Comments on: How to evaluate the response time of a Citrix application http://martinspier.co.uk/how-to-evaluate-the-response-time-of-a-citrix-application?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-evaluate-the-response-time-of-a-citrix-application Engineer. Investor. Project Management Padawan. Technophile. Web 2.0 Addicted. Productivity Enthusiast. GTD Buff. Electronic Music Lover & Part-Time DJ. Sun, 01 Jan 2012 08:34:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Martinhttp://martinspier.co.uk/how-to-evaluate-the-response-time-of-a-citrix-application/comment-page-1#comment-236 Martin Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:35:43 +0000 http://e-mojo.net/martin_spier/?p=94#comment-236 Hi Vijay, Glad you found the article useful. Seems like your application is already in production and the users are experiencing some slowness from time to time. Edgesight is a great tool, but it takes some time to set-up, execute and analyze a meaningful scenario. Since your application is already being used and users are noticing the slowness, my suggestion would be to first add some counters (Perfmon) to check the server health (CPU, Memory, IO, Network, etc) while the app is slow. This way you can know if the problem is internal (peak usage) or external (internet connection problem). It really takes some time to analyze and find the source of the issue, but again, that's why we're here. Martin Hi Vijay,
Glad you found the article useful. Seems like your application is already in production and the users are experiencing some slowness from time to time. Edgesight is a great tool, but it takes some time to set-up, execute and analyze a meaningful scenario. Since your application is already being used and users are noticing the slowness, my suggestion would be to first add some counters (Perfmon) to check the server health (CPU, Memory, IO, Network, etc) while the app is slow. This way you can know if the problem is internal (peak usage) or external (internet connection problem).
It really takes some time to analyze and find the source of the issue, but again, that’s why we’re here.

Martin

]]> By: VJhttp://martinspier.co.uk/how-to-evaluate-the-response-time-of-a-citrix-application/comment-page-1#comment-233 VJ Mon, 15 Mar 2010 05:13:02 +0000 http://e-mojo.net/martin_spier/?p=94#comment-233 Martin, This is a great article written in the most simplest form. Although I m looking at at almost a year after it was posted as I was googling for something on ICA RTT. Edgesigh is a great tool to look what's happenning under the covers. I manage a medium size citrix farm in NA, & encounter people complain about performnace now and then. Without Edgesight it's would have been so difficult to point out where exactly the problem lies. There is so much data Edgesight captures and there are so many good reports, i m still trying to interpret what the reports mean to the users. Thanks Vijay. Martin,

This is a great article written in the most simplest form. Although I m looking at at almost a year after it was posted as I was googling for something on ICA RTT. Edgesigh is a great tool to look what’s happenning under the covers. I manage a medium size citrix farm in NA, & encounter people complain about performnace now and then. Without Edgesight it’s would have been so difficult to point out where exactly the problem lies. There is so much data Edgesight captures and there are so many good reports, i m still trying to interpret what the reports mean to the users.

Thanks
Vijay.

]]> By: Martinhttp://martinspier.co.uk/how-to-evaluate-the-response-time-of-a-citrix-application/comment-page-1#comment-134 Martin Sun, 17 Jan 2010 23:50:40 +0000 http://e-mojo.net/martin_spier/?p=94#comment-134 Hi Ram, glad you found the article useful and thanks for the comment! Apart from this solution, I've already used several proprietary tools to test Citrix applications and find response times for specific transactions, including LoadRunner. I like to use this estimation approach to evaluate response times on Citrix when there is no need for hard data and also not much time to record scripts, but sometimes it is necessary to create a simulation, using LoadRunner or any other tool. As I mentioned, the biggest challenge on recording this kind of script is synchronizing the actions. As you mentioned, LoadRunner records the processing time as think time, which is not useful for measuring the real response from the application. In order to measure the correct time, we have to change the recorded think time commands for synchronization commands, like a wait for window or an update on the screen. I've posted a link to a very interesting article about this issue <a href="http://e-mojo.net/recording-citrix-scripts-loadrunner" rel="nofollow">here</a>. Please have a look and see if it can help you. And keep in mind that it takes some time to get every sync right.. ;-) Cheers, Martin Hi Ram,
glad you found the article useful and thanks for the comment!

