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reviewer1445541 - PeerSpot reviewer
Test Automation, DevOps & Performance Engineering at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Support many different protocols, but integration with the CICD pipeline should be easier
Pros and Cons
  • "The most important feature for us is that it supports a lot of protocols because we support all of them, including HTTP, FTP, mainframe, and others."
  • "The product is pretty heavy and should be more lightweight."

What is our primary use case?

We use this product to test our web application that is used for internet banking.

What is most valuable?

The most important feature for us is that it supports a lot of protocols because we support all of them, including HTTP, FTP, mainframe, and others. This means that it is very scalable.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see easier integration with our CICD pipeline.

The product is pretty heavy and should be more lightweight.

I would like to see a browser extension where we can start the development. This would be helpful because right now, this solution is good for UTM integration and performance testing, but if we want to scale then it is difficult.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have only been using LoadRunner Professional for a short time because I just joined the company, and I used to work with open-source technology.

Buyer's Guide
OpenText LoadRunner Professional
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about OpenText LoadRunner Professional. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have six or seven people using this product.

How are customer service and support?

As we have just begun using it, we have note let had to contact support.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is pretty easy. This product is Java-based and you just have to add the independent libraries and dependencies. It is more of a client-server based architecture

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

This is not a cheap product.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I have primarily used JMeter, which is open-source and free to use.

I have also used Silk Performer, although that was a long way back.

The suitability of one solution over another is very dependant on the use case. When it comes to performance testing, it is very specific to the use case. It depends on your goal and what you want to do.

What other advice do I have?

These days, testing is not a separate activity. It's more about how fast you can quickly deliver and time to market. This is a product that I can recommend, although it depends on the use case. The first question has to be one of budget because LoadRunner is not cheap. Things differ from company to company. At the same time, not all of the free tools can perform all of the functions. It is based on requirements.

If they're a small company, such as a startup e-commerce company, then they might be better off implementing an open-source product.

I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user471417 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT QA Test Manager at a leisure / travel company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Allows us to scale up in order to simulate load on your application.

What is most valuable?

In many scenarios, you have to be able to run or put load on your application, and that's what that product does, and it does it pretty well.

How has it helped my organization?

In the old days, if you wanted to run load on your application, you would send out an email to 20 people, and you're all trying to do a load on an application. It allows you to scale up hundreds-thousands of users in order to simulate that.

What needs improvement?

I think it needs to have better reporting. After you do all the load, you really want good reporting.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We've had no issues with the stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

You scale up based on the amount of load that you want to put on your application. No problem there. They have really good products, and I'm looking forward to the next project, HPE Agile Manager.

How are customer service and technical support?

Not directly through HPE. We go through HPE's vendor partner, which is Checkpoint Technologies, and they provide excellent technical support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We used JMeter which is open source, same problem though - reporting is open source. Zero support because it's open source. When we ran into a problem, no help from JMeter. That's why we moved to using LoadRunner.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We have our license pool with 100 concurrent users. I like the concurrent license model. I don't have any problem scaling.

What other advice do I have?

Make sure you take into consideration how much overhead LoadRunner is adding to the load.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
OpenText LoadRunner Professional
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about OpenText LoadRunner Professional. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
PeerSpot user
CEO at Infuse Consulting
Real User
We use it along with Performance Center and other tools in delivering performance engineering services.

What is most valuable?

The breadth of protocol support means that you can get LoadRunner (and its sister product Performance Center) to test almost any application with useful built-in functions. The programmable scripts allow for the creation of sophisticated reliable and robust frameworks and scripts. The API potentially allows you to extend the tool to support applications that it cannot support, but how to do this is not well documented or supported.

The analysis capability is simply best of breed as it allows you to take data from any source and correlate it with your results. In other tools, analysis is more problematic and therefore a bit of a black art.

How has it helped my organization?

We use LoadRunner and its sister product Performance Center as two of the key pieces in our corporate tool kit along with other tools in delivering performance engineering services. Some of our customers insist on using this, and for them, it has helped administer payroll, deliver luggage in airports, and enabled them to support tax returns.

At Infuse, we have integrated such tools very early into early performance validation at the unit test level. This enables our customers to find defects early on in development, and combined with performance modelling in design, enables them to fix performance issues early and cheaply.

What needs improvement?

