How does LoadRunner choose a protocol?
To include a program in LoadRunner, you must first choose the correct protocol or protocols that the client and server will use to communicate. Before Micro Focus discontinued Protocol Advisor, choosing the protocol was a bit easier. Now you must determine the best protocol for you. For this reason, you must know the type, architecture, and network protocol of the application that is used for communication.
Many programs use application layer protocols in addition to network protocols. In that case, the correct protocol must be chosen to log the request. You may need to mix the protocols to capture each request.
Important considerations when using the LoadRunner protocol for scripts
- Application Type – You need to consider the type of application, whether it is a stand-alone, online, mobile, or Internet of Things (IoT) application. Once you access the application and run it manually, you can quickly understand its type.
- Architecture: The application architecture or development team can give you more information about the architecture. They can determine if the application has a Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, or multi-tier architecture. Most programs accept the HTTP/HTML Web protocol and have a tier 3 or multi-tier design.
- Network/Application Layer Protocol – You need to collect data to determine if an application is sending requests over TCP/IP or another higher-level protocol.
- Platform: refers to the technology on which an application is built, such as Java, .NET, Flex, Web Services, etc.
Alternative method: Alternative method:
- For a web application: If you only have a limited understanding of the above information, you can try capturing the flow by selecting the HTTP/HTML web protocol from the selection. If you are experiencing a recording issue, please refer to the LoadRunner community for a solution. To handle recording you can also use the multiprotocol option.
- For web services: You can immediately load the XML or URL of the web service and write the script. An explicit inclusion is not required for web services.
- For mobile and IoT applications: LoadRunner offers specific protocols and supports recording for both types of applications. Just use these protocols to develop a script for recording purposes.
Multiple protocols versus a single protocol
When you start VuGen, click on “File” in the top menu bar, select “New Script and Solution” and a popup box will appear with a list of all protocols. The following options are available in the “Category” section (Figure 01):
- Solitary IoT Protocol
- popular
- recently
- a protocol
- Multi-protocol technologies
(Figure 01)
All LoadRunner-supported protocols are included in the Single Protocol category. Just choose the right one to start scripting.
Only the chosen protocols are displayed in the Multiple Protocols category. Other unsupported protocols are disabled when you choose one. For example Web: The HTTP/HTML protocol will be blocked if you use the Flex protocol. You can choose more than one protocol for an application using the Multiple Protocols feature while you are still scripting.
