JMeter - JDBC Driver issue

I was trying JDBC query execution through JMeter. I was getting the error like java.sql.SQLException: No suitable driver found . I have given ojdbc6.jar on classpath and installed Oracle client. Still JMeter has thrown error. The solution is, ojdbc6.jar should be copied under JMeter Lib folder (<JMeter installation directory>\lib).

Later, the same script was copied into a server and executed the script. Got the same error. Server does not have Oracle client installation and ojdbc6.jar in JMeter lib folder. Just copied the ojdbc6.jar and able to run the script successfully.
Note:
ojdbc6.jar should be used for Oracle 11 version. Also it is supported only Java1.5 and above.

FOR loops & IF condition in RobotFramework

Using Robot Framework, test engineer can create FOR loops and IF conditions. I don't think so, any other Keyword driven framework is giving this kind of flexibility.

FOR loop can be set in two ways. First one is based on number of items in a List. Another one is based on range like from 1 to 50. Similarly keywords can be executed if condition matches or not. See below example.

FOR Loop & IF condition explantation using Robot Framework

TestCase	Action	Arguments
VerifyListItems	[Arguments]	${Locator}	@{ListItems}
	[Documentation]	Verifies the list of items present in a List Object.
	: FOR	${Element}	IN	@{ListItems}
		Select From List	${Locator}	${Element}
		List Selection Should Be	${Locator}	${Element}
	: FOR	${index}	IN RANGE	50
		${obj1}=	Evaluate	${index}*4+3
		Run Keyword if	'@{tDriverData}[4]'=='2'	Go To MyProfile
		Run Keyword Unless	'@{tDriverData}[4]'=='2'	Go To UserCreation

Robotframework Installation

RobotFramework Installation is a tricky task. We need to install 6-7 utilities. All should be installed in the same order. Here I have given the instructions for Windows OS.

Tools installation
All RobotFramework related software can be the latest. The other software should be as the same version.

1. Install Python (python-2.6.4.msi). Set installation directory as C:\Python26
2. Install Robot Framework (robotframework-2.6win32.exe)
3. Install Robot Selenium Library (robotframework-seleniumlibrary-2.7.win32.exe)
4. Install Python Widgets (wxPython2.8-win32-unicode-2.8.11.0-py26.exe)
5. Install Robot IDE (robotide-0.31.win32.exe)
6. Install Python Win32 module (pywin32-214.win32-py2.6.exe)
7. OPTIONAL (For SeleniumLibrary)- Install Java (jdk-6u14-windows-i586.exe), if your machine does not have Java.
8. OPTIONAL (For SeleniumLibrary)- Extract Selenium RC Server (selenium-remote-control-1.0.3.zip)

Environment variables Configuration
To execute RIDE and Pybot, environment variables should set properly.

1. Create a system level environment variable & value as --> PYTHONHOME=C:\Python26
2. Create a system level environment variable & value as --> PYTHONPATH=C:\Python26\Lib;C:\Python26\Scripts;C:\Python26\Lib\site-packages;C:\Python26\Lib\site-packages\SeleniumLibrary;C:\Python26\Lib\site-packages\robotide\;C:\Python26\Lib\site-packages\robot\;C:\Python26\Lib\site-packages\wx-2.8-msw-unicode;
3. Also add to PATH variable --> % PYTHONHOME%;% PYTHONHOME%\Scripts;

Steps for 64 Bit OS
To enable Robot Framework for 64 bit OS, you should install 64 bit python setup in same directory. Also the command prompt should be invoked through setting ‘Run as a Administrator’ if OS is Vista or Windows 7 version.

Verify the Installation
Open new command prompt and type ‘pybot --version’ and output like --> Robot Framework 2.6.0 (Python 2.6.4 on win32).

Virtualized Servers for Performance Testing

We have to do benchmark testing as well as stress testing. Already high performance system was purchased and virtual machines are created for performance testing setup. I can see few limitations for this approach, since production boxes all are in physical servers. Earlier I've used virtual machines for automation regression execution.

Issues/Limitations of Virtualized Servers

1. if (production environment != load test environment) then result could be wrong
2. Increasing the risk of deployment failure

Did a google search and found following links, which give all the details, including Vmware claims.

Virtualization: Performance testing

Measuring the Performance Impact of Virtualizing a Web Application Server

Response to 'Load Testing a Virtual Web Application'

Virtualization performance testing tips


Anybody have experienced load testing on Virtualized servers? Please share your experience...