HP as a company has been slow to move to support modern technologies e.g. Oracle ADF. HP took a long time to support the protocol. The support could be better.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have, as a performance engineer, been using LoadRunner since 1999, in multiple different versions. As a business we have been using it since 2002, and it features in around 80% of our performance engineering assignments along with other tools.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

The tool itself is very easy to set up and install the various components. 90% of the time there are no deployment issues. The biggest issue really, is setting up the connections from the load generators to the controller component. However, these are are normally network related issues that, with the correct input from the network/infrastructure team, can quickly be resolved.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

No, the application is very robust. The only time issues are experienced is when it is running for extra-long period soak tests, e.g. for 24 hours. Then, only on odd occasions, does the system sometimes experience issues with results files, which become corrupt. Usually this is because of issues during the test with the AUT causing very large results files being generated.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

No, the application is scalable. Additional load testing capacity can be added quickly and easily by adding another load generator. Also, some GUI based scripting protocols such as TruClient do utilize large amounts of memory and CPU power, which needs to be planned for carefully if running tests over long periods with lots of users.

How are customer service and technical support?

Customer Service:

Average, to occasionally good, but no better.

Technical Support:

HP LoadRunner technical support is adequate, with implementation issues and functional problems that may arise. However, it doesn’t include scripting support, but there is a wealth of information on numerous public forums regarding LoadRunner to assist most technical issues which helps.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

As an independent vendor we use JMeter, The Grinder and Oracle Application Tool Suite’s load test module, but all of these tools don’t have the breadth of supporting protocols and so are not always suitable for our client’s applications and systems being tested. They are also sub-optimal from an analysis perspective, but do a good job.

How was the initial setup?

The setup for LoadRunner is straightforward as the installations are via wizards, and this makes them quick and easy. Make sure though, that the instructions are followed as written, and be aware that virus detection software can adversely affect the installation. The most complex area is in ensuring connectivity between the load generators and the controller, which may involve firewall changes as load generator machines should be located where the users are situated or externally on the cloud. The complexity is often getting permissions from the IT support teams and explaining what you are doing rather than changing the firewall itself and setting it up. It requires good communication skills.

What about the implementation team?

We implement it ourselves.

What was our ROI?

Considering the performance issues that we have found and prevented moving into production on client sites is enough to show that there is a positive ROI with the tool. This is despite the initial expense, as assets produced can be re-used on each implementation reducing the cost for subsequent releases.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The set up costs depend on the protocol type (there are standard and premium types), the number of virtual users being simulated, the terms, and the number of, load generator machines that are needed. Then there is an annual support maintenance fee that allows for free upgrade and access to the support functions.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We would evaluate all the tools on the market for a customer before making a recommendation. We do an evaluation based on the customers dynamics/culture, budget, and delivery methodology, and then offer our client a choice.

Other tools though don’t provide the breadth of support for different protocols and so this tool is limited to the applications it compatible with. It also has more basic reporting and analysis features. But then other tools are also generally cheaper.

What other advice do I have?

it is a best of breed product with some minor frustrations around product support.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Infuse is a HP Gold Business Partner and HP Gold Partner of the Year 2014. Infuse is an Oracle Gold Partner
PeerSpot user
reviewer1322280 - PeerSpot reviewer
Regional Head Customer Experience at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Supports multiple protocols, easy to install and use, and handles large workloads
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution can handle a huge amount of workloads, it's quite scalable."
  • "We are going to continue to use the product in the future, I recommend this product. However, those who are looking for only REST-based on the API, I would recommend some other tool because of the cost. There are others available on the market."

What is our primary use case?

We are it using the solution mainly for the REST-based API.

What is most valuable?

It is quite a good tool. It supports a medical protocol which we tried to explore in other products, but none of them had. It is very difficult to get data tool support in these solutions but LoadRunner does support them, it is a big advantage. Overall, It is pretty simple, easy to use.

What needs improvement?

My team members predominately used the product to do development but I don't think it needs anything in a way of improvements.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for over two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We didn't see any challenge with this product at all.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution can handle a huge amount of workloads, it is quite scalable.

How are customer service and support?

We found the support to be good. Whenever there is an issue with anything, within 24-hours we get an answer. If we want someone from their team to look into an issue, they will log it, analyze it and get back to us.

How was the initial setup?

The installation took around 20 to 30 minutes.

What about the implementation team?

We did the installation and deployment of the product ourselves. It's simple and pretty easy. We were using the LRP, we did not need any technical guidance for anything. We simply installed the configuration, then a few clicks, and we were done.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There is a licensing cost that is expensive. There is also the Enterprise version of the software which allows other features that the Professional does not, such as, license sharing.

What other advice do I have?

