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WAPT Pro by SoftLogica is one of the most versatile and full-featured web application load testing tools available today. With the latest 4.0 release, WAPT Pro gains significant new capabilities for large scale testing along with improvements to usability and configurability.
In this comprehensive guide, we will cover everything you need to know to harness the power of WAPT Pro for your load and performance testing needs.
Overview of WAPT Pro
WAPT Pro provides a robust set of features for accurately simulating real-world loads on your web applications, APIs and services. Some key capabilities include:
- Record traffic profiles with a proxy-based recorder
- Parameterize data for dynamic substitutions
- Configure advanced load scheduling and distributions
- Correlate dynamic session data between requests
- Set load injector locations based on geo-locations
- Monitor a wide array of application and server performance metrics
- Conditionally branch profiles based on server responses
- Visualize trends and drill into detailed forensic information
These features and more make WAPT Pro a top choice for load and performance testing among QA professionals and web developers alike.
What‘s New in WAPT Pro 4.0
Let‘s look at some of the key new enhancements introduced in the latest 4.0 release:
1. Faster, More Visible Recording
The recording mode in WAPT Pro has been completely revamped. Now, all intercepted HTTP requests appear under a "Recorder" folder allowing you to monitor the recording process as it happens.
Bookmarking frequently accessed pages provides hints to WAPT on structuring the final traffic profile. This behind-the-scenes processing results in dramatically faster recording speeds, especially for complex sites.
Seeing all requests as they are captured also improves visibility for later correlation and debugging if needed.
2. 64-bit Workplace Component
Previous versions of WAPT faced memory limitations for extremely demanding tests due to 32-bit workplace components. Now with full 64-bit support, these restrictions are gone even when working with massive profiles.
If you experienced crashes or failures on past large-scale test runs, upgrading to 4.0 should allow you to scale as needed.
3. Multiple Open Workplace Windows
Do you frequently need to reference previous test results or tweak parameters while a test is still running? Doing so required awkward workspace switching in old versions.
WAPT Pro 4.0 natively supports multiple open workplace windows simultaneously. This allows for much easier multitasking without interrupting your current test execution.
4. Defining Pass/Fail Criteria
An important philosophical shift in WAPT Pro 4.0 is the ability to set explicit pass/fail parameters for your tests. This could include thresholds for:
- Average or peak response times
- Error rates
- Memory consumption
- Server CPU usage
- And more…
Defining objective success criteria better aligns load testing practices with QA processes and expected production metrics.
5. Advanced JavaScript Processing
For statistical analysis not available out of the box, you can now leverage custom JavaScript functions to programatically comb through test results.
By tapping into raw metrics and response data, WAPT Pro allows deep customization for niche data mining needs across extremely large result sets.
Additional Enhancements
Beyond the major updates highlighted so far, WAPT Pro 4.0 comes with a number of smaller features and fixes including:
- Performance degradation tracking
- Jenkins integration
- Ignore errors on specific requests
- Enhanced CLI for automation
- Improved compatibility and bug fixes
While less flashy, these incremental improvements contribute to a smoother and more flexible testing experience.
Upgrading WAPT Pro Licenses
If you use an earlier version of WAPT Pro (or standard WAPT), SoftLogica offers discounted upgrade pricing even during an active maintenance period.
Review your specific upgrade options and pricing here.
Replacing just the license file also makes trials and upgrades convenient since you can retain your existing configurations.
For those with very old licenses, the cost savings may warrant starting fresh. Either way, you owe it to yourself and your applications to leverage the new 4.0 capabilities!
Get Started Today
Hopefully this guide provided helpful context around the new features and improvements in WAPT Pro 4.0. For additional details and trial downloads, visit SoftLogica:
Feel free to reach out below with any additional questions as you prepare your testing strategy and adopt this powerful solution!