Refer to
HTTP Proxy Server
for details on setting up the proxy
server. The most important thing to do is filter out all requests you aren't
interested in. For instance, there's no point in recording image requests (JMeter can
be instructed to download all images on a page - see
HTTP Request
).
These will just clutter your test plan. Most likely, there is an extension all your files
share, such as .jsp, .asp, .php, .html or the like. These you should "include" by
entering ".*\.jsp" as an "Include Pattern".
Alternatively, you can exclude images by entering ".*\.gif" as an "Exclude Pattern".
Depending on your application, this may or may not be a better way to go. You may
also have to exclude stylesheets, javascript files, and other included files. Test
out your settings to verify you are recording what you want, and then erase and start
fresh.
The Proxy Server expects to find a ThreadGroup element with a Recording Controller
under it where it will record HTTP Requests to. This conveniently packages all your samples under one
controller, which can be given a name that describes the test case.
Now, go through the steps of a Test Case. If you have no pre-defined test cases, use
JMeter to record your actions to define your test cases. Once you have finished a
definite series of steps, save the entire test case in an appropriately named file. Then, wipe
clean and start a new test case. By doing this, you can quickly record a large number of
test case "rough drafts".
One of the most useful features of the Proxy Server is that you can abstract out
certain common elements from the recorded samples. By defining some
user-defined variables
at the Test Plan level or in
User Defined Variables
elements, you can have JMeter automatically
replace values in you recorded samples. For instance, if you are testing an app on
server "xxx.yyy.com", then you can define a variable called "server" with the value of
"xxx.yyy.com", and anyplace that value is found in your recorded samples will be replaced
with "${server}".
