Creating a Private Location

A Private Location (formerly known as a harbor) is a logical container on the BlazeMeter end. A private location contains one or more agents (formerly known as ships). Private locations are servers with our agent installed on your end. You can have multiple private locations in your account; each will define a unique “location” to choose when running tests and deploying mock services. You need to be a workspace manager to create Private Locations.

• Create a Private Location
• Set Up the Advanced Configuration
  • Engine Hardware Consumption
  • Performance Testing Configuration
• Set Up the Functionalities

Create a Private Location

Follow these steps:

1. Log into your BlazeMeter account as a workspace manager.
2. Navigate to Settings, Workspace, Private Locations.
   
   
3. Click + to add a new private location.
   The Create a private location window opens.
4. Fill out the Setup section.
   
   
   • Location name - Give your private location a meaningful name. Users will see this name in the Location list when configuring tests.
     
   • Parallel engine runs - Enter the number of separate parallel tests each agent is allowed to run in this private location.
     
5. (Optional) Toggle the Agent Log.
   Note: When creating a new private location, the Agent Log is ON by default.
   
   

   Tip: To investigate agent failure or diagnose any agent connectivity issues, enable the agent log. You can view the logs and debug issues in real time. For more information, see Enabling and Downloading Agent Log.

6. (Optional) Toggle the Advanced slider. For more information, see Set Up the Advanced Configuration.
7. Click Next.
8. Select at least one functionality that you would like this private location to install on the agents that are added. For more information, see Set Up the Functionalities.
9. Click Create.

You have created a Private location. The Private Location page opens and you can continue with the installation process for installing an agent. For more information, see Installing a BlazeMeter Agent for Kubernetes or Installing a BlazeMeter Agent for Docker.

You should be able to see your Private Location in your Private Locations list, which is found in the Settings > Workspace > Private Locations section.

Set Up the Advanced Configuration

Engine Hardware Consumption

• Override number of CPUs
  This will override the default number of CPUs to the wholenumber value of CPUs you want the engines to run with (i.e. 2 for 2 CPUs).
• Override memory (MB)
  This will override the default memory use for each engine in MB (i.e. for 8 GB of memory, set the number to 8192).
  

By default, containers created by the agent use the Docker Memory and CPU settings. These settings override the Docker maximum settings. If you enter a value greater than the maximum Docker settings, the agent uses the maximum settings instead. This option is available to help ensure that large containers designed for performance testing or Mock Services can later be reduced for less demanding tests or Mock Services.

Performance Testing Configuration

• Users per engine
  The number of virtual users that can be run on each individual test/engine.
• JVM Parameters XMX
  XMX specifies the maximum memory allocation pool for the Java Virtual Machine (JVM).
• JVM Parameters XMS
  XMS specifies the initial memory allocation pool for the Java Virtual Machine (JVM).

By default, the Mock Service container will have an initial Java heap size (XMS) of 16 GB and a maximum Java heap size (XMX) of 3 GB.

Restriction: The following is the recommended override number of CPUs and override memory for using GUI Functional Tests:

• The current suggested config for this test type is 1 CPU and 2048 MB RAM per selected browser.
  For running several browsers in parallel your machine should have ~(N+ceiling[N/20]) CPUs (where N - is the number of browsers, and ceiling[N/20] is the number of Taurus engines, with 1 Taurus engine per 20 browsers). For calculating the memory please, use the formula ((N+ceiling[N/20])*2048).
• For example, if your test uses 2 browsers (Chrome and Firefox), the calculations will be the following:
  • CPUs: (2+ceiling[2/20]) = 2+1 = 3
  • RAM: (2+ceiling[2/20])*2048 = (2+1)*2048 = 6144
  • Thus the machine should have at least 3 CPUs and 6144 MB of RAM.
• We recommend using SSD storage on the machine as it will speed up GUI test execution.
• For more than 8 parallel browsers, it's mandatory to have SSD storage.

Set Up the Functionalities

• Performance
  Downloads all the images related to running Performance tests from BlazeMeter (using our docker registry, https://gcr.io/verdant-bulwark-278). This list includes taurus-cloud, apm-image, blazemeter/crane, and blazemeter (Legacy JMeter users ONLY) images.
• API Testing
  Downloads all the images related to running API Functional tests from BlazeMeter (using our docker registry, https://gcr.io/verdant-bulwark-278). This list includes taurus-cloud, apm-image, and blazemeter/crane images.

  Important: Starting February 2022, the API Functional testing feature has been deprecated. Depending on your subscription plan, you may still be able to run existing tests but can no longer create new ones. Please use BlazeMeter API Monitoring to create and run your API Functional Tests going forward.

• Proxy Recorder
  Downloads all the images related to creating and running the proxy recorder from BlazeMeter (using our docker registry, https://gcr.io/verdant-bulwark-278). This list includes blazemeter/proxy-recorder and blazemeter/crane images.
• Mock Services
  Downloads all the images related to creating and running mock services from BlazeMeter (using our docker registry, https://gcr.io/verdant-bulwark-278). This list includes blazemeter/service-mock and blazemeter/crane images.
• GUI Functional (Shared run type only)
  Downloads all the images related to GUI Functional test from BlazeMeter (using our docker registry, https://gcr.io/verdant-bulwark-278). This list includes taurus-cloud, apm-image, blazemeter/crane, blazemeter/charmander/firefox, and blazemeter/charmander/chrome. The following options are available for the GUI Functional options:
  
  • • Default Firefox, Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Safari - Installs the latest Firefox, Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Safari versions on the agent
    • Select Version - Gives you the choice of the currently supported Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Safari versions:
      • Chrome (latest 6 versions)
      • Firefox (latest 6 versions)
      • Microsoft Edge (latest 6 versions)
      • Safari (latest 6 versions)
    • All Firefox, Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Safari - Installs all Firefox, Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Safari versions on the agent

Important: At the bottom of the pop-up page, you will see the recommended storage settings (based on the number of functionalities you want to install), and if there are any restrictions on what you can do with the private location type you are using.

Example for Shared type: