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Installation

Download the installer from webperformance.com/download and run it. The installer is standard for each platform (Windows .exe, macOS .dmg). If you've installed software before, you know what to do.

This page covers the decisions you'll make during installation and the things worth knowing afterward.

What's New in v7.0

Load Tester has always bundled its own JRE. What changed in v7.0 is the move to Java 11, which delivers better performance and a more modern UI. The application also runs on Eclipse 4.19 RCP.

System Requirements

  • Windows: Windows 10 (64-bit) or Windows 11
  • macOS: macOS 12 (Monterey) or later, including Apple Silicon via Rosetta 2
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM minimum, 16 GB recommended
  • Disk Space: 2 GB for application plus additional space for test results

See System Requirements for full details including load engine and server monitoring agent requirements.

Components

The installer offers three components:

  • Load Tester Application (required): The main application you'll use to record, configure, and run load tests.
  • Load Engine (optional): Install on separate Windows/Linux servers for distributed load testing. Most users use cloud engines instead.
  • Server Monitoring Agent (optional): Install on target servers to collect CPU, memory, disk, and network metrics during load tests. See Server Monitoring.

For most users, install only the Load Tester Application. You can always add engines and agents later.

Installation Notes

Windows

  • Run the installer as administrator (required for installation, not for normal use afterward)
  • Default location: C:\Program Files\Web Performance\Load Tester 7.0\
  • Launch from: Start → Web Performance → Load Tester 7.0

macOS

  • Drag the application to your Applications folder
  • First launch: macOS Gatekeeper will block the application because it's not from the App Store. Right-click (or Control-click) the app and select Open, then click Open in the security dialog. This only happens once.

Installation Directory Requirements

  • Do NOT install to a read-only directory
  • Do NOT install Load Tester and Load Engine in the same directory

Workspace

On first launch, Load Tester creates a workspace at ~/WebPerformance7/. This is where your settings, preferences, and (optionally) test data live.

The default location works for most users. If you need to change it later, see Workspace Management and Configuration Files (the config.ini file controls workspace location).

Chrome Extension

The first time you record a test case, Load Tester walks you through installing a Chrome browser extension. This extension captures HTTPS traffic without requiring system-wide SSL certificate changes. One-time setup, takes about 30 seconds. See Browser Configuration for details.

Load Engine and Server Agent Installation

If you need to install load engines or monitoring agents on remote servers:

  • Cloud engines (AWS): Provisioned automatically, no manual installation needed. See Cloud Load Testing.
  • On-premises engines: Run the same installer on the target server and select only the Load Engine component. See Cloud Load Testing for engine configuration.
  • Server monitoring agent: Run the installer on each server you want to monitor and select only the Server Monitoring Agent component. See Server Monitoring Agent for setup and configuration.

Next Steps

  1. Activate your license
  2. Follow the Quick Start Tutorial to record and run your first load test
  3. Explore the UI to get comfortable with the interface