The WCAT client consists of one or more computers running the WCAT client application. The prepared tests provided with WCAT are configured to run with one client computer. If you want to run more than one client computer, see “Changing Client Workloads,” later in this guide.
The WCAT client application runs in a single, multithreaded process. Each thread in the process represents a virtual client. Each virtual client simulates one connection and page request to the WCAT server. This design enables each client computer to simulate more than one client. WCAT can support up to 200 virtual clients in each WCAT test.
Many Web browsers can start multiple simultaneous connections. Therefore, the number of threads used by a WCAT client application does not necessarily bear a direct correlation to the number of client Web browsers connected.
In a WCAT test, you specify what level of client demand the server is subject to, including:
· The number of client browsers in the test.
· The size and type of pages the clients request.
· The rate at which clients send requests.
· The relative frequency at which different specific pages are requested.
· The duration of the test.