Release Notes

QALoad 5.9

October 2, 2009

 

Obtaining the Latest Release Notes

What's New

System Requirements

Technical Notes

Known Issues

Contacting Micro Focus Customer Care



Obtaining the Latest Release Notes  back to top 

If you accessed this document from the product CD, you may not be reading the latest release notes. For the most recent information, go to SupportLine, the Micro Focus Customer Care Web site. The first time you access SupportLine, you are required to register and obtain a password. After logging onto SupportLine, click the Product Documentation link and select your product from the list. You will find the latest release notes listed with the other product documentation.


What's New  back to top

Micro Focus Purchases Quality Solutions Products from Compuware

On June 1, 2009, Micro Focus purchased Quality Solutions products from Compuware Corporation. Newbury, England-based Micro Focus provides enterprise application management and modernization solutions. Compuware and Micro Focus will continue to collaborate to ensure that customers receive uninterrupted service and obtain the full value of both companies’ product capabilities.

While service and product quality are continuous during this transition, there are a few changes to consider:

Contact for Product Support

For the most recent product updates and information, go to SupportLine, the Micro Focus Customer Care Web site. You can find the Customer Care contact information posted for your specific location at www.microfocus.com/AboutMicroFocus/Contact/.

Installation Path and Start Menu Changes

The default installation paths for the Quality Solutions products have changed from x:\Program Files\Compuware\<Product Name> to x:\Program Files\Micro Focus\<Product Name>.  Correspondingly, the Start menu paths also have changed to reflect the move from Compuware to Micro Focus. If you have installed with a customized path that does not have Compuware in it, you will not experience any changes to the installation directory during migration.

Support for Adobe Flex AMF

QALoad can now record and playback against Adobe Flex applications that use the AMF data format, allowing users to test the latest generation of Web/RIA applications. AMF data is decoded and displayed in an easy-to-read tree-view format that allows users to view AMF data structures. Users can use QALoad's Visual Script interface to quickly and easily modify the scripts without requiring in-depth programming knowledge. Additionally, users can monitor and generate reports on Adobe server messages and Java server components in order to fully understand and tune the performance of Adobe Flex applications.

Bundled Compiler

QALoad now installs an integrated compiler which allows users to compile WWW and Winsock EasyScripts. The integrated compiler removes the requirement to license and install Visual Studio for compiling scripts, lowering the cost of QALoad ownership.

Parameterization Improvements

QALoad now automatically replaces values in URIs which assist users in scripting complex Web environments. Users can now use QALoad's parameterizataion wizard to replace data (such as dynamic port numbers or session values) contained in URI. Rules can be created to fully automate the replacements when recording new scripts. These improvements further enhance users' ability to rapidly create robust performance testing scripts.

Currency

QALoad supports monitoring WebSphere 7 environments. Users can leverage WebSphere 7's Performance Monitoring Infrastructure in conjunction with their performance tests to understand WebSphere performance bottlenecks.

QALoad 5.9 is also day-1 compatible with Windows 7. Because Micro Focus expects to deliver QALoad prior to the general avaialbitliy of Windows 7, it may be necessary to deliver an update once the Windows 7 GA debuts.


System Requirements  back to top

QALoad has the following minimum system requirements:

General Windows Installation Requirements

(*See the Technical Notes section for more information about using Windows Vista and IE 7.0.)

Requirements by Component

The system requirements for each individual QALoad component follow:

Script Development Workbench Workstation Requirements

Note: Visual Studio Express 2008 supports WWW middleware only and MinGW supports WWW and Winsock middleware only. When in the Universal session, select only WWW for Visual Studio Express 2008 compilation or WWW or Winsock for MinGW compilation. If you plan to test middleware other than WWW or Winsock, you must install one of the supported Visual Studio .NET versions.

Note: See the Technical Notes section for more information about compiler compatibility.

Conductor Workstation Requirements
Analyze Workstation Requirements

Note: If you are using Microsoft Office 2007, you must download cdo.dll from the Microsoft website.

