The AWS WorkSpaces Logon Simulator Test

This test emulates a user logging into an Amazon WorkSpaces cloud infrastructure and launching a desktop. In the process, the test reports the total duration of the simulation, time taken for the login to be authenticated, duration of desktop launch, and log out duration. Additionally, the test also captures failures (if any) at each step of the simulation. Using the insights provided by this test, the administrators can proactively detect logon slowness/failures and precisely pinpoint the root-cause of the anomaly - is it login authentication? desktop launch? or logout? This way, administrators are enabled to isolate the probable pain-points of their virtual infrastructure, even before users begin to actively use the cloud desktops.

Target of the test : Amazon WorkSpaces

Agent deploying the test : An external agent

Outputs of the test : One set of results for every virtual desktop configured for monitoring

Configurable parameters for the test
Parameter Description

Test Period

How often should the test be executed. The default is 15 minutes.

Note:

Some parameter changes can sometimes impact the simulation duration. Most often, this can happen in the following situations:

  • If multiple desktops are configured for launching against PUBLISHED RESOURCES: In this case, the test will repeat the entire sequence of steps for every configured desktop - i.e., after a desktop is launched, the test will logoff and then log in again to attempt the launch of the next desktop. This can increase the duration of the simulation.
  • If the value of the Launch Timeout and/or the Logoff Delay parameters of the test is significantly increased: If this is done, then the simulator will wait that much longer for the desktop launch or logoff to happen, thereby increasing simulation duration.

Sometimes, these changes can cause the simulation to take more time than the configured Test Period.

Host

The host for which the test is to be configured.

Port

Specify the port used to connect to the Amazon WorkSpaces here. By default, this will be NULL.

Site URL

Specify the URL for connecting to the virtual private cloud associated with the Amazon WorkSpaces here. You can provide either an HTTP or an HTTPS URL.

Published Resources

To know how to configure the resources to be monitored, refer to the How to Configure Published Resources for Monitoring? topic.

Console Username

The simulator needs to run in the account of a user who has local administrator rights on the simulation end point - i.e., the system on which the external agent has been installed. Specify the name of this user in the Console Username text box. This user should also be logged in at all times for the simulator to run continuously.

Console Domain

Specify the domain to which the user belongs to here.

Logon Delay

By default, this parameter is set to 30 seconds. This implies that the simulator will wait for a maximum of 30 seconds (by default) during each resource launch, for the logon to actually occur. If the logon does not happen even after the lapse of 5 seconds, then the simulation will be automatically terminated, and the simulator will mark the logon attempt as ‘failed’. A logon duration will hence not be computed or reported in this case.

Launch Timeout

By default, this parameter is set to 90 seconds. This implies that the simulator will wait for a maximum of 90 seconds (by default) for a desktop to launch. If the desktop does not launch even after the 90 seconds have elapsed, then the simulation will be automatically terminated, and the simulator will mark that desktop launch as 'failed'. Accordingly, the Application launch availability measure for that published resource (i.e., desktop) will report the value 0, and no launch duration will be reported for the same.

In some environments, one/more published desktops may take a little longer to launch than the rest. In such environments, you can instruct the simulator to wait longer for launching each of the configured published resources, by increasing the launch timeout. The high time out setting for resource launch ensures that the simulator captures and reports only genuine launch failures, and does not treat a launch delay as a failure.

Logoff Delay

By default, the Logoff Delay parameter is set to 30 seconds. This implies that the simulator will wait for a maximum of 30 seconds (by default) after each resource launch, for the logoff to occur. If the logoff does not happen even after 30 seconds have elapsed, then the simulation will be automatically terminated, and the simulator will mark the logoff attempt as ‘failed’. A logoff duration will hence not be computed or reported in this case.

In some environments, even during normal operation, logoff may take longer. In such environments, you can instruct the simulator to wait longer for the logoff to occur, by increasing the web logoff delay. The high time out setting for logoff ensures that the simulator waits for the log off to complete and captures and reports the accurate logoff duration.

Screenshot Required

By default, the logon simulator will automatically take screenshots of failure conditions and displays the same in the layer model against the measure that reported failure as well as in the graphical view of the detailed diagnosis. To this effect, this flag is set to Yes, by default. If you do not wish to view the screenshot for the simulation, then, set this flag to No.

