[Q&A - FAQ Neotys] Last answers

I installed NeoLoad on my network and would like to use a monitoring agent on the Microsoft Cloud Azure. How can i do?

Nouredine A. — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 10:36:31 GMT

Since your application is deployed on the Microsoft Cloud Azure you should be able to run a load test from any controller that has internet access.

Now if you would also like to monitor from NeoLoad your Servers that are also installed on the Cloud Azure, you will have to install a remote monitoring Agent on that Cloud.

The controller will contact the remote Agent on port TCP 7200. So if you have any firewall between the controller and the monitoring agent you will have to open that port.

For machines hosted in the Cloud Azure, you have a configuration page from the Cloud Azure that will allow you to open some port and this prior to open them on the machine itself.

Here is a snap shot of that console.

I made a test with NeoLoad and I would like to import my own monitoring data. Is it possible?

Nouredine A. — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 14:57:28 GMT

NeoLoad provides multiple types of monitoring to monitor your infrastructure during a load test. Having all this data in NeoLoad allows you to compare this monitoring data with all the available statistics. For instance, you can quickly correlate some high response time or errors with some monitoring data.

In some environments these monitors are already in place. It might be easier to use the existing ones instead of using new ones from NeoLoad.

Since NeoLoad 4.1, NeoLoad provides a way to import monitoring output from other tools. Currently, you can import Windows Perfmon output data.

After importing this monitoring data, you will get a new monitor created in NeoLoad. Then, you can use that data like any other monitoring data as if it were run by NeoLoad.

For more information, see “Results” section in NeoLoad documentation.

I configured a MSSQL monitor in NeoLoad but I got an "0x6BE" error message when I click on the Test button?

Nouredine A. — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:46:45 GMT

NeoLoad relies on the Perfmon API to monitor any Microsoft products. The user that has started NeoLoad will be used to monitor your target machine as you cannot specify a user.

You should get the same behavior using Perfmon from the NeoLoad machine against your target server.

This “0x6BE” error means that the remote procedure called (RPC) failed. This might be due to some corrupted perfmon counters in the target server.

You can unload the MSSQL server counters running that command: “unlodctr MSSQLSERVER” on the target server, then try again a Test connection.

If it works then you may want to rebuild the MSSQL counters using the commands: “lodctr /R:sqlctr.ini” then... “lodctr /T:sqlctr.ini”.

You need to restart the server afterwards. You may run that command in the folder where the “sqlctr.ini” is located.

For more information, see “Monitors” section in NeoLoad documentation.

Where is the JMX - Garbage collection counter for Jboss?

Nouredine A. — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:43:49 GMT

JBoss 4 and 5 application servers provide two JMX MBeans Servers: the standard JMX Mbeans Server and the JBoss embedded one.

NeoLoad monitoring module (real JBoss5 or Generic JMX on JBoss5) interacts with the second MBeans server.

However, it is not Java compliant so it doesn't contain metrics relative to the JVM like the Garbage Collector.

The metrics for JBoss server can be viewed from the URL: http://localhost:8080/jmx-console/

And you will see that you do not have Garbage collection, as well. Since NeoLoad 4.0, you have the possibility to use a Generic JMX monitor that will allow you to monitor any JAVA application that uses the standard JMX Mbeans server.

You can check the Jboss documentation to know how to enable standard JMX on Jboss. When it's done, you just have to configure the JMX custom monitor in NeoLoad using the right information.

For more information, see “Monitors” section in NeoLoad documentation.

I would like to monitor my JAVA application server but it is not listed in the available Monitors in NeoLoad?

Nouredine A. — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:40:48 GMT

During a load test, all your architecture will be stressed. At some point, you may have errors on any elements of your infrastructure due to a limit reached.

You can use NeoLoad to monitor all your infrastructure. NeoLoad has a list of pre-defined monitors available like some common JAVA applications. Most of the JAVA applications provides Mbeans statistics that can be monitored using JMX protocol.

If your application is not listed but uses standard JMX Mbeans, you can use our Generic JMX monitor. You will be able to define the JMX URL to monitor your application.

For more information, see “Monitors” section in NeoLoad documentation.

What are the ports to open between the Controller and the monitoring agents?

Nouredine A. — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:41:23 GMT

A monitoring agent allows NeoLoad to monitor your infrastructure. When you install a NeoLoad controller it embeds a local monitoring agent. That is to say that you can also install a remote monitoring agent.

