Performance Testing tools for SharePoint 2007

There is no performance tool specific to SharePoint. When I was assigned the task of optimising a SharePoint site the search for a tool gave me very limited options.

Codeplex's Data Population tool could be useful for load testing. Other than that would go for the following tools which would be able to give some good information on the performance factor. Apart from these I would suggest the SharePoint applications to implement the best practices available in using the SharePoint object model.

Tools for Performance testing a SharePoint site,

1. Microsoft VSTS Testing
a. Availability
This project type is packaged with Visual Studio 2005.
b. Description
i.The software includes a suite of test tools that are integrated with Microsoft Visual Studio 2005.
ii.It lets you create, manage, edit and run tests, and also obtain and store results.
iii.Several test types, including unit, web, load and manual tests, in addition to the measurement of code coverage are integrated.
iv.VSTS Testing simulates users and acts as a load testing tool.
c. Benefits
i. Total Requests
ii. Request/Sec
iii. Failed Requests
iv. Cached Requests
v. Average
vi. Provides the number of Errors
vii. Provides a graph on the Test

2. Fiddler
a. Availability
i. Third Party Freeware tool
b. Description
i. Fiddler is a HTTP Debugging Proxy which logs all HTTP traffic between your computer and the Internet. Fiddler allows you to inspect all HTTP Traffic, set breakpoints, and "fiddle" with incoming or outgoing data.
c. Benefits
i. Provides Request count
ii. Bytes Sent
iii. Bytes Received
iv. Total Sequence Time
v. Round Trip cost
vi. Break up of the Response Bytes for Images, headers, html, CSS, Jpeg, Plaintext, and Flash.
vii. Provides a chart on the break of response bytes for images, headers, html, CSS, Jpeg, plaintext and Flash.
3. HTTPWatch
a. Availability
i. Basic edition is a free download
ii. Profession edition is licensed version.
1. Professional edition has some enhanced features such as the export to xml, display detailed HTTP information including headers, cookies, streams etc.
b. Description
HttpWatch integrates with Internet Explorer and records detailed information about HTTP as you access a web site or application. If you access a site that uses secure HTTPS connections, HttpWatch automatically displays the decrypted form of the network traffic.
c. Features
i. Captures Headers and Cookies
ii. URLs and Method (e.g., GET, POST, etc)
iii. Elapsed Time
iv. Network Round Trips
v. Downloaded Data
vi. Uploaded Data
vii. HTTP Compression Savings
viii. DNS Lookups