Running load tests on IP whitelisted applications can be difficult when load agents get random IP addresses from AWS. This can be particularly difficult when your application is not running in AWS. One solution to this problem is to use NAT Gateways with Elastic IPs. The Elastic IP can be whitelisted with your application allowing the load agents to reach your private targets. Step 1: Set up VPC subnets (if needed) Go to the AWS VPCRead More →

A frequent request from Operations to QA teams: If you want to load test I will need the public IP address for your load agents. It is a fair request from Operations teams, but by default load agents are ephemeral. Some of the expensive tools provide their own load agents with fixed IPs, which you pay a large premium for. Check box for “Associate Public IP Address” Situation: You can whitelist all of EC2 IP ranges, don’t mind changing white list onRead More →

To use specific IP addresses for your test you will need to setup Elastic IP on your AWS account and associate it to a running load agent. Setting up Elastic IPs on AWS are documented here. As the standard load agents created are ephemeral and therefore hard to associate a public IP to we recommend using a paid RedLine13 account. This will give you access to our ‘Server Management’ Feature. https://www.redline13.com/blog/pro-features/pro-feature-server-management/ You would schedule your loadRead More →

AWS Update

We are always looking for ways to make load testing even cheaper. Many of our frequent users are running larger and longer load tests as they progress through integrating performance testing into the software development lifecycle.  With that growth, each load agent could potentially generate logs or .jtl files which are multiple gigabytes per load agent. As a post-test process, we merge JMeter JTL files with the generated Apache JMeter Dashboard Report (similar is done for theRead More →

AWS Update

A user recently reached out to us and asked: We have some feedback regarding the ability to shutdown any instance in AWS. We perceive the “Show All Servers” with the ability to shut them down as a dangerous option. People who normally do not have access to terminate EC2 instances all of the sudden gain those privileges once they are given access to RedLine13. Someone could by mistake terminate an important instance. It is possible to removeRead More →

When launching a performance test using your AWS account you can tag the AWS instances.  Tagging helps customers with reporting and searching in their AWS dashboard for RedLine13 usage. Tagging helps customers with reporting and searching in their AWS dashboard for RedLine13 usage. For reference, this is how AWS Tagging works: http://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSEC2/latest/UserGuide/Using_Tags.html DefaultTagging Tagging can be configured on the account level and defaulted to ON if needed. Account -> Your Settings Add Custom Key / Custom Value Check if you wantRead More →

In many test scenarios, you want to hit an internal application running on a private AWS subnet. The application access is managed by an internal ELB with a distinct security group.   A quick way to enable RedLine13 and other load testing agents is to use a security group with only outbound access.  Then allow the Internal ELB to be accessed by servers in this security group.  These test agents will need a public IP, but youRead More →

AWS has made networking configuration many times simpler over managing your hardware. Anyone now has the power to create a network, but with such power comes a lot of mistakes.  One of the challenges comes with load testing internal applications hosted on AWS. This article is a general guide which could help anyone testing internal applications. In the end, we demonstrate launching a RedLine13 load test within AWS private subnet communicating externally through an NAT gateway. Note:Read More →

AWS released an updated to test resource-level permissions using the IAM Policy Simulator and APIs to support this.  We thought this would be a great capability making it easier to validate the connection between your AWS Cloud and RedLine13. Step 1 : Setup your Key This is documented in the entry Linking Accounts Setup or directly in line [https://www.redline13.com/AWS/Keys] while configuring your keys. Step 2. Click Validate Policy Step 3. Validate Results We will call out anything improperly configuredRead More →

As more instances types are required to be started in a VPC we are finding more users fail starting up their first load test because of security configuration.  Previously in the RedLine13 we had two issues when the instance never connects Previous Issues The instance loses knowledge of its shutdown information You would have to manually terminate The RedLine13 UI just sits with the “Waiting” screen Resolution for issues Instances that can not communicate back to redline13 are given aboutRead More →