Apart from this solution, I’ve already used several proprietary tools to test Citrix applications and find response times for specific transactions, including LoadRunner. I like to use this estimation approach to evaluate response times on Citrix when there is no need for hard data and also not much time to record scripts, but sometimes it is necessary to create a simulation, using LoadRunner or any other tool. As I mentioned, the biggest challenge on recording this kind of script is synchronizing the actions. As you mentioned, LoadRunner records the processing time as think time, which is not useful for measuring the real response from the application. In order to measure the correct time, we have to change the recorded think time commands for synchronization commands, like a wait for window or an update on the screen.
I’ve posted a link to a very interesting article about this issue here. Please have a look and see if it can help you. And keep in mind that it takes some time to get every sync right.. ;-)

Cheers,
Martin

]]> By: ramhttp://martinspier.co.uk/how-to-evaluate-the-response-time-of-a-citrix-application/comment-page-1#comment-126 ram Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:10:18 +0000 http://e-mojo.net/martin_spier/?p=94#comment-126 Hi, It is a good post. All i wanted to know is, with respect to Loadrunner synchronization is the only way to calculate the response time. Is there any way where load runner helps us in finding the response time. for example when an key stroke like "ENTER", "TAB" it goes faster and it does wait for any event to appear. Likewise when you click on the picklist in an screen it takes time to retrive data from the database and this is recorded as think time in CITRIX protocol. Please don't mistake these are few of my clarifications. Hi, It is a good post. All i wanted to know is, with respect to Loadrunner synchronization is the only way to calculate the response time. Is there any way where load runner helps us in finding the response time. for example when an key stroke like “ENTER”, “TAB” it goes faster and it does wait for any event to appear. Likewise when you click on the picklist in an screen it takes time to retrive data from the database and this is recorded as think time in CITRIX protocol. Please don’t mistake these are few of my clarifications.

]]> By: JaneRadrigeshttp://martinspier.co.uk/how-to-evaluate-the-response-time-of-a-citrix-application/comment-page-1#comment-21 JaneRadriges Sat, 13 Jun 2009 20:01:25 +0000 http://e-mojo.net/martin_spier/?p=94#comment-21 Hi, gr8 post thanks for posting. Information is useful! Hi, gr8 post thanks for posting. Information is useful!

]]> By: Kelly Brownhttp://martinspier.co.uk/how-to-evaluate-the-response-time-of-a-citrix-application/comment-page-1#comment-20 Kelly Brown Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:00:05 +0000 http://e-mojo.net/martin_spier/?p=94#comment-20 Hi, very nice post. I have been wonder'n bout this issue,so thanks for posting Hi, very nice post. I have been wonder’n bout this issue,so thanks for posting

]]> By: Martinhttp://martinspier.co.uk/how-to-evaluate-the-response-time-of-a-citrix-application/comment-page-1#comment-19 Martin Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:53:31 +0000 http://e-mojo.net/martin_spier/?p=94#comment-19 Sure, no problem. Just don't forget to mention the source. ;-) Sure, no problem. Just don’t forget to mention the source. ;-)

]]> By: AndrewBoldmanhttp://martinspier.co.uk/how-to-evaluate-the-response-time-of-a-citrix-application/comment-page-1#comment-18 AndrewBoldman Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:49:19 +0000 http://e-mojo.net/martin_spier/?p=94#comment-18 I really liked this post. Can I copy it to my site? Thank you in advance. I really liked this post. Can I copy it to my site? Thank you in advance.

]]> By: Martinhttp://martinspier.co.uk/how-to-evaluate-the-response-time-of-a-citrix-application/comment-page-1#comment-6 Martin Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:08:14 +0000 http://e-mojo.net/martin_spier/?p=94#comment-6 Hello VenkataKrishnan, What worked best for me was EdgeSight. EdgeSight is a tool developed by Citrix just to evaluate Citrix servers performance by scripting actions, reproducing them and collecting metrics. I know that there are other tools that can accomplish that, like LoadRunner that you may be familiar with and some C# libraries that can facilitate the connection. On LoadRunner the process is pretty straightforward, choosing the Citrix protocol and opening the ICA file to record the actions. Last time I've done this was using C and not VB, so that may be a problem. Thanks for your reply, Martin Hello VenkataKrishnan,
What worked best for me was EdgeSight. EdgeSight is a tool developed by Citrix just to evaluate Citrix servers performance by scripting actions, reproducing them and collecting metrics.
I know that there are other tools that can accomplish that, like LoadRunner that you may be familiar with and some C# libraries that can facilitate the connection.
On LoadRunner the process is pretty straightforward, choosing the Citrix protocol and opening the ICA file to record the actions.
Last time I’ve done this was using C and not VB, so that may be a problem.

Thanks for your reply,
Martin

]]> By: VenkataKrishnanhttp://martinspier.co.uk/how-to-evaluate-the-response-time-of-a-citrix-application/comment-page-1#comment-5 VenkataKrishnan Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:49:32 +0000 http://e-mojo.net/martin_spier/?p=94#comment-5 How to send keystrokes to a CItrix ICA client connection ? I am trying through VB but not able to send a key stroke to a ICA session Ur idea wil be highly appreciated How to send keystrokes to a CItrix ICA client connection ?
I am trying through VB but not able to send a key stroke to a ICA session
Ur idea wil be highly appreciated

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