HTTP Proxy Server Settings in JMeter

Hello guys who are stepping into the field of software testing! Today we are going to talk about HTTP proxy server settings in JMeter. I believe we all have a certain understanding of JMeter, an awesome performance testing tool, right? And simulating real user behavior is a very important part of the testing process, and HTTP proxy servers are amazing tools to help us achieve this goal.

1. What is an HTTP proxy server?

First, let's understand the concept of an HTTP proxy server. At first glance, this name sounds a bit like the role of a schoolyard "captain", right? In fact, the HTTP proxy server can be regarded as the middleman between the browser and the Internet, it plays the role of a proxy, receiving and forwarding the browser's request, so as to capture the data in the request and analyze it.

You can imagine, HTTP proxy server is like a "translator" among us, proficient in a variety of network protocols, language, to help us communicate with the target site. The good thing is that we have JMeter this "heavenly grass", it is not only a powerful performance testing tools, but also with a smart and caring HTTP proxy server.

2. Configure the HTTP proxy server in JMeter

Let's see how to configure HTTP proxy server in JMeter. Open JMeter and click "Add" -> "Non-Test Components" -> "HTTP Proxy Server" on the menu bar. Now you're on a fast horse in the world of JMeter, ready to explore uncharted testing territory.

Next, let's configure the "Port" and "Destination Controller" of the HTTP proxy server. For example, let's set the port to 8888 and the target controller to "Thread Group" in "Test Plan". Configured, it is as if we told the goal of climbing the mountain to the fast horse, it will be under our guidance to take us through the mountains, wading through the narrow path of obstacles.

Uh-oh, someone asked what is the port of an HTTP proxy server? You can understand that a port is a residential address given to this fast horse, through which it listens for requests from the browser and then visits the target website as we request.

3. Configuring the Browser Proxy

Next, we need to configure our browser's proxy in order to get our browser to "do what it's told". It's like we're putting a bell on a Hermes horse, so that when we start the browser, the HTTP proxy server will "hear" the browser's request and capture the required data.

Take Google Chrome as an example, click Settings->Advanced->System->Open Proxy Settings. In the settings, select "Manually Set Proxy", fill in the HTTP proxy server port number we just set (8888), and then click "Save".

4. Two-pronged approach to scripting

After the above configuration, we have set up JMeter's HTTP proxy server and configured the proxy for the browser. Then, next we can simulate user behavior by way of scripting.

In JMeter, we can use the recording function to convert our actions in the browser into code. Open JMeter's "HTTP Proxy Server" and click the "Start" button to give the horse a go. Then, we perform some actions in the browser, such as login, search, purchase, etc..

When we complete these operations in the browser, JMeter will automatically record our actions into a script. It's like we drive a motorcycle, freely traveling between the mountains and forests, and JMeter is like our "robot motorcycle rider", accurately recording our every action and mood.

5. Code debugging and optimization

Now that we've recorded our script, we can next debug and optimize it further in JMeter. By looking at the HTTP proxy server result tree, we can see if our script is accurately capturing our actions.

Sometimes our code encounters some "seaweed" problems, such as missing request parameters, wrong URL encoding, and so on. At this time, we can view the request and response messages to locate the problem and fix it.

At the same time , JMeter also provides some powerful plug-ins , such as "regular expression extractor" and "assertion" and so on , can help us more convenient to debug and optimize the script . It's like we ride a fast horse , in the mountains between the grass and trees to leave our "smart footprints".

Summary:

Through the introduction of this article, I believe you have a preliminary understanding of how to configure the HTTP proxy server in JMeter and how to simulate user behavior by recording scripts it. HTTP proxy server is like a bridge between us and the target site, it can help us accurately capture user behavior and performance testing. And through JMeter, we can not only write high-quality performance test scripts, but also debugging and optimization of the script.

I hope this article can help you understand the HTTP proxy server settings in JMeter. Guys, hurry up and give it a try! Use JMeter to take you riding the field of performance testing, leaving your mark!