Session-Handling Overview

Session-handling customization is the process of manipulating server responses in such a way that application state information is preserved during load testing.

In their responses to clients, servers often generate information at runtime that is used to identify future client requests as coming from the same computer during the same user session. Servers may send out unique strings, commonly known as session IDs. If not updated in test scripts, such session information can create problems in subsequent test runs.

When replayed test runs are compared to originally recorded test runs and outdated session information is discovered, that information must be replaced with dynamic variables in future test runs. Otherwise test scripts pass along invalid session IDs or other session information.

TrueLog Explorer identifies differences that are relevant for customization in yellow and non-relevant differences that do not require customization in blue.

Note: Because Silk Performer recording techniques generate context-full scripts that do not contain static session information, session handling customization is generally not required for most applications. So if you do not detect any problems when you analyze your test you can skip session-handling customization and proceed with user data customization.
Note: The examples presented here relate specifically to Web applications, however, the same principles can be applied to database and XML-based applications. Though Oracle Forms, SAPGUI, Citrix, terminal emulation, TCP/IP and UDP record/replay TrueLogs can be compared using TrueLog Explorer, session-handling customization is not available for those application types.