Detailed real-time information is available to testers while Silk Performer load tests run. Graphic displays and full textual reporting of activity on both the client side and the server side offer intuitive monitoring of the progress of tests as they occur.
Directly from the workbench on which the test is conducted, a tester can view comprehensive overview information about the agent computers and virtual users in the test. A tester can control the level of detail of the displayed information, from a global view of the progress of all the agent computers in the test to an exhaustive detail of the transactions conducted by each virtual user. Progress information for each agent and each user is available in multiple categories. Run-time details for each user include customizable, color-coded readouts on transactions, timers, functions, and errors as they occur.
In addition, real-time monitoring of the performance of the target server is available in graphical form. Charts display the most relevant performance-related information from a comprehensive collection of the Web servers, application servers, and database servers running on all of the OSes most widely used today. Multiple charts can be open at the same time, and these charts can be juxtaposed to provide the most relevant comparisons and contrasts for the tester. A menu tree editor allows for the combination of elements from any data source in the charts. Response times and other performance information from the client application can be placed in the same chart as performance data from the server. This feature enables a direct visual comparison so that one can deterimine the influence of server shortcomings on client behavior.