Firefox Performance Testing : A Python framework for Windows
Contents
- 1 Project Name
- 2 Project Description
- 3 Project Leader(s)
- 4 Project Contributor(s)
- 5 Project Details
- 6 Project Problems and Solutions
- 6.1 Problem: Firefox doesn't know how to open this address, because the protocol (c) isn't associated with any programs
- 6.2 Solution: Firefox doesn't know how to open this address, because the protocol (c) isn't associated with any programs
- 6.3 Problem: ZeroDivisionError: integer division or modulo by zero
- 6.4 Solution: ZeroDivisionError: integer division or modulo by zero
- 7 Project News
- 7.1 Saturday, September 23, 2006
- 7.2 Sunday, September 24, 2006
- 7.3 Monday, September 25, 2006
- 7.4 Friday, September 29, 2006
- 7.5 Sunday, October 1, 2006
- 7.6 Wednesday, October 4, 2006
- 7.7 Friday, October 6, 2006
- 7.8 Wednesday, October 11, 2006
- 7.9 Thusday, October 12, 2006
- 7.10 Friday, 20 Oct 2006
- 7.11 Tuesday, 31 Oct 2006
- 7.12 Tuesday, 21 Nov 2006
- 8 Project References
- 9 Project Events
Project Name
Firefox Performance Testing : A Python framework for Windows
Project Description
The goal of this project is to:
- get the current framework up and running to help work with others
- get the framework running in an automated fashion
- help with the creation and execution of new tests
- work to upgrade the framework to work with a mozilla graph server
- work with the mozilla community and contribute to an open source project
From this project, you will:
- learn python
- learn about white box testing methodologies
- work with an open source community
- more generally learn about the functioning of QA in an open source community
This will benefit you in the future when presented with a new program, you'll be able to give an idea of how to approach testing - to give adequate coverage and be able to provide some metric of program stability and functionality
Note: This is NOT the typical mundane black box testing
Project Leader(s)
Project Contributor(s)
Ben Hearsum (bhearsum)
- Set up the VM for performance testing
- Helped with the debugging process for report.py, run_tests.py and ts.py
Tom Aratyn (mystic)
- Introduced Closures in Python
Alice Nodelman
- Discussion on the things that need to be fixed to improve and strengthen the framework
Michael Lau (mylau)
- Added comments on the documentation for setting up Python framework for Windows
Project Details
Details
This is different from Tinderbox. Two major differences are:
- First, it doesn't build, it just runs the performance test given a path to the executable. This is helpful if you're testing the performance of an extension or a build from another server. (You could build on a fast server, and then run performance tests on a machine with low memory).
- Second, it measures performance characteristics while it's running the pageload tests--you can track cpu speed, memory, or any of the other counters listed here.
Progress
| Task | Details | Priority | Contributors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance Testing Setup Configuration Documentation |
|
High |
40% completed
|
|
| Study performance testing framework |
The framework has to be strengthened and improved. A discussion with Alice Nodelman is planned to discuss about things that could be done to make the framework stronger. |
High |
|
Tested the framework and went through the coding in the framework. Made a list of the weaknesses of the framework and planned various resolutions.
We have established that the following has to be done:
100% completed
|
| Configuration checker |
The configuration checker will check if all the configuration is done before running the performance testing. The checker is in run_tests.py and it entails:
This can only be done when the yaml file validator and paths.py validator are completed. |
High |
0% completed
|
|
| yaml file validator |
In run_tests.py: The validator of yaml file is weak. It only checks for certain items in the file and will crash if those items are not there or if those items doesn't have any value. It doesn't check for unexpected values and doesn't give the user a clue that their yaml file has a problem. |
High |
|
Changed the validator to check if items exist before storing the value. If one of the items doesn't exist, the program will terminate and it will let the user know that the yaml file has to be fixed. 90% completed
|
| paths.py validator |
Currently the run_tests.py file doesn't validate the paths.py file. If the user misses a path or does a bad directory configuration, the program will crash and give this error:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\proj\mozilla\testing\
performance\win32\run_tests.py",
line 129, in ?