QALoad Windows Player Workstation Requirements

UNIX Player Workstation Requirements

The QALoad Player and associated utilities are supported on Linux and Solaris. Compilers that are 32-bit compatible are required. The system requirements for each operating system follow:

UNIX Player Workstation Requirements for Linux
UNIX Player Workstation Requirements for Solaris

Middleware-Specific Requirements

In addition, your Windows system may need to meet specific requirements to support the middleware you will be testing. The Winsock middleware does not have any additional QALoad Windows Player requirements.

ODBC Requirements

QALoad supports load testing of ODBC environments when the following requirements are met:

QALoad Script Development Workbench
QALoad Player

Citrix Requirements

QALoad supports load testing under Citrix when the following requirements are met:

QALoad Script Development Workbench
QALoad Player
Web Interface

(*When running Citrix ICA client 10.x or 11.0 against the Web Interface 4.5.1 or later, the Web Interface site should not be set as a Trusted Site in Internet Explorer security settings, or the server should be set to have a preference for embedded ICA files. It may be necessary to change WebInterface.conf on the server from "LaunchClients=ICA-Local,ICA-Embedded" to LaunchClients=ICA-Embedded,ICA-Local". Also, when performing a QALoad recording in this configuration, an error message may appear on the Web Interface page indicating "An error occurred while making the requested connection." The error should have no effect on the recording and can be ignored.)

.NET Requirements

QALoad supports load testing under .NET when the following requirements are met:

QALoad Script Development Workbench

Visual Studio 2005 with Microsoft .NET Framework version 2.0 SP1 or Visual Studio 2008

QALoad Player

TestPartner Requirements

SAP Requirements

QALoad supports load testing under SAP when the following requirements are met:

QALoad Script Development Workbench
QALoad Player

(Note: See the Technical Notes section for information about using Windows Vista.)

Oracle Forms Server Requirements

QALoad supports load testing under Oracle Forms Server when the following requirements are met:

QALoad Script Development Workbench
QALoad Player

Note: Micro Focus recommends using the Java HotSpot Client VM

Java Requirements

QALoad supports load testing of J2EE components when the following requirements are met:

QALoad Script Development Workbench
QALoad Player

WWW Requirements

QALoad supports load testing of WWW environments when the following requirements are met:

QALoad Script Development Workbench
QALoad Player

Flex

QALoad supports Flex under WWW when the following requirements are met:

Note: The JDK must be greater than or equal to the version used for any custom .jar files.

Streaming Media Requirements

QALoad supports Streaming Media under WWW when the following requirements are met:

QALoad Player

RealOne Player Version 10.x or Windows Media Player 9.00.xx.

Note: Windows Media Player is not currently supported on Windows Vista.

Integration Requirements

Compuware ApplicationVantage

(Note: See the Technical Notes section for information about using Windows Vista.)

Compuware ServerVantage
Compuware ClientVantage

QALoad supports integration with ClientVantage. QALoad is packaged with the current version of ClientVantage at time of release.

Compuware Vantage Analyzer

QALoad supports integration with Vantage Analyzer 10.1 SP1, 10.2, and 11.

Removal of Support

The following environments and middlewares are not supported in QALoad release 5.9:


Technical Notes  back to top

Migrating OFS Scripts to QALoad 5.9

To migrate previous QALoad OFS scripts for use with QALoad 5.9, recompile the scripts.

Migrating Java Scripts to QALoad 5.9

To migrate previous QALoad Java scripts for use with QALoad 5.9, manual change the following namespace:

  1. Search for all instances of compuware.qaload.easyscript.*;.
  2. Change each instance to com.microfocus.qaload.easyscript.*;.

Migrating .NET scripts to QALoad 5.9

To migrate previous QALoad .NET scripts for use with QALoad 5.9, manual change the following namespace:

  1. Search for all instances of Compuware.QACenter.QALload.DotNet.QALoadDotNetBase.
  2. Change each instance to MicroFocus.QALoad.DotNet.QALoadDotNetBase.

 

Using Special Characters in File Names with MinGW Compiler

Do not use \, /, :, *, ?, ", <, >, |, ^, # in the file name when using MinGW Compiler. If a file name contains a special character, the compile process will fail.

