Rational Software Inc used Microsoft’s Developer Days 98 conference to launch PerformanceStudio: a piece of software designed to enable companies to test its enterprise resource planning (ERP), web-based and database applications. The software works by recording a piece of user’s activity, (for example saving a file to a database or accessing a web page) scaling it up to a given, larger, number of users, and playing it back to monitor the effect on performance. It is designed for in-house developers or large corporate organizations to test out the durability and scalability of their software before rolling it out across enterprises. The Cupertino California-based company says its new web-based testing tool delivers four new technological advances over previous application testing tools. The four features are: ClientSmart Pacing, DataSmart Recording, LoadSmart Scheduling and ServerSmart Playback. DataSmart Recording automatically generates test scripts using variables and compares the variables to actual test data sets. Rational says the resulting test strips, when played back, feature unique data for each virtual user. ClientSmart Pacing is a feature that reproduces live application performance and provides a breakdown of application delays due to users, CPU processing or server response time. LoadSmart Scheduling takes the testing procedure one step further and enables developers to graphically model lots of complex user scenarios (test scripts for the accountancy department, the clerks, the receptionist and so on) and look at the overall effect on performance as well as being able to generate what Rational calls what if scenarios, whereby you change the mix of scenarios to see the effect. ServerSmart Playback is used to capture server response when playing back web page content that often changes, for example a web site with daily or hourly updates. Performance Studio is available from next month with a starting price of $10,000 when configured for web server testing or $30,000 configured for database and ERP server testing.
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