Environment Information
Benchmark Factory can collect and display database and host server information for a connection. The information is displayed in the Environment tab of the Connection dialog for an existing connection and also in the Database Under Test page of the New/Edit Job Wizard.
You can also create custom properties to add your own customized information to the connection.
To collect environment information
- Open the Connection dialog for an existing connection. Use one of the following methods:
- Click
in the main toolbar. Select a connection and click
in the Edit Connections dialog.
- Select View | My Connections. In the My Connections pane, select a connection and click
.
- Click
- Select the Environment tab in the Connection dialog.
-
Click Detect Environment Information.
Note: To successfully view all environment information requested by Benchmark Factory, the login account used in the connection must have sufficient permissions. See Environment Information for more information.
To collect environment information in the Job wizard
- Click New or Edit Job to open the Job Wizard.
- Select the Database Under Test page.
- (New job) Select a connection.
-
Click Detect Environment Information.
Note: To successfully view all environment information requested by Benchmark Factory, the login account used in the connection must have sufficient permissions. See Environment Information for more information.
To create a custom property
- In the Connection dialog for a connection, select the Environment tab.
- Click Add.
- Enter a property name and value. Click OK.
- The new property and value display in the Environment tab under Custom Properties.
Permissions Required to Detect Environment Information
In order to display database and host server information for a particular connection, the user account used in the connection must have the necessary permissions. Review the following special requirements for detecting environment information.
| Connection Type | Required Permissions |
|---|---|
| IBM DB2 |
To access database information, the SELECT or CONTROL privilege on the TBSP_UTILIZATION, SNAPTBSP, and SNAPTBSP_PART administrative views and the SYSCAT.TABLESPACES catalog view is required. To access snapshot monitor data, the SYSADM, SYSCTRL, SYSMAINT, or SYSMON authority is required. |
| MySQL | To access database metadata, the select privilege for INFORMATION_SCHEMA and INFORMATION_SCHEMA.GLOBAL_VARIABLES is required. |
| Oracle |
Retrieving database information requires access to the following views: DBA_DATA_FILES, DBA_FREE_SPACE, SYS.V$LOG, V$OSSTAT, DBA_TEMP_FILES, and SYS.V$CONTROLFILE. Alternatively, you could grant the SELECT ANY DICTIONARY system privilege to the user. |
| SAP | To access database information, the select privilege on master.dbo.sysusages and master.dbo.sysdatabases is required. |
| SQL Server | To view Host CPU Count and Host Memory, the login account requires the VIEW SERVER STATE permission |
Performance Counters
Performance counters keep track of statistics during test execution. By default the following performance counters are recorded when a job executes, even though they do not display in the Performance Counter tab for a connection or job.
- AVG_TIME
- BPS
- DEADLOCKS
- TOTAL_ERRORS
- MAX_TIME
- RPS
- TOTAL_BYTES
- TOTAL_ROWS
- TPS
- USERLOAD
You can add performance counters to a connection or a job.
To add performance counters to a connection
- In the New Connection dialog when creating a new connection (or the Connection dialog for an existing connection), select the Performance Counters tab.
- To add a new counter, click
.
- Select a computer from the drop-down list.
- To display counters, expand an object node by clicking the node's down-arrow.
- Select one or more counters and click Add.
- When you have finished adding counters, click Close to close the Browse Performance Counters dialog.
- To delete a counter, select the counter and click
.
Oracle Statistics Collection
Benchmark Factory allows you to specify statistics collection options for each Oracle connection.
To specify statistics collection options for an Oracle connection
- In the New Connection dialog when creating a new connection (or in the Connection dialog for an existing connection), select the Statistics tab.
- Select one of the following:
- Statspack Options—Collect database-wide performance statistics using the Oracle Stats Pack utility.
-
AWR and ADDM Options—Collect database-wide performance statistics using the optional Oracle Enterprise Manager (OEM) “Diagnostic Pack” Automatic Workload Repository (AWR).
Note: A valid licenses is required to use the optional OEM Diagnostics Pack.
Tip: You can specify default values for Oracle performance collection and reporting options in Edit | Settings | Oracle.
Oracle Clustering Options
Clustering is the process of using two or more computer systems that work together. Multiple servers are linked to handle variable workloads or to provide continued operation in the event one fails. Computers may be multiprocessor systems. A cluster of four computers with four CPUs each provides a total of sixteen CPUs processing at one time.
Use the Clustering tab in the Connection dialog of an Oracle connection to enable clustering. This allows you to perform Oracle Real Application (RAC) Testing.
To enable clustering for an Oracle connection
- In the Connection dialog, after entering connection information, select the Clustering tab.
- Select the Enable Clustering checkbox.
- Specify the number of nodes and then the percentage of users that will hit a particular node. See Real Application Clustering (RAC) Load Testing for more information.
- Click OK to save your changes.