Licensing Virtual Users

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How LoadComplete Consumes Virtual User Licenses

Virtual User Numbers

With LoadComplete, you can record HTTP traffic and modify the recorded traffic. LoadComplete uses recorded requests to simulate a sequence of user actions. Each sequence is played back via a virtual user.

Virtual users are controlled by your LoadComplete license. The license specifies the maximum number of virtual users that can be involved in a load test. For instance, if you have a license for 500 virtual users, you can run a test that simulates no more than 500 virtual users.

The number of virtual users in a license is specified for LoadComplete instances. It is increased proportionally in Floating User licenses that permit execution of several LoadComplete instances. For instance, if you purchase a 5 Floating User license with 500 virtual users, the license key will permit you to run 5 concurrent LoadComplete instances and each instance will be able to use up to 500 virtual users in its tests (that is, you will be able to run 5 concurrent tests with 500 virtual users in each).

Node-Locked licenses include only one LoadComplete instance, so this rule does not apply to them.

LoadComplete checks the virtual user number every time you start a load test or verify a scenario. LoadComplete searches for a License Manager that has a license for the appropriate number of virtual users. If the license is found, LoadComplete locks it and the license remains locked until the test run is over. During this period, no other LoadComplete instances can use virtual users included in this license. After the test is finished, the license is unlocked and available for other test runs. If LoadComplete fails to find a free license for the needed number of virtual users, it does not run the test.

Below are important notes on licensing virtual users:

• Load tests do not re-use virtual users during the run. Certain virtual user settings and load test properties allow you to simulate different users with a time shift, so the number of users working concurrently may be less than the total number of users simulated by the test. However, the user simulation mode does not affect the license check procedure: the test engine does not re-use virtual users during the test run, and all these users are considered different users. So, for your load tests to be able to run, the total number of virtual users which your test will simulate must not exceed the limit that the license specifies. If the number of virtual users which the load test is supposed to simulate exceeds the licensed limit, the test will not run.

• A test consumes the license as a “whole”; it does not consume individual virtual users. When locking a license on test start, LoadComplete consumes all of the virtual users provided by the license even if the test simulates fewer virtual users. For example, if you have a license for 500 virtual users and run a test that simulates 400 virtual users, LoadComplete will lock the entire license (that is, all 500 users). 400 virtual users will be simulated by the test and 100 users will be idle until the test is over. These 100 users cannot be consumed by other tests until the license is unlocked. So, if you need to run several load tests concurrently, you have to use several licenses.

• A test consumes only one license at a time. A test cannot take some number of virtual users from one license and some number of virtual users from another license, even if both licenses are unlocked. For example, to run a test that simulates 510 virtual users, you need one license that allows using 510 or more virtual users at a time. You cannot use two licenses, say, one for 500 virtual users and another one for 10 virtual users. You have to have one license for this test. Otherwise, the test will not run.

There are LoadComplete licenses for various numbers of virtual users (100, 250, 500, 1000, 5000, and more). You can purchase these licenses on our web site:

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Every LoadComplete license includes the LoadComplete Remote Agent utility. It is used to simulate virtual users on remote machines where LoadComplete is not installed. The utility is useful if you need to simulate hundreds of virtual users. The utility does not require license activation and can be installed on as many workstations as you need.