Load Tests for Distributed Systems?

arizaphale asks: "I stand in front of the somewhat complex task of load testing a fairly simple distributed telecom computer system. Is there anyone who has links or references to where I can find information about some theory on which I can base my tests? Both formal theories and test methodology are of great interest to me."

Well,

[Anonymous Coward]

just link to it from the slashdot home page. There's your test. .:.

Have you tried google?

[Anonymous Coward]

Have you tried google? [google.com]

If you have not searched Google at this point in time, you probably don't have the skills to carry out the project.

test?

[Noodlenose]

Make phonenumber, website, emailadress and postal adress available here and now and watch your client's homepage get slashdotted, his mailserver frizzle and his parkingspace and lounge get overcrowded with fat, long-haired slackers with Dragonball-Z shirts.

Have Fun!

Performance Testing with a Bang

[Anonymous Coward]

Here is a link to the Defence Finance and Accounting Service http://www.dfas.mil (Yeap .mil)
http://www.dfas.mil/technology/pal/dcii/dcii-proce dures/dcii-doc/ept.pdf [dfas.mil] Otherwise a Complete Testing/Performance Procedures for Many Different Approachs are described at the http://www.tpc.org [tpc.org]
Test TPC-C TPC-H TPC-R and TPC-W
You will find a description of all of them here http://www.tpc.org/information/benchmarks.asp [tpc.org] and each have their own pdf description. VERY FORMAL and detailed. Have Fun ])

Read, Code and Test

[e8johan]

You can do two types of load tests: 1) number crunching and 2) transfer rates. Which is important to you (perhaps both?) is depending on what you want to use the system for.

If you want to crunch a few ones and zeroes, look at the following book: Designing and Building Parallel Programs [anl.gov] (it is free!). If you pick a nice algo here you can probably test some bandwidth too.

As a side note: he doesn't need a Beowolf cluster of these, he allready has a distributed computer system!

Do you know

[Anonymous Coward]

what an Erlang is? If not you're in trouble :) Testing telecom systems ain't a walk in the park and there isn't any dummy guides out there. I work with people with over 20 years experience testing telecom systems (I work for the worlds no. 1 core network equipment supplier). Try looking for web pages with the following keywords/phrases,

erlang
BHCA (Busy Hour Call Accesses)
traffic load
ussage load
traffic peak margin
high load margin
dimensioning factor
load per call
loadability (yep a real word!)
traffic mix

Testing Computer Telephony Systems and Networks

[cpuffer_hammer]

Since you don't describe the system under test or the type of traffic it is going to receive I will keep my suggestions general.

Try:
Testing Computer Telephony Systems and Networks
Steve Gladstone
ISBN 0-936648-82-1

Or:
www.empirix.com
http://www.empirix.com/Emp irix/Contact+Center+Solu tions/Contact+Center+Solutions+Overview.html?page= home_page&link=ccs_mainlink

Discloser:
Yes I work for Empirix.

This is what we use...

[Hard_Code]

It's a great tool called: "production"

heh

First find out what's expected from your testing.

[Bob Bitchen]

Then find out what metric(s) are wanted from the testing. Find someone that has worked with the product and knows it well. Find|write a tool that will create the correct interaction with your software. One that gets as close as possible to real production usage. Start playing with the system and see how far and fast you can make it go.
Make sure to save lots of data so you can make some conclusions. Write the report (and post URL on slashdot).

obvious

[penguin_punk]

John the Ripper

Use real data

[isj]

Intercept the current real-world traffic, timestamp the events and write to a log.
Let a simulator use the log to generate the traffic in your test setup.