Scheduled tests work the same as instant tests, simulating the experience that end-users have when connecting to a website. The only difference is that they run repeatedly on a scheduled basis, enabling you to monitor trends in website performance over time. This lets you establish performance baselines and detect any significant changes, as well as generating automatic alerts if something goes wrong.
Creating a Scheduled Test
- Log into the Catchpoint Portal, navigate to Control Center, and then click New Test Suite
- Complete the fields in the WebPageTest Properties blade (see table below for guidance on settings)
- When finished, click Save
WebPageTest Properties | |
|---|---|
WebPageTest | |
| Name | A name used to identify this test. |
| Description | Optional additional information about the test |
More Settings | |
| Run From: | Specifies the Date/Time Range during which the test should be active. By default the Start Date/Time is the time of test creation, and there is no specified end date, meaning the test will run indefinitely. |
| Labels: | You may add one or more labels to a test to make it easier to locate the test or its results when analyzing your data. |
URLs | |
| Add URL: | Add one or more webpages to be tested. For each entry, include the following:
|
Authentication | |
| Type | Select None for no authentication, or Basic for basic authentication. If Basic is selected, input the user name and password test test will use to authenticate. |
Devices | |
| Device Type | Select at least one device type (or desktop browser) to run your test. Each selected device type will result in additional test runs. |
Targeting and Scheduling | |
| Testing Frequency | Select "Every Hour" to have the test run once per hour, all day. Select Custom to specify during which hours the test should run. |
| Time Zone | Specifies the time zone used when defining test scheduling. |
| Run Between | When "Custom" is selected for Test Frequency, this option lets you specify the hour(s) of the day during which the test will run. Click "Add Schedule Window" and make a selection for each hour that you want the test to run. |
| Run per test | Specifies the number of times during each schedule window that the test will run. Increasing the number of test runs provides a better performance baseline, but also consumes more points. |
| Run From | Specifies the WebPageTest Node(s) that will execute the tests. WebPageTest nodes are distinct from Catchpoint's fleet of public nodes for running the other test types. |
Alerts | |
| Alerts Enabled | Enable and configure alerts so you can be informed right away when one of your monitored websites experieneces performance degradation or goes down. Learn about configuring alerts |
Point Consumption
Test runs consume points, and the total point consumption for your test depends on several factors, including:
- The number of URLs you are testing
- The number of device types selected
- Testing Frequency
- Number of runs per test
- Number of nodes selected in "Run From"
These factors are multiplied together to determine your estimated daily and monthly point consumption. You can see this estimate in the Points Estimation section of the test properties.