JMeter Performance Testing Tutorial 1 - What is JMeter and how to install JMeter on Windows 10

Summary

This tutorial introduces JMeter, an open-source Java application for performance testing. It was initially designed for web apps but has expanded to include API testing. The video explains the importance of performance testing, especially for high-traffic applications like e-commerce sites, to prevent slowdowns and ensure a smooth user experience. The tutorial then outlines the steps to download and run JMeter on a Windows machine, including installing Java, setting up environment variables, verifying Java installation, and finally running JMeter by executing the batch file from the extracted JMeter folder.

Takeaways

• 😀 JMeter is an open-source, Java-based application used for performance and functional testing.
• 📊 Initially designed for web applications, JMeter now supports testing APIs and more.
• 🚀 Performance testing is crucial for ensuring an application performs well under heavy user load, especially for e-commerce and promotions.
• ⚙️ To run JMeter on a Windows machine, Java must first be installed.
• 🛠️ Setting up Java involves configuring environment variables, specifically defining 'JAVA_HOME' and adding the Java bin path.
• ✅ Verifying Java installation can be done using the command 'java -version' in the command prompt.
• 🌐 After Java is installed, download JMeter from its official website using a ZIP file option.
• 📁 Extract the downloaded ZIP file to access JMeter files and folders.
• 🖱️ To run JMeter, simply execute the Windows batch file from the 'bin' folder—no installation required.
• 📂 Future tutorials will explore JMeter's folder structure and user interface in detail.

Q & A

What is JMeter and why is it used?

JMeter is an open-source, Java-based application used to measure the functional behavior and performance of applications. It helps test the performance of web applications, APIs, and more, by simulating multiple users interacting with the system.

Why is performance testing important for applications?

Performance testing ensures that an application can handle a large number of users simultaneously without slowing down or crashing. This is critical for e-commerce applications, for instance, where downtime can lead to revenue loss.

How has JMeter evolved from its initial design?

Initially, JMeter was designed to test the performance of web applications. However, it has since expanded to support other features, such as testing APIs, enabling broader use in performance testing.

What are the steps to install and run JMeter on a Windows machine?

To install and run JMeter, the steps include: 1) Downloading and installing Java, 2) Setting up environment variables for Java, 3) Verifying the Java installation, 4) Downloading JMeter, 5) Extracting the downloaded zip file, and 6) Running JMeter through the batch file in the 'bin' folder.

Why is Java required to run JMeter?

JMeter is a Java-based application, so it requires Java to be installed on the system to function properly. Setting up Java's environment variables is essential for running JMeter.

How do you verify that Java is installed correctly on a Windows machine?

To verify Java installation, open the command prompt and type `java -version`. If the Java version appears, it means Java is installed and working correctly. If not, you may need to check and fix the environment variables.

What should you do if the JMeter download link does not work?

If the JMeter download link doesn’t work, it could be due to a temporary issue with the link. Users should wait for the problem to be resolved or try downloading from another mirror if available.

What is the purpose of setting up environment variables for Java in JMeter installation?

Setting up environment variables, specifically `JAVA_HOME`, is essential to ensure that the system knows where Java is installed and can access it when needed by JMeter.

What is contained in the JMeter folder after extraction?

After extracting the JMeter zip file, the folder contains multiple subfolders, including the 'bin' folder, where the batch file to run JMeter is located. These folders house important configuration and library files needed for JMeter's functionality.

How do you run JMeter on a Windows machine?

To run JMeter on a Windows machine, navigate to the 'bin' folder in the extracted JMeter directory and double-click the Windows batch file. This will launch the JMeter application without needing further installation.

Outlines

00:00

💻 Introduction to JMeter Tutorial

This paragraph introduces a tutorial on JMeter, an open-source Java application used for performance testing. It explains the evolution of JMeter from a tool for web applications to one that can also test APIs. The importance of performance testing is discussed with an example of an e-commerce application that could face issues if not tested for performance under high user load. The paragraph concludes with steps to download and run JMeter on a Windows machine, emphasizing the need for Java installation and environment variable setup.

