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Performance Testing: SAP Volume Testing Facts |
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SAP is the most successful product for enterprise resource planning (ERP), touching nearly every facet of
business like accounting, logistics, CRM, HR, data warehouse, etc. In many companies, transactions of
thousands of users must be processed concurrently by SAP and the underlying database system. Hence, it is truly a mission-critical technology that requires solid performance and high availability to deliver the leve
of service the business requires. Failure of this critical system introduces tremendous business risk, both to
the successful execution of internal processes and to the service level agreements as established.
The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of various facts and to large extent the best practices
followed during SAP volume and stress testing. This paper describes best methods of creating automation
scripts and experiences from real time execution of various SAP applications involving modules like Sales
& Distribution, Material Management, Human Resource Management, CRM, Business Warehouse. The
paper also shows how an SAP system can be monitored during volume test. This paper is structured in a
format to give an overview of the activities to be done before the test, during the test and after the test.
LoadRunner 8.1 from HP-Mercury is the automation tool used to create automation scripts and mimic end
user workload. |
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Test Engagement |
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The entry criteria for volume and stress in any SAP system are due to following reasons. |
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Increasing the number of users or adding new users |
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A major software upgrade like database or operating system migration |
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A major hardware upgrade like implementing BIA infrastructure for BW |
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Implementing a new module or new functionality like accessing through SAP Portal instead of SAP GUI
The common concern which arises in minds of project team before any SAP application go live can be
classified as follows. |
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How does the database react with existing or desired concurrent SAP users? |
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Will the implemented SAP application meet the end user performance requirements with
respect to response time and throughput? |
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Is this SAP implemented solution scalable? |
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Will there be any dumps related to RFC connections and local printing hanging issues during
production operation? |
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Can BIA infrastructure improve the performance of BIW queries? |
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Can specified number of CRM users create desired volume of tickets per hour? |
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Is this implemented solution capable of handling estimated production level transaction volumes within the available time frame? |
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Was the hardware sizing done accurately? |
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Are Application Servers and Database Servers configured accurately to withstand desired
number of processesor requests? |
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Which component can fail for what time? |
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Which component of the system limits the number of concurrent users? |
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In every volume test the engagement model begins in the following manner (refer Figure 1). |
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Request from Project Team: The request can be made in various ways like Service Request
(SR), by email or phone call and sometimes project team member walking in with request for testing. |
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Initiate Kick off meeting: The testing team should initiate kickoff meeting to discuss and
understand requirements. During this meeting the scope and objectives of testing should be
defined. |
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Explain the strategy of testing to project team as per the requirement. |
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Create Service Request with a unique id. |
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Create the test plan. |
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Assign resources as per availability in pool and required skill set. |
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To read the complete article please click here |
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