RobotFramework - Overview

I have executed many automation projects and also developed various automation frameworks using different tools like Silktest, QTP, Selenium, CodedUI, MS UIA, VisualTest (dead) and Winrunner (dead). Tried few open source frameworks and found RobotFramework as the best one. Successfully completed five projects using RobotFramework. Main advantage is, I'm able to integrate with different test tools and libraries. It is neither related to IBM Rational tools or any other commercial tools.

Summary in RobotFramework Homepage
Robot Framework is a generic test automation framework for acceptance testing and acceptance test-driven development (ATDD). It has easy-to-use tabular test data syntax and utilizes the keyword-driven testing approach. Its testing capabilities can be extended by test libraries implemented either with Python or Java, and users can create new keywords from existing ones using the same syntax that is used for creating test cases.

Robot Framework is open source software released under Apache License 2.0. Its copyrights are owned and development supported by Nokia Siemens Networks.

Robot Framework Features

1. Advanced Keyword Driven framework
2. Enable functional team contribution for automation
3. Reusable/custom keywords
4. Dynamic variables
5. Easily extendable by Python, C# & Java
6. Supports few test libraries including Selenium
7. Provides simple and powerful Results Reporting
8. Multiple Operating Systems support
9. $ Free

Links for Robot Framework Resources
Robot Framework Home Page
Robot Framework User Guide
Robot Framework Quick Start Guide
Robot IDE
Robot Selenium Library

Robot Framework - Introduction
Robot Framework - Articles
Simple tutorial for Robot Framework

In last 6 months, many updates are happened on Robot framework and its related libraries. It is supporting many of my generic automation framework features.

Headers	Features	Robot Framework
Supported Frameworks	Functional Decomposition	Yes
	Data Driven	Yes
	Keyword Driven	Yes
	Table Driven	Yes
Independent to	Operating System	Yes
	Application	Yes
	Technology	Yes
Test Scripting	Recording	No
	Parametrization	Yes
	Suite Setup Module	Yes
	Suite TearDown Module	Yes
	Test Setup Module	Yes
	Test TearDown Module	Yes
	Database Integration	Yes
	Scripting	Yes
	Environment Library	Yes
Test Execution	Multiple OS	Yes
	Multiple platforms	Yes
	Parallel Execution	No
	Test Timeout	Yes
	Based on Priority	Yes
	Grouping Tests	Yes
	Running Failed tests	Yes
Result Analysis	Detail reporting for each step execution	Yes
	Snapshots for failed tests	Yes
	Test level reporting	Yes
	Compiled report	Yes
	Results by category	Yes
Expected Benefits	Less effort to automate	Yes
	Less dependence on highly skilled automation professionals	Yes
	Exception handling	Yes
	Easy to Maintain	Yes
	Easy to Integrate with Other tools	Yes
	Support to CI (Continuous Integration) tools	Yes
Additional Expectations	Dynamic conditions	Yes
	Dynamic Loop support	Yes
	UI to Edit data	Yes
	UI to execute tests	Yes
	Update test metrics automatically	Yes
	Update captured defects automatically	Yes

JMeter Tip - javascript eval

For my jmeter script, I was trying to set a javascript statement for this formula --> pitia=${cpi}+${cti}+(${eshortage}/60)
I used the code like this --> ${__javaScript( eval ('${cpi}'.concat('+'\,'${cti}'\,'+'\,'${eshortage}'\,' /60' ) ) )}
The above one was working in a simple script and it is not worked in my business script.

In jmeter.log, I got the exception like below:
2011/07/07 17:30:30 ERROR - jmeter.functions.JavaScript: Error processing Javascript org.mozilla.javascript.EcmaError: SyntaxError: missing ; before statement (<cmd>#1(eval)#1)
at org.mozilla.javascript.ScriptRuntime.constructError(ScriptRuntime.java:3229)
at org.mozilla.javascript.DefaultErrorReporter.error(DefaultErrorReporter.java:78)
at org.mozilla.javascript.Parser.addError(Parser.java:126)
at org.mozilla.javascript.Parser.reportError(Parser.java:132)
at org.mozilla.javascript.Parser.statementHelper(Parser.java:1175)
at org.mozilla.javascript.Parser.statement(Parser.java:623)
at org.mozilla.javascript.Parser.parse(Parser.java:355)
at org.mozilla.javascript.Parser.parse(Parser.java:293)

The reason for failure is a simple space, which was given for variable 'cpi'. The jmeter error did not indicate the right reason. You should debug each variable.