Updating Winsock and WWW Scripts from Previous Versions for MinGW Compilation

In order for WWW or Winsock C-scripts generated prior to QALoad 5.9 to work with MinGW, update the rhobot_script function statement as follows:

  1. Open the Script Development Workbench.
  2. Open the script to update.
  3. Search for the following code lines:

 int rhobot_script(PLAYER_INFO *s_info)

 or

int rhobot_script(s_info)
PLAYER_INFO *s_info;

  1.  Change the code lines to:

#ifndef __MINGW__
int rhobot_script(PLAYER_INFO *s_info)
#else
extern "C" int rhobot_script(PLAYER_INFO *s_info)
#endif

Preparing QALoad for Execution in an SELinux Environment

If using Security-Enhanced Linux (SELinux), perform the following procedures to allow QALoad to run in this environment. In these procedures, <installDir> is the fully-qualified name of the directory where QALoad is installed on your Linux system.

Allow the QALoad libraries to be considered as trusted shared objects:
  1. Log on to the Linux system.

  2. Change directories to <installDir>/lib.

  3. Type chcon -t textrel_shlib_t lib*.so.

 

Allow generated scripts to be considered as trusted shared objects:
  1. Log onto the Linux system.

  2. Change directories to <installDir>.

  3. Type chmod 755 Rmake.

  4. Open the Rmake script in your preferred editor, and find the function, setupLinux().

  5. At the bottom of the function, find the section, Create the normal link command.

  6. Add the following statement as the last line in this section:
    LINK=”$LINK; chcon –t textrel_shlib_t $TGT_SHARED_LIB”

  7. Save the Rmake script and close the editing program.

  8. Type chmod 555 Rmake.

 

Additionally, if using SELinux, open the ports that your have designated in the Conductor using the SELinux management tool.

Using a Firewall with QALoad

Regardless of what operating system you are using to run QALoad Players, if there is a firewall in your environment, open the UDP and TCP ports that you have designated in the Conductor.

Using XenApp Plugin (Client) Version 11.x with QALoad Workbench

When installing the XenApp Plugin for Hosted Applications, install the Program Neighborhood option to allow QALoad access to published applications on XenApp servers.

Capturing A Secure Site

When capturing against a secure site, you may receive security alerts. To avoid security alerts, import the QALoad cacert.pem certificate and set the trust option to allow this certificate to identify websites. The cacert.pem certificates is located in the <installation path>\QALoad\Certificates directory. Refer to your browser help for further information on importing certificates and setting the trust option.

Installing QALoad on Machine with McAfee Virus Scan 8.5 Patch 1

There is a bug with McAfee Virus Scan 8.5 patch 1 where it resets the reboot flag. QALoad installation checks for a reboot flag and prompts the user to reboot. Consequently, the combination of McAfee resetting the flag and QALoad checking for the flag creates an infinite loop. To avoid this loop, install a later patch of McAfee Virus Scan 8.5. If you do not have McAfee Virus Scan 8.5 Patch 1 and you still receive a reboot message, refer to the Reboot Known Issue.

Using Microsoft Windows Vista

Note the following considerations with Microsoft Windows Vista:

Winsock Capture

When using the Winsock middleware with Internet Explorer 7.0 or 8.0 on Vista, the Enable Protected Mode setting must be disabled. This option is managed in IE7 and IE8's Internet Options on the Security tab.  

WWW Capture

When using the WWW middleware with Internet Explorer 7.0 or 8.0 on Vista, the Enable Protected Mode setting must be disabled. This option is managed in IE7 and IE8's Internet Options on the Security tab.

Performance Monitoring Group

When using any monitoring capabilities, the logged in user must be a member of the Performance Monitoring Group.

SNMP Remote Monitoring

When using SNMP monitoring, you must enable the following options:

    1. Enable SNMP feature.

    2. Enable the SNMP service.

    3. Specify an appropriate community.

    4. Assign access rights to SNMP.

    5. Enable access to SNMP through the firewall.

Windows Registry Remote Monitoring

To enable Windows Registry remote monitoring, you must start the Remote Registry service (defaults to manual startup in Vista).

