Load testing strategy, test environments and TabJolt
Plan Tableau Server load testing: when to test, how to build a production-identical test environment, which tool (TabJolt, Replayer, Scout) fits, how to write a test plan, and how to turn CPU, error-rate and process data into scaling and capacity decisions.
3.2 Perform load testing: 3.2.1 Recommend a load testing strategy; 3.2.2 Configure and use a load testing tool such as TabJolt; 3.2.3 Configure a test environment; 3.2.4 Create appropriate test plans; 3.2.5 Interpret load test results and determine the appropriate action.
~6 min read · 21 practice questions
What the exam expects
- Recommend a load testing strategy: cadence, triggers and what each test must prove.
- Configure and use a load testing tool such as TabJolt, and tell it apart from Replayer and Scout.
- Configure a test environment that matches production in hardware, topology, data, authentication and network path.
- Create test plans with representative content, realistic usage, peak modelling, duration and think time.
- Interpret load test results (CPU, error rate, per-process counters) and choose the action: optimize content, keep testing, scale, or retune processes.
Key terms: TabJolt (Tableau-created point-and-run load and performance testing utility for Tableau Server); Replayer (replays log-based real user traffic against another server or configuration); Scout (captures performance metrics across workbooks); think time (pause between virtual user actions); breaking point (the user, request and data volume at which the server fails).
Key facts
- Detail
- Two to four times a year, with upgrades and expansions
- Detail
- Identical hardware, topology and data volume
- Detail
- Configuration and customizations replicated by hand
- Detail
- 75-85% CPU, under 2% errors
- Detail
- At least ten minutes, with think time
- Detail
- Threshold met and sustained on default processes
- Detail
- Nearly linear when adding nodes
- Detail
- Multiple views over 10 seconds with many sessions
- Detail
- 30 seconds
- Detail
- Performance data, onboarding schedules, load test results
- Detail
- Peak above 1,000 VizQL sessions per hour
Sources for this section (6)
- Load Testinghelp.tableau.com (opens in a new tab)
- Test the Upgradehelp.tableau.com (opens in a new tab)
- Optimize for User Traffichelp.tableau.com (opens in a new tab)
- Windows PerfMonhelp.tableau.com (opens in a new tab)
- Capacity Planninghelp.tableau.com (opens in a new tab)
- Performance guidelineshelp.tableau.com (opens in a new tab)
- How does Tableau Server throughput grow as nodes are added under rising user load?
- When your test server must run the same, older version as production, where do you get its setup program?
- Which Replayer capability helps troubleshoot errors one user saw?
- Why ask users who helped test an upgrade to help announce it?
The questions are free to read. Answers with their sources and self-grading are included with the pack.
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