We are going to continue to use the product in the future, I recommend this product. However, those who are looking for only REST-based on the API, I would recommend some other tool because of the cost. There are others available on the market.

I rate OpenText LoadRunner Professional an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user468291 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Manager Assurance Quality, Tests, and Environnements at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Provides us with real data regarding our performance testing.

What is most valuable?

LoadRunner gives us real data regarding our performance testing. It's the way that the tool itself works and the way that we can have information coming from the tools.

The availability and the fact that HPE people want to help is something that I appreciate because they are with us, they try to help, they try to understand what we need and they act accordingly.

How has it helped my organization?

For us it's really used by a specific group of people. It's the efficiency that it gave us to do performance testing and get results rapidly.

What needs improvement?

It needs to be easier to use. I know LoadRunner so I think it's a tool that's difficult to understand. We are working with specialists to help us, but it's difficult to find those resources. They need to simplify a bit the way the tool works.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We've had no issues scaling it for our needs.

How are customer service and technical support?

It's good but we need to manage exactly what we need from them. Sometimes on the business side it's not clear enough. When it's not clear we don't have the results we need. The next time we need to make sure to correctly define our needs and involve them in that way.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We didn't use any other solution previously.

How was the initial setup?

It's not straightforward because for us it was because it was an upgrade of the infrastructure as well. So at the same time we changed the server, we also changed the infrastructure. It was not because of the product itself, it was more linked to what we needed to do at that time.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user49908 - PeerSpot reviewer
Architect at a healthcare company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Excellent load testing capabilities & reports. Quick visibility focusing in on a problem area is extremely helpful.

The main reason that we decided to implement LoadRunner was because of our serious lack of insight into exactly where flaws were stemming from when a problem arose or how we could fix those problems earlier and more efficiently in the future. When a problem was found, solutions could only be given after the fact, making the losses bigger and causing more damage than necessary. We needed to increase our awareness of the challenges and issues that could come up before they arose, or at least catch the problems faster than we currently were, in order to tackle them properly.

As the company grew and our infrastructure increased, the task of testing and debugging our entire system transformed into a colossal and costly problem. Our service, which includes providing healthcare and insurance services to a wide range of patients and clients, was becoming inefficient as well, making the need for in-house testing of our various software flaws urgent.

LoadRunner seemed to be an obvious solution since it recreates real life scenarios on a virtual plane in order to test the performance rate, speed, efficacy and functionality of the system during those actual situations. In this way, we could easily pinpoint problem areas, bugs and other flaws to the system prior to the real time launch, avoiding tremendous issues from ever arising.

We tried out three different virtual assessment products concurrently. Each of these products was tested in a wide range of areas that were either commonly known to be problem areas or were considered to be of great importance to remain problem-free. Some included:

  • Secure systems
  • Overall system substructure
  • Performance speed and accuracy

The system that came out as superior during the testing was HP LoadRunner, and we purchased the package immediately upon reviewing the results of the trials. This choice was made primarily for the software’s extensive capabilities, though HP’s greater overall presence within the technology field also contributed to the ultimate decision.

Installing LoadRunner was an uncomplicated procedure, needing no third party or outsourced services or tools. The successful implementation of this software led to the acquisition of some 250 licenses from the onset and an additional 1500 in subsequent months.

We proposed a three-year window to view the results and overall ROI of the product. To our surprise, LoadRunner provided positive effects even faster than we would have expected in a real and tangible example as described below:

One of the portals that our company used for selling various insurance packages and products developed major issues. As a result, brokers were losing sales because of the inaccessibility of their services. With the use of HP LoadRunner, the entire issue was simulated, examined and solved within a week of the initial symptoms. The software actually paid for itself within that first month simply due to the efficient manner in which the problem was able to be recreated, analyzed and dealt with.

Other members of the staff also found the product to be more effective and easier to work with due to the alacrity and smooth, automatic functions that were performed. As a result of these faster protocols, team members were able to meet strict deadlines that were otherwise unrealistic prior to theLoadRunner implementation.

The load testing capabilities and efficient performance were rated as the most integral aspects of this software, though the adeptness at getting to the core of the issue was a very close second.

Other features that people found generally helpful were the reports and the quick visibility focusing in on a problem area. Using HP LoadRunner in combination with the SiteScope software from HP has made all of these inevitable mishaps easier to deal with in a timely manner.

Our use of LoadRunner has become a standardized process, a part of our regular routine. The software is repeatedly used to discover the source of a problem when code freezes pop up. What is more, the usage of these tools is not limited to IT techs; everyone from the developers to quality assurance and even management is actively using this software to hone in on the problem areas and solve the issues quickly.

