Overview of the Apica Load Test Solution

Owned by Admin Istrator (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Jul 10, 2024 by Caleb Miller
5 min read

The Apica Load Test (ALT) solution provides everything necessary to create, test, and analyze the capacity and performance of web and cloud applications. Broadly speaking, ALT can be considered a performance management platform which can be used together with one or several script creation tools. ALT utilizes a stable world-wide network which allows organizations to:

  • Know capacity limits for holiday sales, media spikes, product/event announcements, and the unexpected;

  • Optimize cloud and hybrid-cloud deployments by selectively scaling component services;

  • Proactively address weak points as part of a plan instead of a costly crisis after the fact; and

  • Satisfy many more use cases

Flexible pricing and expert professional service options provide the most cost-effective range of load test solutions available.

 

The following video serves as an excellent reference for users who are new to the ALT solution.

The ALT Process

The process of creating and uploading a script within ALT includes the following steps:

  1. Script the test (Script)

  2. Configure the test parameters (Setup)

  3. Compile the script into a format which can be understood and run by the ALT platform (Build)

  4. Run the script within the platform (Run)

  5. Analyze the script results using a feature-rich GUI (Analyze)

  6. Run reports and distribute to necessary decision makers (Report)

Reasons to Utilize ALT

Features

With Apica Load Test you can create your own (HTTP/S) load test scripts, run them in the portal, store them in the repository, and then compare results and create reports.

Everything is accessed through a typical browser, so it's not necessary to download or use any local software. You can upload, create, and load test scripts via the portal and select different geographic test clusters to run your test.

Cloud Deployment

Successful cloud application deployments require knowing how your cloud service provider operates. Redundancy, performance scalability, dynamic instance creation, failover, and other features vary by cloud providers like Amazon, Azure, or RackSpace.

Apica LoadTest and expert professional services guide you through load balancing, cache, and other system configuration settings based on test results, best practices, and industry expertise.

Control

Generating loads are easy. The real challenge is accurately controlling and recording the effects of your load tests consistently over time.

Accurate, repeatable results lead to real performance improvement. Apica LoadTest lets you know exactly how many concurrent users you can handle before response times degrade or systems crash.

Apica LoadTest provides unmatched control over your load test and Web performance experience.

Mobile

Leverage Apica’s extensive load testing experience in desktop and mobile markets to shave seconds off mobile response times and maximize profit margins.

Apica LoadTest provides a complete online load testing platform for mobile devices. The powerful solution delivers crucial insight into how mobile devices access and use the Web Service API, how the backend scales under load, and how individual devices perform when stressed.

  • Discover backend and transaction code issues with Apica’s exclusive backend API / machine agent instrumentation, which is fully integrated into the Apica LoadTest SaaS portal.

  • Easily test by device-type (iPhone, Android, iPad, or Windows) using native tests that capture the exact response patterns for each device.

  • High volume tests can be mixed and match with the desired device mix.

  • Full HTTP/HTTPS support means all you need to do is provide the application and user journey scenario. All specific device traffic is easily captured using the recording proxy. You can even reuse scripts for use with ongoing performance monitoring.

  • Apica Mobile test also supports native Mobile Applications, Smart TV Applications, and gaming consoles like PS4, Xbox One, Wii U.

Service Options

From one-off projects to large-scale process improvement initiatives, Apica LoadTest offers service options to meet unique needs.

  • Full-Service Project: Engage Apica experts to design, script, and execute tests while configuring the platform and working with your team to analyze and improve performance

  • Self Service Portal: Access the Apica LoadTest platform on-demand and Apica’s network for continuous testing on a subscription basis, by the month.

  • Apica ZebraTester Tool, AWS Cloud: License our professional load test software for skilled test teams to directly script, run and analyze test results by the hour using AWS cloud services or Apica’s network for greater load-source control.

User Load From Premium Network

Proper cloud application testing requires real user loads to be generated from outside your cloud vendor’s own network.

Apica’s unmatched premium load test network ensures you see true latency, load balancing, and other effects from real-world load sources originating from different geo-profiles with up to 2,000,000 concurrent users.

Components of ALT

ALT is a solution consisting of two components, but even though both products are useful by themselves, they should be considered and used as an integrated whole in order to get the most out of load testing. With this integration, scripts and results can be uploaded and downloaded freely between ZebraTester and Apica Load Test:

 

1. Performance Management with the Apica Load Test Portal

The Apica LoadTest provides everything necessary for you to create, test, and analyze the capacity and performance of your web and cloud applications.

  • Managed Infrastructure

  • Execution/Scheduling

  • Reporting/Analysis

  • Collaboration Storage

2. Script Creation with ZebraTester

Apica ZebraTester is an enterprise-grade load and stress-testing product trusted by some of the world’s largest organizations. It’s also easy to use and get started.

  • Create Load Test Scripts

  • Debug & Troubleshoot

  • Dynamic Logic

  • Advanced Functionality

  • Convert Scripts

 

 

 

 

Third-Party Integrations

Apica has a growing list of third-party integrations (e.g. AWS Code Pipeline, TeamCity, Jenkins, Azure DevOps) that is maintained here.

Use Cases

Apica LoadTest can be used on its own, without ZebraTester scenarios, for many important tasks. However, when ZebraTester is used together with Apica LoadTest, additional benefits are gained:

  • Easily create advanced scenarios by using ZebraTester and utilize Apica's network of agents to generate the load.

  • Manage all your scenarios within the portal for easier project management.

  • Integrate directly with the Apica LoadTest in ZebraTester for easy management of scenarios and results.

ZebraTester Use Cases

You can use Apica ZebraTester in a standalone mode, running within your own infrastructure or with the Apica LoadTest for advanced features with your team and continuous testing.

Working Locally

Apica ZebraTester is an enterprise-grade load and stress-testing product trusted by many of the world’s largest organizations. It’s easy to use and get started with load testing by using Apica ZebraTester.

Apica ZebraTester executes web load tests up to nearly unlimited levels at a depth unparalleled by other testing tools. A powerful GUI allows you to create sophisticated, custom load test scripts easily and intuitively.

 

Cannot find what you're looking for? Send an E-mail to support@apica.io.