Automatic Configuration of Windows Firewall

When you install QALoad on a Windows machine, the Windows Firewall is automatically configured to include various QALoad .exe's as an allowed exception. This configuration is required for communication between the Conductor and Player machines during a load test.

Re-Compile Scripts from Previous Versions of QALoad

If you are migrating from a previous version of QALoad, you must re-compile your existing scripts in the Script Development Workbench to use them in this release.

Do Not Use "Switch User" Windows Feature

When using QALoad, do not use the "Switch User" Windows feature. Using this feature allows multiple user sessions to be active simultaneously, which can cause problems with script playback. If you need to use a different Windows profile, log off Windows and log on as a different user.

QALoad Certificate Added to certdb.txt for OFS recording

For the SSL support provided in this release, QALoad modifies the client machine's JInitiator certdb.txt file to include QALoad's CA certificate during the initial SSL recording process for an Oracle Forms Server application. This certificate authority information is internally validated by Oracle during the OFS-SSL session. If you want to remove the QALoad CA certificate, delete the following text from the certdb.txt file:

#qaload

-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----

MIIC1jCCAj+gAwIBAgIBADANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQQFADBXMQswCQYDVQQGEwJVUzER

MA8GA1UECBMITWljaGlnYW4xEDAOBgNVBAcTB0RldHJvaXQxEjAQBgNVBAoTCUNv

bXB1d2FyZTEPMA0GA1UECxMGUUFMb2FkMB4XDTA1MDYyMzE3MDEyN1oXDTE1MDYy

MTE3MDEyN1owVzELMAkGA1UEBhMCVVMxETAPBgNVBAgTCE1pY2hpZ2FuMRAwDgYD

VQQHEwdEZXRyb2l0MRIwEAYDVQQKEwlDb21wdXdhcmUxDzANBgNVBAsTBlFBTG9h

ZDCBnzANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQEFAAOBjQAwgYkCgYEA07Q/tlwx4wQezY5UY92v+NdQ

WI1yjlbWrkFFBTVWtvb/M+SdHGHXntDxGF378058hHND95wQsADCnJmPQNIoqj1c

elHl+4hkMtioMSb8IiEMs4OCgOaoBTtFrRgffZxoWJHAlh2k/MUcbFc1oiSZGdcT

Ua7keQ5NtahHRputc0MCAwEAAaOBsTCBrjAdBgNVHQ4EFgQUXUtOUAp/U8TV4p75

AA8ybai1080wfwYDVR0jBHgwdoAUXUtOUAp/U8TV4p75AA8ybai1082hW6RZMFcx

CzAJBgNVBAYTAlVTMREwDwYDVQQIEwhNaWNoaWdhbjEQMA4GA1UEBxMHRGV0cm9p

dDESMBAGA1UEChMJQ29tcHV3YXJlMQ8wDQYDVQQLEwZRQUxvYWSCAQAwDAYDVR0T

BAUwAwEB/zANBgkqhkiG9w0BAQQFAAOBgQBEmh3S2ktyRu7pn9PaqgZS2v1o2PhH

5XYZI8YKs9ZeWJotebtgmu/5xJj4I48neWE45kA/akYbUsW491UEZ609Pf2cw3JO

xBZ8MOyT7z3RzAhBFe8CpHrQjmc6Vh8Mzcv6vVYRCDlIGlk2CguQ3WQWF8w3zNA/

I53OD9PZjisIlA==

-----END CERTIFICATE-----
#qaload

Middleware Compiler Compatibility for SAP and Citrix

To use the SAP or Citrix middleware, you must ensure that the VC++ MFC and Template Libraries option is selected when you install Visual C++. This option installs the headers, libraries, sources, and browser database for MFC and ATL, which are required for both the SAP and Citrix middleware.

Large Paging File Recommended for SAP and Citrix

To prevent performance issues, Micro Focus recommends that you increase your system paging file size to a fixed size:

Using Internet Explorer 7.0 and Internet Explorer 8.0

Micro Focus recommends that you turn off the IE 7 or IE 8 Anti-Phishing Filter to avoid inaccurate test results.

