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Get Started with Load Testing

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Load Testing simulates user traffic to validate your system's performance under expected and peak load conditions. Identify bottlenecks, validate scalability, and ensure your applications can handle production workloads.

Feature Flag

Load Testing is currently behind a feature flag (CHAOS_LOAD_TESTING_ENABLED). Contact your Harness sales representative to get it enabled for your account.

Prerequisites​

  • Access to Harness Resilience Testing module
  • A Linux Load Test Infrastructure configured in your project
  • Target application endpoints accessible from the test infrastructure

Create a Load Test​

  1. Navigate to Resilience Testing > Load Testing
  2. Click + New Load Test
Try Sample Test

To quickly explore Load Testing features, click the + New Load Test dropdown and select Try Sample Test. This provides a pre-configured test with sample endpoints, realistic load settings, and example configurations to help you understand how load tests work before creating your own.

Create Load Test

Configure Test (Overview Tab)​

  • Name: Enter a descriptive name for your test
  • Description: (Optional) Add details about what the test validates
  • Tags: (Optional) Add tags to organize tests
  • Load Test Type: Select Locust (Python-based framework)
  • Infrastructure: Select a Linux Load Test Infrastructure from the dropdown

Load Test Configuration

Click Next to proceed to Test Configuration.

Define Test Scenario (Test Configuration Tab)​

Choose how to define your test:

Option 1: Define test via UI

  • Configure HTTP requests with method, URL, headers, and parameters
  • Add query parameters, headers, assertions, and response extractors as needed
  • Click + to add multiple requests

Define Test Scenario

Option 2: Upload Python Script

  • Upload a custom Locust Python script (.py file)

Upload Python Script

Configure Load​

Set your load parameters:

  • Number of Users: Concurrent virtual users (e.g., 100)
  • Test Duration: How long to run the test in seconds (e.g., 600 for 10 minutes)
  • Ramp-Up Duration: Time to reach target users in seconds (e.g., 120 for 2 minutes)

Configure Load

The load profile graph shows how users ramp up, maintain steady state, and complete.

Save and Run​

  1. Click Save to create the load test
  2. Find your test in the Load Tests list
  3. Click Run to execute
  4. Monitor real-time results during execution

Next Steps​