Ordinarily when a JMeter load test is run, request metrics are captured and stored in a JTL file. This format is CSV-compatible, which lends well to using spreadsheet applications or other data analysis tools to perform customized post-test analyses. In cases requiring specific advanced analysis, the Synthesis Report plugin can be leveraged to filter raw responses within the JTL file.
Configuring the Synthesis Report Plugin
As discussed in another recent post, the JMeter Plugins Manager can be used to search for and install plugins from the community library hosted on jmeter-plugins.org. Once installed locally, an instance of the Synthesis Report plugin can be added to a new test plan. This particular module is used locally as a post-test analysis tool. Therefore, it is not necessary to add to the actual test plan being analyzed. A sample report can be found below which is similar to the example provided in the official documentation:
Under the “Filename” field, you can navigate to a JTL file from a previously run test. If you are analyzing a test run on RedLine13, this would be the JTL found under output files from the summary page upon completion of your test.
Analysis is performed using regular expressions. Under the “Include labels” field in the “Filter settings” section as shown above, a regular expression is set which will filter requests by their designated label. This is usually the name of the request for HTTP Request Sampler elements. Optionally the “Start” and “End” fields can be specified to constrain the report to smaller sample sizes from the overall result set.
Use Cases for the Synthesis Report Plugin
Summary reports from JMeter tests contain useful information in the powerful JMeter Dashboard report. For tests run on RedLine13, the test summary page provides a wealth of complementary information. However, in certain cases there may be specific reporting requirements more nuanced than the generalized metrics that these reports provide. Post-processing of the test results data using spreadsheet software or advanced data analysis tools may be necessary to create customized reports or graphs. The Synthesis Report plugin can help easily filter these results in the native JTL format to facilitate more efficient analysis using these tools by refining down to the relevant data points.
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