test_file(sys.argv[i])
File "C:\proj\mozilla\testing\
performance\win32\run_tests.py",
line 122, in test_file
TP_RESOLUTION)
File "C:\proj\mozilla\testing\
performance\win32\report.py", line
152, in GenerateReport
mean = mean / len(ts_times[i])
ZeroDivisionError: integer division
or modulo by zero
The following has to be done in the run_tests.py file to validate the paths.py file:
|
High |
|
extension_perf_testing(dir)
|
|
base_profile (dir)
|
|__ bookmarkbackups (dir)
| |
| |__ .html files
|
|__ Cache (dir)
|
|__ .bak, .html, .ini,
.dat, .txt, .rdf,
.mfl files
(most important file - perf.js)
60% completed
|
| Get all the configuration in one place |
The framework is currently very confusing and the configuration is all over the place! This has to be fixed, but it's not the main priority:
|
Medium |
0% completed
|
|
| Setup and test out the current Performance Testing framework using the provided documentation (not mine) to discover more flaws in either the framework or documentation. This will facilitate me in using a more user-oriented approach when improving the framework and documentation |
More input is welcome on the current Performance Testing framework to help improve it. |
Medium |
on-going
|
|
| Get class to test out the Performance Testing framework |
The improved framework has to be tested to get constructive feedback from the users. |
Low |
0% completed
|
Comments on the current Documentation (By Mike Lau)
Getting Started
- I was not sure what to do after unzipping the win32.zip file.
Comments on The README.txt File
- The README.txt file is hard to read in notepad. There's horizontal scrolling after opening the file.
- The file should have output samples to show the user what output to expect and to ensure they are on the right track.
- The pre-requisites part of the README file is missing minimum size to be allocated in the computer to complete the install.
- Following the procedures for installation was difficult. The document should number the procedures and have sample outputs to ensure the user is going on the right track
- Some of the folders which was listed in the Directory Structure was missing in the setup procedures. The Directory Structure should be used as a guide to ensure users have the right folders in place. Also, there should be an image to represent the directory structure. Some of the folders which needed to be created on top of following the procedures provided were: base_profile, extension_perf_testing, extension_perf_reports
- The Setup part was hard to follow. Most of the steps were not intuitive.
- Step 4 of the procedures was unclear. I was not sure what kind of YAML config file to be created. The document should tell the user expcity what the file name needs to be called as or tell the user they can call it however they wish. It should also show an example filename as well.
Running The Application
After following the setup procedures, I typed the following command:
c:\> run_tests.py config.YAML
And I got the following error message in the command prompt and a popup window ( Liz Chak - Solution to this problem):
Project Problems and Solutions
Problem: Firefox doesn't know how to open this address, because the protocol (c) isn't associated with any programs
If you didn't configure the paths.py paths correctly, you may run into this problem when you run the Performance Testing Framework:
Solution: Firefox doesn't know how to open this address, because the protocol (c) isn't associated with any programs
In paths.py, the paths for INIT_URL, TS_URL and TP_URL have to be in this format (file:///c:/):
"""The path to the file url to load when initializing a new profile""" INIT_URL = 'file:///c:/project/mozilla/testing/performance/win32/initialize.html' """The path to the file url to load for startup test (Ts)""" TS_URL = 'file:///c:/project/mozilla/testing/performance/win32/startup_test/startup_test.html?begin=' """The path to the file url to load for page load test (Tp)""" TP_URL = 'file:///c:/project/mozilla/testing/performance/win32/page_load_test/cycler.html'
Problem: ZeroDivisionError: integer division or modulo by zero
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\proj\mozilla\testing\performance\win32\run_tests.py", line 129, in ?
test_file(sys.argv[i])
File "C:\proj\mozilla\testing\performance\win32\run_tests.py", line 122, in te
st_file
TP_RESOLUTION)
File "C:\proj\mozilla\testing\performance\win32\report.py", line 152, in Gener
ateReport
mean = mean / len(ts_times[i])
ZeroDivisionError: integer division or modulo by zero
Solution: ZeroDivisionError: integer division or modulo by zero
Check if there is contents in the base_profile directory that you have set in paths.py:
- By default in paths.py: BASE_PROFILE_DIR = r'C:\extension_perf_testing\base_profile'
- The BASE_PROFILE_DIR could be a different path, it doesn't have to be like the one above.
Project News
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Performance tests didn't run sucessfully.
- There weren't any results generated in the extension_perf_testing\base_profile and extension_perf_reports folders.
