View Load Testing: Ways to script commands to applications?

[nanderson87]

Hello,

I'm designing a simple load testing tool for a View environment and so far its going pretty well.  Using command line arguments and some Powershell, I'm able to recurse through a list of users and connect multiple sessions to a View server and open a desktop and some RDS App sessions.  My question is: Is there any way built in to pass a script in the command-line arguments that will execute some commands on that desktop or RDS App session?  Nothing crazy, just type in Notepad, open a few programs, save a doc or two - the usual stuff to generate regular workloads.

I know VMware and third party companies have some tools for this, but they don't specifically meet my needs without extensive configuration and lots of hooks into our systems.  I'm trying to keep the footprint of this test as small as possible so a simple Powershell script is the way I'd like to proceed.  I'd assume Powershell has some method of doing this, but I'm no scripting guru nor is this a PS forum, so I was hoping there was something that already exists when I call the View connection that I could use.

Any help is appreciated, thanks in advance!

[ksingri · Accepted solution]

I may not completely solve your problem, but can make it a bit more simpler.

Q. For the "Is there any way built in to pass a script in the command-line arguments that will execute some commands on that desktop or RDS App session?"

A. No, however you can use group policies (GPO) that can be activated upon login to execute a script.

Btw, for others reading this blog, "VMware View Planner" is the internal tool that can be used by customers too for load testing in some areas: VMware View Planner | United States

[nanderson87]

Thanks for the insight!  You are correct it seems.  In the end, I was able to install WASP to my Powershell and capture the ProcessID of the View desktop connection on launch to send commands.  This works fine for the View Desktop, however View RDSH Apps don't seem to have a chance.  They all share the same ProcessID under the vmware-view.exe process and the send-keys command won't post anything to even one app, let alone if I have multiple open.

Oh well, 50% of the way there isn't so bad.