In addition to assigning workload to individual agents, you have the option of assigning Silk Performer workload to clusters of agents with defined capabilities. Silk Performer's dynamic workload-assignment functionality matches specific load-test requirements to the replay capabilities of available agent computers at execution time. The capabilities that are defined for test agents in Silk Performer are used to optimize workload-to-agent assignment. For example, if a test requires a workload that only an agent computer with a SAPGUI client can deliver, then dynamic workload-assignment functionality can ensure that the test's workload is assigned only to available agents with SAPGUI clients. Additionally, the percentage of required workload or virtual users that can be allocated to each agent can be configured, thereby ensuring that agents are not pushed beyond their capacities.
Upon execution of a Silk Performer test, a Silk Central load-test agent-clusters XML file is checked out of the appropriate execution server and used for dynamic workload assignment during execution. You must specify the location of your project's load-test agent-clusters XML file by way of settings.
An advantage of dynamic assignment of workload to load-test agent clusters is that successful execution of tests is not contingent on maintaining a static test-execution environment. Silk Performer can dynamically assign an unavailable agent's workload to an available agent in the same cluster that has the same capabilities. This feature is of particular value when Silk Performer load tests are managed and executed based on predefined schedules in Silk Central. The manner in which workload is balanced across agents and the health of individual agents are not issues to consider from the Silk Central perspective.
For details regarding dynamic workload assignment, refer to the Silk Performer Help.