture

l Min (ms): Theminimumvalue observed in the packet capture

l 5th percentile (ms): Theminimumvalue observed in the packet capture, not including outermostconditions

l 95th percentile (ms): Themaximumvalue observed in the packet capture, not including outermostconditions

l Max (ms): Themaximumvalue observed in the packet capture

l Sample Count: The number of packets used in the calculation of the latency



Note: The side bar may be different depending on the testing tool fromwhich NV Insights wasgenerated.



Appendix: Network Virtualization—StandaloneThis Guide provides information on Network Virtualization in LoadRunner and Performance Center.But maybe you have different testing needs.

Are you looking for a standalone network virtualization testing tool for Windows and Linux systemsthat enables you to:

l test both web and mobile applications

l automate testing while integrating with other Micro Focus testing tools, including Mobile Center(MC), Unified Functional Testing (UFT), and Service Virtualization (SV)

l use Network Virtualization in bridge/router mode to impair traffic between servers (virtual appliance)

l fully integrate Network Virtualization within a CI process using the NV Jenkins plugin

Network Virtualization is a network emulation software solution that enables your organization to testapplication performance under a variety of current and potential network conditions. This is an idealsolution for your development, testing, and networking teams, as well as any users who need to quicklyand accurately understand whether their code or application is ready for the network and remote endusers.

To learn more about the Network Virtualization standalone application, or for any other NetworkVirtualization assistance, go to the Network Virtualization Help Center(https://admhelp.microfocus.com/nv).


https://admhelp.microfocus.com/nv

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