Using Oracle PL SQL to bulk load XML

In performance testing it is often necessary to do bulk loads of data into databases via XML payloads, to prepare for a test. For my example I had to load 250,000 elements via XML to create accounts. The XML structure had one root or top level element with many child elements, also many batches of the root elements. I decided I would perform a commit after constructing each root element, with the corresponding amounts of child elements. I made both the batch number of root elements and the child elements both configurable. This resulted in the following PL SQL code. I have deleted out certain parts of the XML so as to protect client.

Hyperic HQ Startup on Ubuntu 9.04

There is an almost complete installation guide to installing Hyperic on Ubuntu here Hyperic on Ubuntu . The only part missing is adding the agent and server as part of the automatic startup. This post shows you how to do this.

XML and WSDL Validation

If you are looking to  perform either of these functions then go no further than downloading the free Java IDE tools, Eclipse or Netbeans. Both of these have adequate functionality for validating XMLs and WSDLs. The latest review on the comparison of these two tools is that they both compare almost on par. Therefore up to you on which one you download. I chose NetBeans so, download from here NetBeans or if you prefer Eclipse

To validate from Netbeans:
1. From main menu select File->Open and select the file to validate
2. Select the validate XML icon
3. Check the Output:XML Check window for errors

Solaris Performance Metrics

Here is a list of core performance metrics for solaris, an explanation and method for collection.

Windows Firewall Registry Keys

Sometimes you need to include exceptions to your local desktop firewall but you only have pseudo localadmin access. Well if you enable your regedit programs by using one of my previous posts Enabling or Disabling Regedit. Then all you have to do is add your exception values in these registry key locations.

For example, the registry key location for port exceptions is here

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall
\DomainProfile\AuthorizedApplications\List

So to enable TCP traffic on port 2081 add a string value like below to this location

2081:TCP:*:enabled:Port 2081

The registry key location for For program exceptions is here

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\WindowsFirewall
\DomainProfile\GloballyOpenPorts\List

So to enable a firewall exception for xming.exe add a string value like below

C:\Program Files\andLinux\XMing\Xming.exe:*:enabled:Xming.exe

Have immense fun

Enabling or Disabling Regedit in Windows

Thanks to Doug Knox for this bit of useful code if your regedit or regedt32 programs become disabled by your administrator. Save this vbs code and run.

SapRfcError: DATA_BUFFER_EXCEEDED

When using the pysaprfc library you may encounter this error when performing a RFC_READ_TABLE. The reason for this is primarily because the table has too many fields to draw back into the itable python structure of the pysaprfc library. To overcome this you will need to limit the number of fields being returned in the read_table method as shown in this code below. By the way this particular code snippet is also useful for drawing back iDoc status codes for a list of iDoc numbers. Especially useful if you are having trouble getting read only access directly to the database as we were

import pysap

# Variables
WhereSQL = "DOCNUM IN (2016, 2017, 2018)"
SQLTable = "EDIDS"
Fields = ["DOCNUM","LOGDAT","LOGTIM","CREDAT","CRETIM","STATUS",
"STACOD","STATXT","STAMQU","STAMID"]
MaxRows = "50"
CONN_FILE = "C:/Python26/pysaprfc/examples/sapconn.ini"
CONN_NAME = "SAPSANDBOX"

# Change next line to be able to connect to your SAP system
sap_conn=pysap.Rfc_connection(conn_file=CONN_FILE,conn_name=CONN_NAME)
sap_conn.open()

# Read entries from SQLTable
itab=sap_conn.read_table(SQLTable,options=[WhereSQL],max_rows=MaxRows)
# Print some fields from itab to show it worked
for p in itab:
print '%(DOCNUM)s %(LOGDAT)s %(LOGTIM)s %(CREDAT)s %(CRETIM)s %(STATUS)s %(STACOD)s %(STATXT)s %(STAMQU)s %(STAMID)s ' % p
sap_conn.close()

Software Performance Management

This has become my favorite topic of late, and it is becoming more and more evident to me that less people know about this set of disciplines than should. It seems that a large number of IT people claim to be experts in some area of IT after just 1 or 2 years of experience. Let me just state that I do not claim to be an expert in any area of IT, even after being performance testing for 23 years. I learn something new each day and I often learn from other people the most. There are no experts, just people with varying degrees of knowledge, who decide to specialize in a particular area or discipline (Specialists).

Rapid Performance Test Plan Template

My all time favorite test plan, you can call it Agile, Rapid or just plain simple. Sometimes you don’t have time to write all the required doco required to support a test, or you just need to run some very quick and straightforward tests.

I have used this rapid performance test plan template at a number of sites and it has satisfied all involved personnel, and it is only 1.5 pages long! Enjoy this one.

The best open source performance load testing tool

For a comprehensive list of open source performance test tools please refer here