Using Winsock with Internet Explorer 8.0

 To support Internet Explorer 8.0 with QALoad Winsock middleware, perform the following:

  1. Navigate to HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\MAIN in the key registry directory.
  2. Create a DWORD registry key called TabProcGrowth with the value of O. This will turn off Internet Explorer 8 across multiple processes.
  3. Open Internet Options in Internet Explorer.
  4. Click the Advanced tab.
  5. Uncheck the Enable memory protection to help mitigate online attacks option.
  6. Click the Security tab.
  7. Click Internet in the Select a zone to view or change security settings section.
  8. Uncheck Enable Protected Mode option.
  9. Click OK.
  10. Navigate to Control Panel from the Windows Start menu.
  11. Double-click System.
  12. Click the Advance tab.
  13. Click Settings in the Performance area.
  14. Click the Data Execution Prevention tab.
  15. Select Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select.
  16. Click Add.
  17. Navigate to Internet Explorer executable in the Open dialog box.
  18. Click Open.
  19. Ensure that Internet Explorer is checked in the Data Execution Prevention options box.
  20. Click OK.
ActiveX Codepaths and Internet Explorer 7.0 or Internet Explorer 8.0

IE 7 introduced methods for gathering additional information for ActiveX controls which are missing details and lack fully defined codepaths. IE now queries Microsoft's own ActiveX repository to look for additional detail as well as other sites based on information gathered from the control.

You should decide if these additional requests are desirable for your testing scenario in QALoad and create traffic filters to reflect your preferences. You may find your test results are more consistent if you add http://active.microsoft.com/ to the Blocked Traffic filter.

Testing Siebel with Internet Explorer 7.0 or Internet Explorer 8.0

In order to successfully test Siebel with Internet Explorer 7.0, you must modify the following settings:

Note: Siebel does not support Internet Explorer 8.0

For all Windows Environments:

  1. Open an IE browser window and from the Tools menu, select Internet Options>Security>Custom Level.
  2. Under Active X Controls and Plug-Ins, select Enable for all options.
  3. Click OK.

 

For Windows Vista only:

In addition to the steps above, you must disable the Enable Protection Mode setting for Internet, Local intranet, Trusted sites, and Restricted sites with IE 7.0. By default IE8 disables Protected Mode in the Intranet Zone. You will have to disable it for all the other zones.

  1. In the IE browser window, go to the Tools menu, and select Internet Options>Security.

  2. Under Select a zone to view or change security settings, select Internet.

  3. Under Security Level for this zone, ensure that the Enable Protected Mode is not selected.

  4. Repeat for Local Intranet, Trusted sites, and Restricted sites.

  5. Click OK.

JavaScript

QALoad JavaScript support requires that all form elements (for example, buttons and text fields) must be inside of HTML forms in order to execute associated JavaScript. JavaScript that depends on time or date information may require the user to parameterize the script. QALoad's windowless replay does not support certain specific JavaScript functions listed below.

setTimeout
clearInterval
clearTimeout
setInterval
showHelp
showModalDialog
showModelessDialog

Citrix Waitpoints

As of QALoad 5.5.1, modified Citrix scripts should not have waitpoints placed directly after BEGIN_TRANSACTION markers. For best use of system resources, Micro Focus recommends that you place DO_SetTransactionCleanup before the END_TRANSACTION marker.

Retrieving Compuware ServerVantage Counter Data

 When setting up remote monitoring to capture and report ServerVantage data, you can now configure the port used for the SQL Server database. The Configure Monitor Dialog in the New Monitoring Task wizard, now includes a field for Database Server Port, so that you can override the default SQL port, 1433.


Known Issues  back to top

This section describes known issues related to the current release of QALoad.

