WCAT includes more than 30 prepared, ready-to-run tests you can run to simulate different workloads on your client-server configuration. You can also design and run your own WCAT tests. For information on designing WCAT tests, see “Designing Custom Tests,” later in this guide.
You specify the test you have chosen by typing its name after the WCAT run command at the command line on the WCAT controller. For more information on using the run command, see the procedure “To start a WCAT controller” and the section “Using Command Line Options,” later in this guide.
Files for the WCAT tests are placed the \Scripts directory on the WCAT controller when you install WCAT. You can use any word processing program or text editor, such as Wordpad, to examine these files. You can run the tests as they are or edit the test files to customize the tests.
There are four types of WCAT tests:
· Basic tests. These tests monitor the response of servers performing different tasks involving static Web pages. Table 1, in the following section, lists and describes the basic tests included with WCAT.
· CGI and ISAPI tests. These tests monitor the response of the server when it is generating Web pages dynamically by using CGI applications or ISAPI extensions. Table 2, later in this guide, lists and describes the CGI and ISAPI tests.
· HTTP keep-alive tests. These tests are modified versions of the basic tests and CGI and ISAPI tests. In the HTTP keep-alive version of each test, the clients request that the HTTP keep-alive feature be activated for the connection.
· SSL tests. SSL tests are modified versions of the basic tests and CGI and ISAPI tests. In the SSL version of each test, the client and server use the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption protocol.
WCAT does not support HTTP keep-alives and SSL in the same test.
The following sections describe these tests.