How to: Add Virtual User License Keys for Load Testing

  • Article

This topic applies to:

Visual Studio Ultimate

Visual Studio Premium

Visual Studio Professional 

Visual Studio Express
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Visual Studio Ultimate lets you use up to 250 virtual users on a local load test run. If your load testing requires more virtual users, or you want to use remote machines, you must purchase Visual Studio Load Test Virtual User Pack 2010 to obtain the required licensing. You can purchase Visual Studio Load Test Virtual User Pack 2010 where you purchased Visual Studio Ultimate.

Note

   You are not required to use test controllers and test agents on a single machine to install additional virtual users by using Visual Studio Load Test Virtual User Pack 2010. For more information, see Configuring Test Controllers and Test Agents for Load Testing.

For more information, see Managing Your Virtual User Licenses for Load Testing with a Test Controller.

Tip

Another benefit of installing Visual Studio Load Test Virtual User Pack 2010 is that the license packs use multiprocessor architecture. Virtual user license packs allow the machine on which they are installed to use more than one processor; otherwise, the machine is restricted to using only one core.

Note

The Visual Studio 2010 Load Test Feature Pack provides active Microsoft Visual Studio Ultimate 2010 with MSDN subscribers a unique Visual Studio Load Test Virtual User Pack 2010 license key to generate unlimited virtual users.

To download the feature pack, which is available for MSDN Subscribers only, visit MSDN Subscribers Downloads. For more information about the feature pack, see Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Load Test Feature Pack.

Visual Studio Ultimate can use a test controller and agents on a group of machines to run tests remotely and concurrently to generate additional stress on your load test. This group of machines consists of a single test controller and one or more test agents. For more information about how to use Visual Studio Load Test Virtual User Pack 2010 for both a single test machine and in a distributed environment, see Configuring Test Controllers and Test Agents for Load Testing and Create Test Settings to Run Automated Tests from Visual Studio

You can use the Microsoft Visual Studio Test Controller 2010 Configuration Tool to install Visual Studio Load Test Virtual User Pack 2010 license keys. The test controller configuration tool can be used to enter license keys by using the following steps.

To add virtual user license keys to your test controller used for load tests

  1. Click Start, and then click All Programs. Point to Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 and then click Microsoft Visual Studio Test Controller 2010 Configuration Tool.

    The Configure Test Controller dialog box is displayed.

  2. To configure your test controller for load testing, select Configure for load testing.

  3. Type your SQL Server instance in Create load test results database in the following SQL Server instance. For more information, see How to: Create a Load Test Results Repository Using SQL.

    Note

    If you do not have SQL Server installed, you can use SQL Express, which is included in Visual Studio Ultimate. You can also download SQL Express. For more information, view the following Microsoft Web site. For more information about sizing considerations, see Using Test Controllers and Test Agents with Load Tests.

  4. To manage the virtual user licenses for load testing with a test controller, click Manage virtual user licenses.

    The Manage virtual user licenses dialog box appears.

  5. Click Add and type your virtual user license key in the text box under License key column.

  6. Under the License count column, type the number of licenses that you purchased. The number of virtual users is updated in increments of 1,000.

    Note

    The license count column works only with volume licenses, not retail licenses.

  7. Click OK.

    The number of virtual users is updated under the Number of virtual users column.

  8. Click Close.

  9. (Optional) If you intend to use a test controller and test agents, verify that you have selected the correct test setting. For more information, see How to: Apply Test Settings from Microsoft Visual Studio.

    Note

    The Microsoft Visual Studio Test Controller 2010 Configuration Tool can be started from the command line by using TestControllerConfigUI.exe.

See Also

Tasks

How to: Add Virtual User License Keys for Load Testing Using the Command-Line

How to: Run a Load Test Using Test Controllers and Test Agents Specified in a Test Setting

Concepts

Configuring Test Controllers and Test Agents for Load Testing

Other Resources

Distributing Load Tests Across Multiple Test Machines Using Test Controllers and Test Agents