LoadRunner is one of the oldest and most robust commercial performance testing suites in the market. Originally developed by Mercury Interactive, it was acquired by HP in 2006, merged into Micro Focus in 2017, and is now owned by OpenText.
LoadRunner Core Components
- VUGen (Virtual User Generator): Desktop tool used to record, edit, and enhance scripts.
- Controller: Orchestration GUI to design scenarios, assign Load Generators, and run tests.
- Analyzer: Processes execution logs and creates graphs, overlay charts, and HTML reports.
- Load Generator (LG): Engine machines that generate Vuser client threads.
- Agent Process: Small background daemon running on LGs to communicate with the Controller.
Licensing and Support
LoadRunner uses Vuser-based licensing packs and protocol bundles (e.g. standard Web vs SAP bundle). When purchasing licenses, organizations receive a Software Agreement Identification (SAID) number. This SAID allows test leads to submit support tickets directly to OpenText for technical assistance.