05:02

🔧 Setting Up JMeter on Windows

The second paragraph provides a step-by-step guide to verify Java installation and to download and run JMeter on a Windows system. It instructs users to check Java version from the command prompt, download JMeter from its official website, and extract the zip file to access the application. The paragraph reassures that no installation of JMeter is needed, just running the batch file from the 'bin' folder will suffice. It also mentions upcoming sessions that will delve into JMeter's folders and user interface.

Keywords

💡JMeter

JMeter is an open-source, Java-based application primarily used for performance testing. It helps to measure the functional behavior of applications, particularly their performance under heavy loads. In the video, JMeter is introduced as a tool for testing web applications, and its functionality has expanded to include API testing as well.

💡Performance Testing

Performance testing is the process of evaluating the speed, responsiveness, and stability of a system under a certain load. In the video, it's explained that performance testing is crucial for ensuring that an application, like an e-commerce platform, can handle thousands or millions of users simultaneously without slowing down or crashing.

💡Java

Java is a programming language and platform that JMeter is built on. To run JMeter, users need to have Java installed on their system. The video explains how to download and set up Java, emphasizing its role in enabling JMeter to function properly on a Windows machine.

💡Environment Variables

Environment variables are key settings in an operating system that are necessary for software applications to run correctly. In the video, the speaker demonstrates how to set up environment variables for Java, which is a required step to ensure that JMeter operates smoothly.

💡Functional Behavior

Functional behavior refers to how a software system behaves in terms of functionality when subjected to different conditions. In the context of JMeter, functional behavior is tested under performance loads to check how well the application performs under pressure. The video touches on this concept when discussing the purpose of JMeter.

💡API Testing

API testing involves testing the performance, functionality, and security of an application programming interface (API). In the video, the speaker mentions that JMeter has evolved beyond testing just web applications and can now be used to test the performance of APIs as well.

💡E-commerce Application

An e-commerce application is a software platform that facilitates online shopping, including managing products, orders, and customer interactions. In the video, an example of an e-commerce application is used to explain why performance testing is essential, particularly when a large number of users may be accessing the platform simultaneously.

💡Load

Load refers to the number of users or requests a system handles at any given time. In the context of performance testing with JMeter, load testing helps determine how an application performs when subjected to high user traffic, as discussed in the video when referring to scenarios like promotions on e-commerce websites.

💡Batch File

A batch file is a script file in Windows that contains a series of commands to be executed by the command line interpreter. In the video, the speaker instructs users to run a Windows batch file to start JMeter after downloading and extracting it, which is a key step in using the software on a Windows machine.

💡User Interface (UI)

The User Interface (UI) refers to the visual elements through which a user interacts with software. In the video, the speaker mentions that the JMeter UI is simple and easy to understand, promising to go over its interface in detail in future sessions.

Highlights

Introduction to JMeter and its purpose: JMeter is an open-source, Java-based application used to measure the performance of web applications.

JMeter's original use was for web applications, but its functionality has expanded to include performance testing for APIs.

Importance of performance testing: It ensures smooth functionality during high-traffic periods, like e-commerce promotions, preventing slowdowns or system crashes.

JMeter helps measure the functional behavior of an application, especially under heavy loads, to ensure optimal performance.

Downloading and installing Java: JMeter is a Java-based application, so Java needs to be installed on your machine before using JMeter.

Setting up environment variables: After installing Java, you must configure system environment variables, specifically setting the JAVA_HOME path.

Verifying Java installation: Run 'java -version' in the command prompt to confirm Java is installed correctly and operational.

Downloading JMeter: Visit the official JMeter website to download the JMeter zip file for your operating system.

Extracting and running JMeter: After downloading, extract the zip file and run JMeter from the 'bin' folder by clicking the Windows batch file.

No need for installation: JMeter does not require installation—just extract and run it directly from the folder.

JMeter's interface: The tutorial will cover the folders found in the extracted JMeter directory and provide an overview of its user interface in upcoming sessions.

JMeter provides a simple and easy-to-understand interface for conducting performance tests.

Using JMeter for performance testing ensures that applications can handle large user volumes, especially during peak periods.