By default, the communication is done from the Controller to the monitoring agent using port TCP 7200 (customizable).

However, you can also configure the Agent so the first connection will be made from the Agent to the Controller on port TCP 4569, by default (customizable).

For more information, see “Monitoring agent” section in NeoLoad documentation.

How does the monitoring work with NeoLoad? Is it done by the controller or the load generators?

Nouredine A. — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:39:34 GMT

NeoLoad is able to monitor your infrastructure during a load test. By default, the monitoring is done by the controller itself using an embedded agent.

You can also install remote monitoring agent on different computers to workaround firewall constraints. You can configure your monitor using a monitoring agent like usual using the controller one.

For more information, see “Monitoring agent” section in NeoLoad documentation.

I would like to monitor my infrastructure but my servers are behind a firewall. How can I do that with NeoLoad?

Nouredine A. — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:37:18 GMT

By default, the monitoring of the infrastructure is done by the Controller. This can be an issue on secure environments when you have a firewall between the controller and monitored servers.

You can install a monitoring agent on any computer on your infrastructure. The goal is to have the controller on one side of your firewall and the monitoring agent on the other side.

By default, the communication is initiated from the controller to the monitoring agent using port TCP 7200 in the monitoring agent side. However, it can be modified so the communication is initiated from the monitoring agent to the controller using port TCP 4569 on the controller side.

For more information, see “Advanced Installation” section in NeoLoad documentation.

Why after configuring my Jboss monitor do I have an error where Neoload is trying to connect to 127.0.0.1?

Support — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:14:24 GMT

NeoLoad uses JMX (Java Management Extension) to monitor a Jboss server.

After the first connection using the IP address that you have set in the monitor settings, Jboss might send back the loopback address "127.0.0.1".

This address will be then used for the rest of the connection and it will fail since it's not the correct target address. It mostly happens when Jboss is under Linux.

You have to modify the "/etc/resolv.conf" file in the Jboss server in order to have something like that:

hostname 127.0.0.1 localhost

For more information, see "Jboss" under "Web/EJB Tier" section in NeoLoad documentation.

I would like to create a Windows monitor but I cannot indicate any username/password? Why?

Support — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:14:23 GMT

Neoload uses the Perfmon API to monitor Microsoft application. This API does not provide the option to set a specific username/password.

By default, the current logged in user will be used to connect to the target server. If the current user account does not have the appropriate rights, run the Controller using the appropriate account by right-clicking on NeoLoadGUI.exe and using the "Run as..." option.

Another way is to create a network drive from the Neoload controller to your target server with a user that has sufficient rights on the target server to monitor.

For example, you can run the command below from the Neoload controller.

net use \\192.168.1.1 /user:domain1\user1 Password1

1. "192.168.1.1" is the IP address of the server you want to monitoring.

2. "user1/Password1" are the credential of the user who has sufficient rights to monitor your target server.

For more information, see "Microsoft monitors" under "Monitors" section in Neoload documentation.

NeoLoad keeps crashing after I try to setup or run a Windows monitor. What is going on?

Support — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:14:23 GMT

NeoLoad relies on Perfmon API to monitor Microsoft products. As a consequence, it is able to monitor any Microsoft product as soon as it is possible with Perfmon.

During the communication exchanges with the monitored Windows server, a crash of NeoLoad may happen. Here is a workaround that will allow NeoLoad to bypass this error:

Note: You will lose the default monitoring configuration like default counter selection and default thresholds on non-English systems.

Stop NeoLoad
Edit %install_dir%\conf\controller.properties In the [Monitors] section add: windows.translation.enabled=false
Save configuration file and start NeoLoad
Create your Windows monitor again

For more information, see "Microsoft monitors" under "Monitors" section in NeoLoad documentation.

Does NeoLoad support DB2 monitoring on AS/400?

Support — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:14:23 GMT

DB2 database can be installed on IBM AS/400 machine or x86 compatible machine. NeoLoad uses the JDBC protocol to monitor databases.

DB2/400 uses a completely different monitoring system than the DB2 on x86 machines. NeoLoad has been developed to work with "snapshot" monitoring system. So, NeoLoad is not able to monitor DB2/400 database servers.

For more information, see "DB2 monitors" under "Database" section in NeoLoad documentation.