Job Change

Recently joined to AltiSource Portfolio Solutions. will write more about Robot Framework - An Open Source framework

What is OWASP

Four years back, I was looking help for security testing and I found OWASP with many presentations, books and testing guides. It helps me lot for my deliverables. OWASP's top 10 is a popular one and reflects the current trend.

OWASP by the numbers (Last year report)

• 420,000 page views per month
• 6,381 Articles
• 15,000 downloads per month
• 21,000 members on mailing lists
• 2,600 wiki users
• 1,500 wiki updates per month
• 160 chapters worldwide
• 75 individual memberships
• 118 tool and documentation projects
• 17 Books
• 43 corporate/educational memberships
• 7 Board members (Jeff, Tom, Dave, Seb. Dinis, Matt, Eoin)
• 39 Committee Volunteers
• 3 Employees (Paulo, Kate, Alison)
• 25 projects funded

OWASP - Open Web Application Security Project
OWASP is a community of people passionate about application security. It is a non-profit(501c3 not-for-profit worldwide charitable organization), volunteer driven organization. All members are volunteers and all work is donated by sponsors. They all share a vision of a world where you can confidently trust the software you use. Unfortunately, the current software market doesn’t encourage security – that’s something they are trying to change. One of primary missions is to make application security visible so that people can make informed decisions about risk.

You can find lots of free and open source tools, documents, basic information, guidelines, presentations, video, and blogs at OWASP to help you get started.

• Worldwide free and open community
• Focused on improving the security of Web applications
• Promotes secure software development
• An open forum for discussion
• Publications, Articles, Standards
• Testing and Training Software
• Local Chapters and Mailing Lists
• Software libraries and tools

OWASP Software - WebGoat - Training application
WebGoat Project

• Cross Site Scripting
• SQL Injection Attacks
• Thread Safety
• Field & Parameter Manipulation
• Session Hijacking and Management
• Weak Authentication Mechanisms
• Many more attacks added

OWASP Software - WebScarab - framework for analyzing HTTP/HTTPS traffic
WebScarab Project

• Fragment Analysis – extract scripts and html as presented to the browser, instead of source code presented by the browser post render
• Proxy – observe traffic between the browser and server, includes the ability to modify data in transit, expose hidden fields, and perform bandwidth manipulation
• BeanShell – the ability to execute Java code on requests and responses before being transmitted between the browser and server; allows runtime extension of WebScarab
• Spider – identifies new URLs within each page viewed
• SessionID Analysis – Collection and analysis of cookies to determine predictability of session tokens

My Previous posts on Security
Security Attacks - OWASP Top 10
Security Testing - Webscarab tool
Security Testing - CSS or XSS

Security Attacks - OWASP Top 10

I was looking into cross site scripting for security testing. Look at OWASP top 10 attacks for year 2010, 2007, 2004. Few items have gone up or down, added and removed.

Year 2010 - Top 10

1. Injection
2. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
3. Broken Authentication and Session Management
4. Insecure Direct Object References
5. Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
6. Security Misconfiguration
7. Insecure Cryptographic Storage
8. Failure to Restrict URL Access
9. Insufficient Transport Layer Protection
10. Unvalidated Redirects and Forwards

Year 2007 - Top 10

1. Cross Site Scripting (XSS)
2. Injection Flaws
3. Malicious File Execution
4. Insecure Direct Object Reference
5. Cross Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
6. Information Leakage and Improper Error Handling
7. Broken Authentication and Session Management
8. Insecure Cryptographic Storage
9. Insecure Communications
10. Failure to Restrict URL Access

Year 2004 - Top 10

1. Unvalidated Input
2. Broken Access Control
3. Broken Account and Session Management
4. Cross Site Scripting (XSS) Flaws
5. Buffer Overflows
6. Injection Flaws
7. Improper Error Handling
8. Insecure Storage
9. Denial of Service
10. Insecure configuration management

TaskManager - Tiny Footprint mode

Sometimes back, My laptop did not show menu bar and tabs in Task Manager. I restarted the laptop twice and no success. I searched Microsoft knowledge base and got to know about an interesting thing.

Microsoft KB - Task Manager Menu Bar and Tabs Are Not Visible in Windows XP

Problem
This behavior may occur if Task Manager is running in Tiny Footprint mode.

Resolution
To switch Task Manager to its typical display mode, double-click the top border of the window or the empty space in the border.