[OpenSTA-users] Re: Re: What exactly is an "Active User"?

[Vahan H. <vh...@ch...>]

>
>
>> Which VUs are considered "inactive" by OpenSTA?
> 
> As far as I know, the number of active VUs is simply a count of the number 
> of threads that are running scripts.  If you introduce users in batches, 
> then the number of VUs will vary over time according to the number of users 
> per batch, the batch run time, and the batch ramp up interval. If a script 
> exits with an error and no other script is scheduled for that thread, then 
> the number of active VUs will be decremented.
> 
> > Are those VUs executing a WAIT statement in a script considered 
> > "inactive"??
> 
> No
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Bernie Velivis
> Performax Inc (www.iPerformax.com)
> 2 Colburn Lane
> Hollis, NH 03049
> 603.860.7900
>

During a test run, after the ramp up time, where the no. of active VUs 
reaches the maximum, this number will temporarily decrease and after a 
while, increase to the maximum again. This happens repeatedly during the 
whole test run. Interestingly, the error log does not contain any 
errors. The audit log will sometimes (but not always!) contain the 
message "E* HTTPRESPONSE (HTML parser): unresolved variable for 
connection (X)" if  the value of a variable could not be extracted from 
the response (happens usually if the stressed application throws an 
exception). However, I don't think that an unresolved variable will 
cause a VU to be "inactive" since I assume that the VU will continue 
executing the script even if a variable could not be resolved.

I have configured my tests in the configuration pane of the OpenSTA 
commander so that there is a fixed delay time of 1 second between each 
iteration. Is it possible that VUs waiting for this delay are considered 
"inactive"??

Regards,
Vahan Harput