In this second instalment of this Performance Tools series, we will be taking a comparative look at the load testing tools LoadRunner and Silk Performer, giving a brief overview of what they have to offer.
In our first article, we compared the tools JMeter and NeoLoad and looked at the measures one should take when choosing a performance testing tool that can be found here.
LoadRunner v Silk Performer
Both LoadRunner and Silk Performer are owned by Micro Focus. LoadRunner was acquired when Micro Focus merged with Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s (HPE) software business in 2017.
LoadRunner
LoadRunner is a performance testing tool used to test applications, measure system behaviour and performance under load. It can test real-life loads using thousands of virtual users and gather transaction performance metrics as well as metrics from infrastructure components. It can create detailed reports of the end-user response times which can be compared against the service level agreements (SLA) and analysed to explore the reasons for system behaviour. LoadRunner supports the latest technologies as well as legacy applications. It supports browser-based and native mobile applications and can use Service Virtualisation and Network Virtualisation tools to mimic real-world conditions. LoadRunner can integrate with your development tools and CI/CD pipelines as well as integrating with real-time performance monitors for root cause analysis.
Silk Performer
Silk Performer is a load and stress testing tool for optimising application performance. It can test multiple application environments with thousands of concurrent users to reflect real-world conditions. Silk Performer allows the reuse of existing functional tests (Silk Test or Selenium) for performance testing and synthetic monitoring purposes using Silk Performance Manager. The reuse of Silk Test and Selenium scripts help to speed up testing cycles. It also supports a wide range of protocols and enterprise environments. Silk Performer has a built-in workflow wizard to create tests but can be used with Eclipse and Visual Studio IDEs as well. It provides support for mobile web and native applications, with profiles for all popular mobile devices, application types and connection speeds. Another important feature is cloud integration with unlimited scalability.
The table below compares the LoadRunner and Silk Performer test tools. Both tools offer similar features. However, before opting for a test tool, it should be evaluated thoroughly to make sure that it meets your testing needs. There will be easier and more expedient ways of doing things from one tool to another, which may increase the speed of the testing cycle, which in turn is important when the release frequency is high.
It is vital that businesses have their applications properly tested for performance to ensure that they function seamlessly.
To view other articles in our series please follow the link below.
A Comparative Look At Performance Tools – Index
Specific performance testing tools can be used to efficiently test applications. To see how SQA Consulting may assist your company in performance testing your applications, please contact us.