- Output after the performance tests were run:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\proj\mozilla\testing\performance\win32\run_tests.py", line 129, in ?
test_file(sys.argv[i])
File "C:\proj\mozilla\testing\performance\win32\run_tests.py", line 122, in te
st_file
TP_RESOLUTION)
File "C:\proj\mozilla\testing\performance\win32\report.py", line 152, in Gener
ateReport
mean = mean / len(ts_times[i])
ZeroDivisionError: integer division or modulo by zero
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Understand further the approach to testing with the Python framework
Monday, September 25, 2006
elichak will be working on a resolution with alice to get the results generated in the extension_perf_testing\base_profile and extension_perf_reports folders.
Friday, September 29, 2006
elichak re-configured the environment of the machine to run the tests again. Cleaned up old files to do a clean test. Reinstalled Cygwin (replaced Make 3.80 with Make 3.81) and updated the testing files through CVS.
Sunday, October 1, 2006
Alice has successfully run the tests. The Zero Division error didn't occur again after she updated her test files. There were results generated in the extension_perf_testing\base_profile and extension_perf_reports folders. elichak attempted to run the test with the alice's code but the Zero Divsion Error still occured on her machine.
Wednesday, October 4, 2006
Elichak consulted Robcee about the Zero Division Error and he suggested a few things, like debugging the script. Elichak found out that the value of ts_time in the report.py file is empty but couldn't find out why the value of ts_time isn't assigned. According to alice, she didn't debug the scripts and only had to update the files to make them work.
Friday, October 6, 2006
Ben set up the VM for elichak to run her performance testing in that environment.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
- elichak configured the environment in the VM for her testing. The tests still gave the same results as before:
- Zero Division Error at lines 122 and 129 in run_tests.py and line 153 in report.py
- 2 files in the extension_perf_reports dir are generated but there are no graphs
- elichak also changed the TS_NUM_RUNS, TP_NUM_CYCLES, TP_RESOLUTION values to 1 in run_tests.py to shorten the cycles of the performance testing for the purpose of debugging the scripts.
- The error occurs in report.py because ts_time is empty, therefore, this fails:
for ts_time in ts_times[i]: mean += float(ts_time) mean = mean / len(ts_times[i])
- Ben assisted elichak with the debugging process. elichak and Ben hacked deeper down into the scripts.
- We speculate that the thing that is affecting the value of ts_time being generated is in ffprocess.py: RunProcessAndWaitForOutput always returns None in line 232
return (None, True)
- Further debugging by elichak is in process
Thusday, October 12, 2006
Work completed
The Zero Division Error is solved. Turns out that it was just a configuration problem. The documentation to set up the environment was rather subtle and needs a re-work.
Solution
Contents in the C:\proj\mozilla\testing\performance\win32\base_profile should also be in C:\extension_perf_testing\base_profile dir.
All work for this project is done on the VM, hera.senecac.on.ca
Work in progress
- Trying out a few things in the framework to find out which direction I would like to do to the framework, either building new tests, improving on existing ones, strengthening the framework itself or porting it to other OS's
- Revise the Firefox Performance Testing documentation
Friday, 20 Oct 2006
Last week, elichak has established to work on automating the setup of the environment and performance testing. The performance testing and environment setup is currently all over the place and is tedious for the developer to set it up.
The automation will entail:
Generating directories, dropping files in directories, installation of libraries, options to configure the performance testings etc.
Tuesday, 31 Oct 2006
Alice and Liz had a meeting and have established the key things that need to be done. What needs to be done:
- ease configuration of python framework
- too many config files to edit
- have to know whole framework to configure it
- not flexible
- tedious
- too many directories to create
- too many extra libraries to load
- a lot of dependancies!
- things have to be copied to special directories
- bad configurations don't cause errors!
- too many config files to edit
How do we fix this?
- configuration checker
- yaml file validator
- paths.py validator
- checking the paths for existance
- notify user if path doesnt exist and ask user if they want it created
- checking if the directories have contents
- next steps
- get all the configuration in one place!
- paths.py, config.yml, constants
- have to run both ts and tp at the same time
- get all the configuration in one place!
Tuesday, 21 Nov 2006
Refer to progress chart. Performance Testing Framework progress chart
Project References
- I recommend this site to learn about python:
- Temp File in Python
- Substitution of switch in Python
- Python Closures
- Directories in Python
- File Handling in Python
Project Events
Bon Echo Community Test Day
- Friday, October 06, 2006, from 7am - 5pm PDT
