The release of SilkPerformer 2006 R2 saw the addition of "GUI-Level" Testing to its already strong range of capabilities for load testing in the Client/ServerEnterprise environment. The GUI-Level testing feature enhances the portfolio of applications for which SilkPerformer provides full automated support. In previous versions of SilkPerformer,automated BDF script generation was dependent on whether an application used a protocol or provided an API which was supported by the SilkPerformer recorder. If there was no out-of-the-box support, there were a number of approaches to testing:- building support using lower level protocols such as TCP/IP; rule-based recording; Java/.Net frameworks and DLL integration. In any case,there may be substantial effort involved, depending on the nature of the system under test. Even with supported protocols, a lot of applications use additional business logic which may need custom handling. Most commonly, many web applications implement logic on top of HTML / HTTP. This may take the form of client-side logic (javascript, vbscript), proprietary encryption, complex session handling, or custom standards for data exchange between client and server. Again, there may be substantial effort involved in customising SilkPerformer scripts to work in such environments. To cite an example, the Siebel web-client generates HTTP which incorporates a lot of dynamic information and custom error handling that needs to be addressed to ensure accurate replay. In the case of the Siebel web client, SilkPerformer does provide specific support which is implemented using a set of pre-defined recording rules. GUI-Level testing provides an excellent alternative to the previous approaches for implementing support in such environments. Testing is realized using SilkTest, Micro Focus's flagship functional test tool. Rather than recording at the protocol level, SilkTest records user interaction with the application and on replay drives the client in the same way as a real-life user. Using the actual client automatically takes advantage of built-in client logic which can require substantial effort to handle within SilkPerformer. After recording, the SilkTest scripts are imported into SilkPerformer and driven by multiple users to generate load. This is achieved by each SilkPerformer virtual user running an instance of SilkTest within a Windows Terminal Services session. During the loadtest, SilkPerformer creates and deploys the Terminal Services sessions, controlling each session via SilkTest. At the end of the test all results are communicated back to SilkPerformer and the Terminal Sessions are terminated. Detailed setup of GUI-level testing is described in the Help, see "Configuring Windows for GUI-Level Testing" (About | Contents in SilkPerformer). GUI-level testing opens the door to loadtesting applications that were previously difficult or impossible to test within SilkPerformer. The broad range of environments supported by SilkTest strengthens the loadtesting solution. NOTE: GUI-level testing requires a SilkPerformer "Premium VU" license and that SilkPerformer MMC is installed on a Windows Server Operating System with a licensed Terminal Server installed. Terminal Service licenses must be obtained separately from Microsoft. Only SilkTest scripts with .t extenstion are supported for GUI-Level testing (4test scripts). � Old KB# 17278
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