Success Screenshot Required

By default, this flag is set to No indicating that the logon simulator will not capture a screenshot and display the same in the graphical view of the detailed diagnosis if the simulation performed was successful. If you wish to capture a screenshot for successful simulations too and display the same, then, set this flag to Yes.

Success Screenshot Frequency

Specify the frequency i.e., measurement period for which a screenshot captured for a successful simulation should be retained in the layer model/graphical view. By default, this is set to 5 indicating that the screenshot captured for a successful simulation will be displayed for the subsequent 5 measurement periods provided, the logon simulation is successful during all those 5 measurement periods.

Enable Session Active

For the logon simulation to be successful on the simulation endpoint at all times, it is important for the Windows user session to always remain 'active'. To this effect, this flag is set to Yes by default.

DD Frequency

Refers to the frequency with which detailed diagnosis measures are to be generated for this test. The default is 1:1. This indicates that, by default, detailed measures will be generated every time this test runs, and also every time the test detects a problem. You can modify this frequency, if you so desire. Also, if you intend to disable the detailed diagnosis capability for this test, you can do so by specifying none against dd frequency.

Detailed Diagnosis

To make diagnosis more efficient and accurate, the eG Enterprise embeds an optional detailed diagnostic capability. With this capability, the eG agents can be configured to run detailed, more elaborate tests as and when specific problems are detected. To enable the detailed diagnosis capability of this test for a particular server, choose the On option. To disable the capability, click on the Off option.

The option to selectively enable/disable the detailed diagnosis capability will be available only if the following conditions are fulfilled:

  • The eG manager license should allow the detailed diagnosis capability
  • Both the normal and abnormal frequencies configured for the detailed diagnosis measures should not be 0.

Measurements made by the test

Measures in Amazon WorkSpaces Logon Simulator test

Figure 1 : The measures reported by the Amazon WorkSpaces Logon Simulator test

Measurement Description Measurement Unit Interpretation

Logon availability

Indicates whether/not the simulator logged into the directory of the virtual private cloud successfully, when attempting to launch this desktop.

Percent

The value 100 for this measure indicates that logon was successful, and the value 0 indicates that logon failed.

If this measure reports the value 0, then no other measures will be reported for that desktop.

You can also use the detailed diagnosis of this measure to view the output of the simulation script, scrutinize it, and isolate the failure and problem points of the Amazon WorkSpaces infrastructure at first glance.

Logon duration

Indicates the time taken by the simulator to login to the directory of the virtual private cloud, when attempting to launch this desktop.

Secs

If the Total simulation duration for a desktop exceeds its threshold, compare the value of this measure with that of the other duration values reported by the test to know where the bottleneck lies - in login authentication? desktop launch? or log out?

Desktop launch availability

Indicates the time taken by the simulator to launch this desktop.

Percent

The value 100 for this measure indicates that the desktop launch was successful, and the value 0 indicates that the launch failed.

By comparing the value of this measure across desktops, you can quickly identify which desktop could not be launched.

Desktop launch duration

Indicates the time taken by the simulator to launch this desktop.

Secs

If the Total simulation duration for a desktop exceeds its threshold, compare the value of this measure with that of the other duration values reported by the test to know where the bottleneck lies - in login authentication? desktop launch? or log out?

Logoff duration

Indicates the time taken by the simulator to log out of the virtual private cloud.

Secs

If the Total simulation duration for a desktop exceeds its threshold, compare the value of this measure with that of the other duration values reported by the test to know where the bottleneck lies - in login authentication? desktop launch? or log out?

Total simulation duration

Indicates the total time taken by the simulator to simulate the launch of this desktop.

Secs

An abnormally high value for this measure could indicate a logon slowness. In such a case, compare the value of all the duration values reported by the test to know where the bottleneck lies - in login authentication? desktop launch? or log out?

Use the detailed diagnosis of the Logon availability measure to view the output of the simulation script, scrutinize it, and isolate the failure and problem points of the Amazon WorkSpaces infrastructure at first look. A summary of the simulation is also provided as part of the detailed diagnostics. This includes the Site URL configured for monitoring, the user name used for the simulation, the exact time at which the simulated user logged into the site, and the published resource that was accessed as part of the simulation.

Detailed diagnosis for Logon availability measure

Figure 2 : The detailed diagnosis of the Logon availability measure