Defining performance requirements in transactions

You can define performance requirements for transactions in a test. These requirements specify acceptable thresholds of performance for transactions and validate service level agreements.

Before you begin

Add a transaction to the test. See Adding a transaction.

About this task

For example, you might define that the login action should take between 1-2 seconds and the check-out action should take between 4-5 seconds. If the response time is outside of these threshold values, the Performance Requirements report will display the results. You define a performance requirement as standard or supplemental. A standard performance requirement is a requirement that you determine as significant enough to cause the entire run to be declared a failure if it fails. A supplemental performance requirement, although important, is not significant enough to cause the run to fail.

Procedure

  1. Select a transaction in the test and in the Transaction Details area, click the Advance tab.
  2. Select the Enable Performance Requirements checkbox.
  3. Click the performance requirement to define, and add a definition, as follows:
    Option Description
    Name You can change the name of a performance requirement to improve readability. However, changing a requirement name causes a mismatch between the Performance Requirements report, which uses the changed name, and the other reports, which use the default name. Therefore, when you change a requirement name, be sure to keep track of the original name.
    Operator Click to select an operator.
    Value Type a value.
    Standard

    Select to make the requirement standard.

    A standard requirement can cause a test to have a verdict of fail. Clear to make the requirement supplemental. In general, supplemental requirements are used for requirements that are tracked internally. A supplemental requirement cannot cause a run to fail, and supplemental results are restricted to two pages of the Performance Requirements report.
  4. Optionally, apply the requirements to the other transactions in the test:
    1. In the Requirements table, right-click the requirement row, and select Copy Requirements.
    2. Select the transaction to apply requirements, and in the Requirements table right-click a requirement row and select Apply Requirements.
  5. Optionally, to remove the definitions of a requirement, right-click a requirement and click Clear.

What to do next

Now, run the test and see the Performance Requirements report.