Description:
Controls the workload as it climbs or descends through a series of steps. This pattern is useful for tests that benefit from having a ramp up phase to slowly or rapidly increase the load at the start of the test, and a ramp down phase to prevent the introduction of new load while permitting the previously applied load to complete without abrupt termination. Tests that benefit from using a stair pattern include capacity workload testing, such as measuring the maximum no-drop connections per second rate, or load testing to determine whether a device can sustain the load for significant periods of time.
Parents: ClientLoadPhase, ProtocolLoadPhase
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| Common Writable Attributes | Active, Name |
| Height |
Enter the total amount of load related to the load type (for example, Connections) that the system achieves. To keep the system from overwhelming your network, start small and increase these parameters proportionately. Type: s32 Default: 30 |
| RampTime |
Enter the amount of time each step takes to reach the load type (for example, Connections) applied to Height. After the load level is reached, step Steady Time begins. For example, if the Ramp Time is 20 seconds, and the load (height) is 30, then the system adds load so that 30 units of load occur by the end of 20 seconds. If you increase the number of connections to 100, you should also increase the Ramp Time to 80 seconds. When using a sinusoid pattern, use the Period field to describe the period of the sinusoid; the amount of time (or frequency) the waveform takes to complete one cycle. When using a sinusoid pattern, setting the Ramp Time to one results in a smoother waveform. The ramp phase is especially useful if you already know the relative performance threshold of a system. For example, to test a firewall, you can design a test that ramps up quickly to 2500 connections per second, then steps 50 connections per second for 10 seconds to pinpoint the threshold. The Duration Units that you select determine the units for this field. Type: u32 Default: 20 |
| Repetitions |
Enter the number of times that you want the pattern to repeat. The system performs best if you limit your values between 1 and 10. Values above 50 can cause the display to redraw slowly. The actual load generation while running the test will not be adversely affected. Type: u32 Default: 1 |
| SteadyTime |
Enter the amount of time the step takes. Larger step Heights should have equally increased step Steady Times. If the step time is longer than it takes for the load to reach the unit count related to the load type, the system decreases load generation to keep the outstanding load at a steady state equal to that of the desired unit count. When using a sinusoid pattern, setting the Steady Time to one achieves a smoother waveform. The Duration Units that you select determine the units for this field. Type: u32 Default: 40 |
There are no read-only attributes.