Window Not in Focus

A known issue exists with the Microsoft Operating System that may cause new programs to appear behind other already open programs. When you start a program from another program, the new program window may appear behind all other open windows. Additionally, the new-window icon flashes on the taskbar. This symptom occurs on a Microsoft Windows XP-based computer. Microsoft has documented a procedure that details how users can modify the value of the ForegroundLockTimeout registry entry in Registry Editor to correct the issue. For specific instructions and more information on this issue, please refer to the following article located at the Microsoft Help and Support website for details: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;886217

Installation

Previously Installed QALoad File in Memory when Upgrading

When upgrading to QALoad 5.8, a .dll file is loaded in memory. To release the file, click yes to reboot through the error message. Do not perform a manual reboot as it will not release the file and the error message will reappear. The warning message that appears is:

"Setup has detected a previously installed QALoad file is loaded in the memory. A system reboot is required to free this file and continue with the installation.

To reboot the machine and continue with the installation, click ‘Yes’. To abort the installation, click ‘No’."

Previous Version of QALoad is Detected

If you have uninstalled all previous versions of QALoad but the installation process indicates that a previous version of the product is still installed, you may need to remove a registry key. In the Windows Registry Editor, delete the following registry keys if they exists on your system:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{90C9114B-ED44-4AB9-B32F-1B9EA363FBEF}

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{A04EA354-388F-4235-A3A0-B49B11F43DAE}

Reboot and Recurring Reboot Requests

When you are installing or re-installing QALoad, you may be required to reboot your system before installation proceeds. You will be prompted with the following message :

"Setup has detected a pending system reboot from a previous install. A system reboot is required to continue with the installation.

To reboot the machine and continue with the installation, click ‘Yes’. To abort the installation, click ‘No’."

If you are unable to install QALoad because of recurring requests to reboot your system, you should do the following:

  1. In the Windows Registry Editor, go to the registry location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager

  1. Delete the data in the string PendingFileRenameOperations.

 Caution: Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage your system. Before making changes to the registry, you should back up any valued data on the computer.

If you have McAfee VirusScan 8.5 patch 1 installed on your machine and you continue to receive the reboot message, refer to the McAfee VirusScan 8.5 Technical Note.

EasyScript Issues

Internet Explorer Fails to Launch When Starting Winsock Recording or Recording OFS Socket

Mode

If you are running McAfee's VirusScan 8.0 with the "Buffer Overflow Protection" option enabled, Internet Explorer may fail to launch when you start a Winsock recording or when you record OFS socket mode. To prevent this issue, disable the "Buffer Overflow Protection" feature within McAfee VirusScan.

Pop-up Blockers Need to be Disabled When Capturing in the WWW Middleware Environment

If you are running your application with Internet Explorer, Micro Focus recommends you turn off the 'pop-up blocker' feature before recording a transaction. The feature can be disabled using the browser window's Tools menu in Internet Options>Privacy.

QALoad Workbench

AMF Scripts and Changing JDK Versions

If you switch JDK versions after validating an AMF script, the Workbench crashes. To avoid this issue, switch JDK versions, then restart the Workbench.

Out of Memory Error During Replay of AMF Scripts

Out of memory errors appear during replay when using extractstring for AMF scripts. To avoid these errors, reduce the number of threads per player or run in process mode.

QALoad Analyze

Sending Email Messages with Test Data Using Microsoft Outlook 2003

The Send utility in Analyze does not always work properly with Outlook 2003. If you experience problems when clicking the Send button in the email that is generated by the utility, you can use the utility to create a .zip file of the results and manually attach that file to an email you create directly in Outlook.

MBCS Characters Not Supported in Analyze Tab Titles and Annotation Objects

Timing file names containing multi-byte characters do not display the file name correctly in Analyze tabs. The multi-byte characters are removed from the name and, if containing all multi-byte characters, the tab reads “TimingFile.tim”. Annotation Objects for Graphs do not support MBCS either, so some characters may be displayed incorrectly in annotation object text for languages utilizing MBCS.  

QALoad Conductor

Remote Monitoring for Windows Registry and WMI Monitoring Types

In order to properly record monitoring tasks for Windows Registry and WMI monitoring types, you must have installed the following:

Note: Although service packs are not typically required for target machines, Microsoft recommends that these service packs be installed on both source and target machines.