If Java is not functioning, check the environment variable setup to ensure that paths are properly configured.

Next steps in the tutorial: In future sessions, there will be a deep dive into JMeter's folder structure and its user interface.

Transcripts

hello everyone uh welcome to this jmeter

tutorial

in this tutorial we will learn about the

jimmy term why we need

j meter and furthermore we will see how

we can download

and run the jmeter on the windows

machine so

let's begin geometry is basically an

open

source java based application

geometry is used to measure the

functional behavior

in terms of the performance so using the

g meter you can measure the performance

of your application

initially geometry was developed for the

web

applications only but now they have

extended

their features and functionalities and

you can do much more than that

for example now you can test the

performance of your apis

as well now let's discuss why we need to

do a performance testing

for example tomorrow you will be

developing an e-commerce application so

it is expected that

maybe thousands or maybe millions of

users will be

using your application at the same time

especially in the cases of the

promotions

right so the more number of users will

be accessing your application

the more resources of your application

will be consumed

so at some time your resources will get

consumed

and your application will start slowing

down

and eventually your application will

stop responding

so if this happens your customer will

not be able to purchase anything from

your site

and eventually it will impact your

revenue

so that's why in order to provide a

smooth experience

to the end users we need to do our

performance testing

okay so now let's see how we can

download

and run the j meter on the windows

machine

so here are the steps you need to follow

in order to

run the g meter on your windows machine

so first

you need to download java

because geometry is a java based

application so you need to install the

java on your machine

so that you can open the geometer and

work with the performance testing

okay so you need to download a java

first

then you need to set up

the environment variables for java setup

setup environment

variables for java

okay then

verify okay then we need to verify

that java is installed

and working properly okay

after that we will download

j meter and finally

we will run j meter

okay so these are the steps we need to

follow okay

so java is already installed on my

machine but

for you if you want to install java so

just go to the browser

and type download java or

download jdk okay so once you will

download that

okay you need to define the environment

variables

okay for that let me open

the environment variables to show you

how you can

define the environment variables for

java so let me open this one

on my machine environment yeah

so i'm opening that one okay so you need

to go here

environment variables and here

what you need to do is that first you

need to create

a new system variable okay

and you need to give a name in caps java

underscore home

and you need to provide the path main

root path here okay once you will do

that

after that what you need to do just

click on this path

click on add it and here you need to

provide

a java path okay if this doesn't

work just provide the full path till the

bin

okay so what what is the bin path so

let me open my c drive here

okay and here in c

in program files here's my java

okay and here

so in case that particular path which i

showed you earlier doesn't

work then copy this path from here

and paste this path

here in in the path system variables

okay here click new and add that one

so it will start working so now

you have successfully added

the environment variables now

this is a time to verify either your

java is working or not

okay so for that open your command

prompt

and type java

dash version and hit enter

so if the java versions are appearing

here

this means that java is installed and

working properly on your operating

system

if not then you need to check your

environment variables

okay so this is how you can download it

and install the java now the next step

would be basically

to download the geometer so open the

browser

and in browser just type

download jmeter

okay so this is the official website

from where you can download the jmeter

so click on this link

and from here the easiest way

is to use the zip file so just click on

this

file and it will start downloading right

now there's some problem with the link

if i click on this link it says not

found

and most probably this is just due to

this preferred something like that

in the url but once this will be fixed

the zip file will be downloaded on your

system

so here wherever you want

to save this zip file you can do that so

you will get something like this

you need to extract this file okay

and it will create a folder for you okay

okay now you need to open this folder

and you will see multiple sub folders

here

so don't worry about these folders we

will discuss these folders

in our upcoming sessions for right now

just click on this bin folder and again

you will see a lot of files here

in order to run the g-meter you don't

need to install a j-meter on your

machine

just click on this windows batch file

in order to run the geometer just click

on this one

so now you have successfully

opened up the jmeter on your windows

machine so in our

next lectures we will first discuss

about the folders we see earlier

and then we will discuss the ui and

interface of the jupiter which is quite

simple in nature and easy to understand

thank you so much for watching this

tutorial we hope that you have learned

something today

see you in the next lectures