Understanding Browser Check Results
- Caleb Miller (Deactivated)
The Browser Result Details view contains information about Browser check results in a number of charts, graphs and tables. Users can use the Check Result page to view information regarding which domains loaded during the check run, the slowest URLs which loaded, any errors which occurred during the check execution, and more.
Result Message
The Result Message of a Browser Check contains useful summarizing information. The following message is an example of a result message:
6 steps, 6 pages, 76 urls, 32902/857026 sent/received bytes
6 steps - Obsolete data point. The number of steps will always equal the number of pages.
6 pages - Of course, pages organize Browser Check URL calls into logical functions (such as navigating to a certain page). The number of pages in the scenario can be altered using the custom command insertPageBreak.
76 urls - the number of URLs which were loaded throughout the entirety of the check.
32902/857026 sent/received bytes - the number of uncompressed bytes sent to and received by the web server throughout the duration of the scenario.
Metrics Section
The Metrics Section contains useful information regarding browser metrics.
Total browser render time is the response time from the start of the navigation until the last request is completed.
Total response time is the sum of the response time of all the objects that were loaded during the execution. Total response time is calculated serially.
Total page size is the sum of the response sizes of all loaded objects in bytes.
DOM content loaded is the time it took for the check to reach the DOM content loaded event after navigation started.
DOM complete is the time it took for the check to reach the DOM complete event after navigation started.
DNS lookup is the time the check took to perform DNS lookup for the scenario.
Click on the arrows to the left and right of the metrics to access the previous and next Check Result.
Domains
The Domains section displays a table containing the domains accessed in the check. For each, aggregated information regarding traffic volumes and percentage is shown.
Column | Description |
|---|---|
Domain | URL for the domain |
Size | Absolute traffic size and percentage of the total number of received bytes (as seen in the sent/received portion of the result message and the Metrics section). The percentage metric here refers to a percentage of the “Received Size” of the check - in the above screenshot, 824 KB is 98.4% of the “Received Size” of the check |
Time | Absolute traffic time and percentage of the time it took all pages to load. Note that this is different from the scenario runtime - in the above screenshot, 4 857 ms is 99.2% of 4895 ms, the total time it took all the scenarios to load |
Count | Number of urls and percentage |
Timeline | Graphical representation of the transactions. Colored bars correspond to the timings indicated in the Legend |
10 Slowest URLs
The Slowest URLs table shows a list containing the urls with the slowest response times in the check:
Column | Description |
|---|---|
# | Order of access / order in scenario |
Time | Response time of the URL |
| In this unnamed column, you will see an icon. Hover over the icon to see the type of the URL in question. Example types include |
Url | Accessed URL and the HTTP method used to request the URL |
Timeline | Graphical representation of the transactions. Colored bars correspond to the timings indicated in the Legend |
Slowest URL Legend
The Slowest URL Legend window is displayed when you point at a url in the table. It explains the colors used in the diagram, reveals information about the URL timing, and displays the Server IP address for the domain which is accessed:
This information can be very valuable when diagnosing timing issues with individual URLs within a scenario. See the Legend for more information on DNS Lookup, Connection, SSL Handshake, etc.
Errors
The Errors section displays errors encountered during the scenario run for the check, if any exist. For each page that has errors, a table is shown which reveals pertinent information about each error:
Column | Description | Comment |
|---|---|---|
# | ID number for accessed page | The Jump To URL link lets you navigate to the URL in the waterfall where the error occurred |
HTTP Code | Returned HTTP Status Code |
|
Error | Error message from the application, if any |
|
Time | Elapsed time for the step where the error occurred |
|
Url | Access HTTP Methods and URL where the error occurred | When you click a particular URL in the table, detailed information regarding the response is shown |
Request | Outgoing request message | The Open link in the Request column allows you to try to send the request manually |
Response | Incoming response for the request | In the above screenshot, no responses were returned and all columns contain the response “N/A”. That will not always be the case |
MIME | MIME Type for the response |
|
Error log | Log messages for the error | In the above screenshot, no errors were logged; all columns contain the response “N/A”. That will not always be the case |
The Jump To URL link lets you navigate to the URL in the Waterfall where the error occurred:
The Open link in the Request column allows you to try to send the request manually:
If the request can be sent, you will see data in the “Headers” section.
When you click a particular URL in the table, detailed information about the response is shown:
A Note on Request Timeout
If a URL in your scenario does not return a response within X seconds after the DOM complete is sent, you will see an error informing you that the URL timed out:
The number of seconds which the check will wait for request resolutions after DOM complete can be configured in the Edit Check settings:
Altering the request activity timeout can help in situations where a certain URL is simply taking a long time to return a response. However, if the URL is not returning a response at all, the URL will fail regardless of the value you enter in the Request Activity Timeout input above.
Screenshots
The Screenshots section displays any screenshots that were taken for the browser run if the check is configured to take screenshots.
The screenshots are shown as a timeline with an indicator displaying when the image was taken. Click on an individual screenshot to see a full-screen version of the screenshot. Screenshots are taken at the resolution defined in the Edit Check settings.
Screenshots are inserted into a check at the following times:
-when a new page is loaded using the “open” command, “...andWait” commands (such as clickAndWait), and any other command which triggers a new page load within the scenario
-if the check fails, at the step on which the failure occurs
-when the “takeScreenshot” command is inserted by the author of the ASM Scenario which is attached to the script