HP LoadRunner has been a gateway into the implementation of other invaluable HP tools such as Application Lifecycle Management products. In general, there has been a vast improvement to the performance and output of the company since the use of this product has been initiated, and everyone has seen positive results in the form of fewer problems, greater visibility and faster response times to issues that will come through. Having a central database for problem solving tools and resources has also contributed to the efficacy of our staff individually and as a team.

Disclosure: PeerSpot has made contact with the reviewer to validate that the person is a real user. The information in the posting is based upon a vendor-supplied case study, but the reviewer has confirmed the content's accuracy.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1399428 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Consultant at a consultancy with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Performs well, and is simple to install
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features of Micro Focus LoadRunner Professional are scripting and executing the tests."
  • "Instead of having too many graphs and tabs, use the analysis section to get a more simplified defect analysis."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use Micro Focus LoadRunner Professional to create scripts and run various types of performance tests, as well as to analyze the results.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features of Micro Focus LoadRunner Professional are scripting and executing the tests.

What needs improvement?

Instead of having too many graphs and tabs, use the analysis section to get a more simplified defect analysis.

In the next release, I wanted to make the defect analysis part easier and more compact to view in the tool itself. For example, if there are defects in the test or some issues in the test, I would like the analysis to be more detailed and easier to understand.

For how long have I used the solution?

I am using LoadRunner, but it's a company-sponsored program, I have not purchased the tool.

I have been working with Micro Focus LoadRunner Professional for eight years on many different projects.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Micro Focus LoadRunner Professional is a stable solution. 

We did not have any issues with the stability, or the performance of this solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Micro Focus LoadRunner Professional is a scalable product.

Our company has a large number of users. This solution is used on a daily basis by approximately 500 people.

How are customer service and support?

I have not interacted with technical support.

This is my company that purchases the tool, and once an issue arrives, we will contact them and they will connect with technical support.

The contact is with our IT department.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Previously, I have not used any other solution.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward. 

I would rate the initial setup a four out of five, it was simple.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I am not aware of the pricing.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Micro Focus LoadRunner Professional a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1454061 - PeerSpot reviewer
Performance Test Line manager at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Straightforward installation, proactive support, and reliable
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features of Micro Focus LoadRunner Professional are the separate module for scripting, execution analysis, and integration with a lot of new things pipeline areas. They keep updating their releases. Recently, they have released different versions, such as the professional and enterprise. They're coming up with new features which are good."
  • "Micro Focus LoadRunner Professional can improve the implementation of digital areas, such as digital testing, UI and native application, and native mobile applications."

How has it helped my organization?

Micro Focus LoadRunner Professional is an on-premises solution, but we have our own internal cloud where we have deployed it. However, it is considered an on-premise solution.

Micro Focus LoadRunner Professional can be used on any application. This is a tool we use to create a concurrent transaction on an application. We can do traffic simulating for end-users behavior. 

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features of Micro Focus LoadRunner Professional are the separate module for scripting, execution analysis, and integration with a lot of new things pipeline areas. They keep updating their releases. Recently, they have released different versions, such as the professional and enterprise. They're coming up with new features which are good. 

The most important aspect of Micro Focus LoadRunner Professional is the security of the tool and what it provides as a result.

What needs improvement?

Micro Focus LoadRunner Professional can improve the implementation of digital areas, such as digital testing, UI and native application, and native mobile applications.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Micro Focus LoadRunner Professional for approximately 14 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Micro Focus LoadRunner Professional is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of Micro Focus LoadRunner Professional is good. I can scale up and it has wide support for different protocols. Pretty powerful in terms of logins to different pipelines, such as Gen Kings.

We have approximately 30 to 40 customers and approximately 300 users using the solution.

How are customer service and support?

For the Micro Focus LoadRunner Professional is not possible for them to provide us with a resolution because there is a bottleneck from the solution side, but they are proactive.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Micro Focus LoadRunner Professional is simple for me. However, I understand new people have to learn, and I would still rate it simple. The deployment took approximately 30 to 45 minutes. Micro Focus LoadRunner Professional is straightforward but the Enterprise version is complicated.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There is an annual license required to use Micro Focus LoadRunner Professional. There are not any additional costs other than the licensing fees to use it.

What other advice do I have?

My advice to others is that this solution is good and they should 

I rate Micro Focus LoadRunner Professional a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free OpenText LoadRunner Professional Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: November 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free OpenText LoadRunner Professional Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.