Running HTTP and HTML Scripts Together in Thread Mode

When running HTTP and HTML scripts together in thread mode, you may receive the error message:

WWW_ABORT_00009 - Script was converted in HTTP/HTML mode. Replay mode does not match the convert mode.

To avoid receiving this error, set the number of Virtual Users per process to the lowest number of VUs specified for all the scripts in the session.

Other Issues

Citrix Network/Configuration Issue Causing Intermittent Protocol Driver Error

There is a network/configuration issue with Citrix client v. 10.150 that can cause an intermittent Protocol Driver Error. This error has been reported when attempting to connect to Citrix Web Interface (CWI) applications or when validating CWI scripts in QALoad. To avoid this, either turn off the "Use automatic configuration script" option in Internet Explorer LAN Settings, or un-install client version 10.150 and upgrade to client version 10.2. If the problem continues, Micro Focus recommends that you contact Citrix.

Disable Compuware ServerVantage Agent When Repairing ServerVantage in Add/Remove Programs Utility

When you select Repair for ServerVantage in the Add/Remove Programs utility, you must stop the ServerVantage Agent and disable the service.

User Locale Can Affect Format and Display of Numbers, Currencies, Dates, and Times

User Locale affects how some programs format and display numbers, currencies, dates and time.  QALoad only supports native operating systems locales.  Switching your User Locale to something other than that of the native OS may result in improper functioning of QALoad components.

Error Message When Opening a .NET Session in Visual Studio 2005

When opening a .NET session in the Workbench, an error message stating the addin failed to install appears. To avoid this message, launch Visual Studio once outside of QALoad and configure it for C# scripts when prompted.

Viewing QALoad Timing Files with International Versions of Microsoft Windows

QALoad supports load testing of Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Web applications that use Double Byte Character Sets (DBCS). Viewing timing files and Summary reports with International versions of Microsoft Windows is only possible if the timing file is viewed on the same Windows language platform on which the timing file was created.

Solaris and Logfile Generation With More Than 250 Virtual Users

A file descriptor limit exists on the Solaris platform if a script is running in threaded mode, logfile generation is turned on, and there are more than 250 virtual users. To avoid this limitation, modify the Logfile Generation parameters so that logfiles are not generated by all virtual users:

  1. On the QALoad Conductor main window, click the script icon for the appropriate script. The script Properties panel displays on the right-hand side of the window.
  2. In the Debug Options column, click the Browse button. (Click in the Debug Options column to enable the Browse button). The Debug Options dialog box appears.
  3. On the Debug Options dialog box, in the Logfile Generation Virtual User Range area, select the Virtual Users option and type a range that contains less than 250 virtual users.

Find/Replace Functionality

The Visual Navigator's Find/Replace functionality will not find and replace XML tree items.

Checkpoint View

The Checkpoint view may be blank when applying an existing saved template.

Invalid characters in the Conductor Runtime Graphs on Japanese Operating System

If you are running a Japanese Operating System, you may see invalid characters in the file names in the drop-down list on the Series tab of the Conductor Runtime Graph. There is no known resolution at this time. The improper interpretation of the characters involves a third-party tool that the software uses to display this information. Check SupportLine for future updates to resolve this issue.

Central Datapool Size Limitations

There are limitations to the size of a Central Datapool that the QALoad Conductor can handle when starting a test. When attempting to use a Central Datapool file that is approximately 20MB or greater, the QALoad Conductor may fail to start. To avoid this problem, create a smaller Central Datapool file, or use a local or shared Datapool for the test instead.

Data Execution Prevention

In Windows XP SP2 and Windows 2003 Server environments, you may experience problems with receiving the following error message during installation:

"The instruction at 0x... referenced memory at 0x00000000. The memory could not be written"

If you receive this message during installation or if your applications crash while capturing, perform the following steps:

  1. Right-click on My Computer and select Properties.

  2. Click the Advanced tab and select Settings in the Performance field.

  3. Click the Data Execution Prevention tab. By default, it is set to guard system processes. To stop your application from crashing, click the second radio button Turn on DEP for all programs and services except those I select.

