Session template packages for automated load testing

1. A computer automated method for creating a session template comprising:

automatically scanning a clip of messages that includes message requests and message responses arranged in a sequence, the clip being utilized to perform a load test on a target website server, the load test comprising communications from a plurality of virtual users to the target website server, the communications being maintained through the exchange of tokens during running of the load test, the scanning being performed based on one or more search parameters and producing a list of one or more name/value pairs, each name/value pair having a corresponding value which comprises a token used for authentication of a virtual user, the corresponding value produced by the target website server changing over the sequence;

for each name/value pair in the list:

identifying a message request in the clip where the corresponding value is first found;

looking backwards in the sequence from the message request where the corresponding value is first found to locate one or more prior message responses where the corresponding value is found;

specifying an extraction point in the clip for the corresponding value as a latest message response in the sequence where the corresponding value was returned from the target website server;

storing the corresponding value as a variable of the session template, wherein at run-time of the load test the stored variable of the session template being applied to subsequent message requests that require a correct dynamic value sent back to the website;

bundling a plurality of session templates into a session template package; and

applying the session template package to the clip.

2. The computer automated method of claim 1 further comprising providing a user interface (UI) that allows a user to specify the one or more search parameters prior to the scanning of the clip of messages.

3. The computer automated method of claim 1 wherein the variable is stored in a machine-readable storage medium.

4. The computer automated method of claim 1 further comprising substituting the variable in subsequent message requests in the sequence after the extraction point where the value is found.

5. The computer automated method of claim 1 further comprising discarding the name/value pair in the event that the corresponding value is not found in a message response prior to the message request where the corresponding value is first found.

6. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with programmed instructions, execution of the programmed instructions by a computer operable to:

automatically scan a clip of messages that includes message requests and message responses arranged in a sequence, the clip being utilized to perform a load test on a target website server, the load test comprising communications from a plurality of virtual users to the target website server, the communications being maintained through the exchange of tokens during running of the load test, the scan being performed based on one or more search parameters and producing a list of one or more name/value pairs, each name/value pair having a corresponding value which comprises a token used for authentication of a virtual user, the corresponding value comprising a dynamic value produced by the target website server, the dynamic value changing over the sequence;

for each name/value pair in the list:

identify a message request in the clip where the corresponding value is first found;

look backwards in the sequence from the message request where the corresponding value is first found to locate one or more prior message responses where the corresponding value is found;

specify an extraction point in the clip for the corresponding value as a latest message response in the sequence where the corresponding value was returned from the target website server;

store the corresponding value as a variable of a session template, wherein at run-time of the load test the stored variable of the session template being applied to subsequent message requests that require a correct dynamic value sent back to the website;

bundle a plurality of session templates into a session template package; and

apply the session template package to the clip.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 wherein execution of the programmed instructions by the computer is further operable to provide a user interface (UI) that allows a user to specify the one or more search parameters prior to the scanning of the clip of messages.

8. The computer program product of claim 6 wherein the variable is stored in a machine-readable storage medium.

9. The computer program product of claim 6 wherein execution of the programmed instructions by the computer is further operable to substitute the variable in one or more subsequent message requests in the sequence after the extraction point where the name/value pair is found.

10. The computer program product of claim 6 wherein execution of the programmed instructions by the computer is further operable to discard the name/value pair in the event that the corresponding value is not found in a message response prior to the message request where the corresponding value is first found.