What is it?
StreamTest's Load Testing service is "not your grandaddy's" load testing service. It is not the standard generic web "objects" or html based server load testing service.
The service provides the online broadcaster, the ability to simulate massive streaming audiences on their distribution network in seconds. Without complicated user clients, server applications or expensive set up procedures. Using the latest in cloud and streaming technologies StreamTest.net is able to do load tests big and small, simulating audiences from an individual user to millions of users. Equally important, Streamtest's load testing service also samples and measures the stream under load to determine the quality of experience. After the load test has been completed every user experience that connected can be reviewed for problems if they score low on the test.
How does it work?
Streamtest.net's has custom designed and built a highly powerful, streaming specific Content Delivery Network (CDN) distribution network load testing service. This service uses StreamTest's customized virtual streaming users (VSU's). Through Streamtest.net service portal the online broadcaster selects a couple test options which activates the VSU's to simultaneously connect to the CDN distributed stream. This instant connection creates the load test. However the VSU's also sample and measure the streaming channel. Which are then collated to render results that can be viewed on the Streamtest Monitoring Dashboard. All in real time. Plus each VSU connection and measurement can be drill down into a detailed, active, real time, running graph of the streaming channel under test and after. The data results obtained by the VSU's are displayed in a simple, easy to read and understand format.
Benefits
- Streaming specific - not your grandaddy's load test. Streaming specific, built by streaming tech's for streaming techs
- Huge user scale user simulations 1,000,000+
- Anywhere in the world Load Test where your audience is (see geo locations)
- More than just a load test. Get all the other important streaming test measurements you need and want to provide the best streaming service possible.
- Scheduling option - test when you want not when you have to
- Test as many times as you want
- Easy to read graphical performance report 4 Easy to share performance report - test published to unique URL - easy to share. Better than large excel
- Get StreamTest Certified - receive a load test certificate confirming test results so you can prove and share that your set up is ready for your audience
- Compatible with almost every streaming format (see below)
Features
- Real Time Test Monitoring (see video – coming soon)
- API access to launch tests and receive test result data (see API docs here)
- Generates thumbnails from each simulated stream
- Each test user has a unique identity that you can follow from our result data through your own log files.
- Drill down performance metrics for each simulated user
- User data geographically present
- Client data collection
- Scheduled load test
- Easy to read graphical performance report
- Aggregate and individual metrics for latency, throughput, bytes received
- Waypoint data taken at 10 second intervals
Compatibility
Our StreamTest simulated client is compatible with many different stream types, both live and on-demand. Below we’ve listed the known compatible/ supported stream types and formats.
Media Formats:
.mp3, .m4v, .mov, .wmv, .wma, .ra, .rmv, .aif, .aifc, .aiff, .m4a, m3u, .3gp, .flv, .m1v, .avi, .mpg, .mp4, .ogg, .m2v, .mpeg, .mp2, .m3u8, .f4m
Servers:
Wowza Media Server, Adobe Flash Media, Evostream Media Server, NGINX-RTMP, IIS, apache…
Stream Providers:
Akamai, limelight, CloudFront, Azure BLOB, Amazon s3, (most standard http delivery services should work)
Delivery Types:
Live, On-Demand, Cached, HLS (HTTP Live Streaming), Progressive, FTRT (Faster than real-time)
Delivery Protocols:
RTMP, HTTP, HTTPS
Maximum Bit-rates:
tested between 10k and 10mbps
Maximum Resolution:
tested between 128X128 and full 1080p at 1920X1080
FAQs
What are the load test supported formats?
StreamTest load testing supports RTMP. For further details, see our full FAQ.
What do I need to start my load test?
To start a LoadTest you will need to provide a compatible streaming link, the number of test users required, the bitrate of your stream, and the locations to test from. For more information, see the full FAQ.