  4. Add the link to your program's executable file (.exe) to the list of programs that are allowed. Add the following executable files: iexplore.exe, javaw.exe, webproxy.exe, wsockexe.exe, MSIExec.exe.

  5. Restart your machine.

Using QALoad on a Windows Server 2003-based Computer or on a Windows Server 2008-based Computer

QALoad may not capture WWW content correctly, or WebProxy may intermittently fail while capturing on a Microsoft Windows Server 2003-based computer or Windows Server 2008-based computer. For example, you may receive the following Application Error while capturing WWW with Microsoft Internet Explorer, "The instruction at 0xzc8224b2 referenced memory at 0x00000001. The memory could not be read."

This can occur when the Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration component is enabled, which is the default state in Internet Explorer on Windows Server 2003-based computers and Windows Server 2008-based computers. This can prevent certain Web sites from displaying as expected in Internet Explorer. Programs that require the browser also may not work as expected because scripts, ActiveX controls, and download capabilities are disabled.

To avoid this behavior on Windows Server 2003-based computers, use the following steps to remove the Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration components in Windows Server 2003:

  1. Click Start, then select Control Panel.

  2. Double click Add or Remove Programs.

  3. On the left side of the screen, select Add/Remove Windows Components.

  4. In the Components list, clear the Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration check box, then click Next.

  5. Click Finish.

 

To avoid this behavior on Windows Server 2008-based computers, user the following steps to remove the Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration components:

  1. Click Start>Settings>Control Panel.

  2. Click Programs.

  3. On the left side of the screen, select Turn Windows features on or off.

  4. In the Security Information section, click Configure IE ESC.

  5. Click Off for both Users and Administrators.

  6. Click OK.

 

The Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration component configures security settings that define how you browse the Internet and your corporate intranet, and helps reduce exposure of your server to Web sites that could pose a security risk. For more information about this component, refer to Enhanced Security Configuration>Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration in the Internet Explorer help on your Windows Server 2003-based computer and Windows Server 2008-based computer.

Clicking Page Nodes with JavaScript Content in Visual Navigator

In the Visual Navigator, when you click a Page Node that has JavaScript content that causes the same page to reopen recursively, the QALoad Workbench may disappear. This also occurs when you open the same Web page in Microsoft Internet Explorer. The C++ script that is generated compiles and executes properly, but no modifications can be made on the page in Visual Navigator. To make modifications to the C++ script, use the following steps:

  1. In the Workbench menu bar, select Visual Navigator>Create Editable Script File...

  2. In the Save As dialog box, type a name for the script file, then click Save.

  3. Edit the C++ script file.

Using the "Run as Administrator" Feature When Upgrading QALoad

When upgrading to a newer version of QALoad, using the "Run as Administrator" feature in Windows XP and Windows Vista may cause the upgrade to fail. Use one of the following options to perform the upgrade:

OR

OR


Contacting Micro Focus Customer Care  back to top

Micro Focus Customer Care can assist you with all issues, from installation to troubleshooting.

Before Contacting Customer Care

Prior to contacting customer care, gather the following information:

Telephone

1-800-538-7822

SupportLine Support Web Site

Refer to the Micro Focus SupportLine support web site for fast access to critical information about your product. You can read and print documentation, download product fixes, review frequently asked questions, or directly e-mail Micro Focus with questions or comments. The first time you access SupportLine, you are required to register and obtain a password.

Micro Focus Corporate Web Site

Refer to Micro Focus's corporate web site at http://www.microfocus.com/ for information about Micro Focus customer support policies and problem resolution process. For contact information for your specific location, refer to www.microfocus.com/AboutMicroFocus/Contact/

End of QALoad Release Notes
Copyright © Micro Focus (IP) Limited 1998-2009.  All rights reserved. The software and information contained herein are proprietary to, and comprise valuable trade secrets of, Micro Focus (IP) Limited, which intends to preserve as trade secrets such software and information. This software is an unpublished copyright of Micro Focus and may not be used, copied, transmitted, or stored in any manner.  This software and information or any other copies thereof may not be provided or otherwise made available to any other person.