Webserver Stress Tool 7.2.1.261

Webserver Stress Tool is a professional solution for simulating users who access a webserver simultaneously. Using this application is quite easy, although it's designed for advanced users. All you need to do is select the URL of your webserver, the number of simulated users, and how often each user clicks a link on your website. There are three types of tests available. The first type of test allows you to specify the number of clicks which Webserver Stress Tool generates. When you select the second type of test, the application runs the test with constant load for a specified time. The third type of test enables you to test a webserver under increasing load.

The gathered statistical data is displayed in the main application's window, but it is also exported into a HTML page. The program creates logs which contain extensive details about the way your webserver performed during the test. Another very nice feature is that the program automatically creates graphs, depicting the used bandwidth, the client computer's performance, the user wait time, and so on.

I tested my website using this program and I have to say I am impressed by the volume of information it displays. After the first test was finished, the program automatically opened a HTML page containing the results. After I looked through the results, I started another test. When the second test was started, all the information about the first one was deleted. So be sure to explicitly export the test results, unless you want to lose them when starting another test.

Pluses: It's possible to modify the headers sent by Webserver Stress Tool when connecting to a webserver. It's also possible to select whether you want to download frames/iframes, to follow meta refresh tags, to download image URLs, to use cookies, and so on. However, the most advanced feature of this program is that it supports running custom scripts. The scripts must be written in a special language, but are well documented and pretty easy to use if you have a little bit of programming experience.

Drawbacks / flaws:

In conclusion: I don't have any doubt that this program can be very helpful for analysing how a webserver behaves under load (stress). You have 14 days to decide for yourself whether it's worth buying this application.

version reviewed: 7.1.1.233