Benchmark Factory for Database 8.1 - User Guide

AS3AP Benchmark

The AS3AP benchmark is an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Structured Query Language (SQL) relational database benchmark. The AS3AP benchmark provides the following features:

• Tests database processing power
• Built-in scalability and portability that tests a broad range of database systems
• Minimizes effort in implementing and running benchmark tests
• Provides a uniform metric and straight-forward interpretation of benchmark results

Systems tested with the AS3AP benchmark must support common data types and provide a complete relational interface with basic integrity, consistency, and recovery mechanisms. The AS3AP tests systems ranging from a single-user microcomputer Database Management System (DBMS) to a high-performance parallel or distributed database.

To learn how to create an AS3AP benchmark test in Benchmark Factory, see Create Industry Standard Benchmark Test.

Best Practices

Do not load-test against a production server if possible.  Load-testing and benchmarking on a production server significantly degrades performance.  In some cases, load-testing can cause a server to fail.  However, if testing against a production server, take the following precautions:

• Perform the testing when no other users are on the system and no automated processes are running.  Users and automated processes can adversely affect testing results
• Have a recovery plan and backup all data prior to testing
• Determine how long it will take to restore a production server if it went down during load-testing
• Perform manual testing.  Manual testing ensures that no unexpected outside activity takes place during the testing process

Reinitialize the Database

To reinitialize a testing database, run a job containing a Benchmark Object node.  

There are two ways to create a Benchmark Object node:

• Run the Benchmark Object Wizard to add the Delete Benchmark objects for AS3AP node to a job as needed.  See Add a Create/Delete Benchmark Objects Test for more information.
• Run the Load Scenario Wizard to create a new script containing the Create Objects for the Benchmark, Associated Load Scenarios for the Benchmark, and Delete Objects for the Benchmark. Running the delete objects for 'AS3AP' job will clean the environment.

Scaling Factor

The AS3AP benchmark scales by factor of 10.