Configure zones as an admin

Zones define where your tests run. As an admin, you manage them for the whole account in Settings > Zones, where each zone type has its own tab: NeoLoad Cloud, Static, and Dynamic.

Only users with admin permissions can access this area. Testers select a zone you've configured when they create a test.

Before you start

What you need depends on the zone type you want to configure:

  • NeoLoad Cloud zones need no infrastructure of your own. NeoLoad Web hosts them, and you enable the regions you want to use.

  • Static zones need a controller and one or more load generators that you install yourself.

  • Dynamic zones need an infrastructure provider. You can't create a dynamic zone until at least one provider exists.

Enable NeoLoad Cloud zones

NeoLoad Web offers cloud zones across many regions and providers, but they're off by default. Enable the ones your teams need. Testers can then select them, and they don't need to set up any infrastructure.

To enable a cloud zone, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Settings > Zones and select the NeoLoad Cloud tab.

  2. Find the zone you want. Use the search and filter options above the table to narrow the list.

  3. Turn on the toggle in the Status column. The change takes effect immediately.

The Zones page in Settings, with the NeoLoad Cloud tab open next to the Static and Dynamic tabs. A toolbar holds the IPs release date, an Allocate IPs button, a Copy all IPs button, and a Release all IPs button. The table lists each zone with its provider, dedicated IP count, zone ID, and a Status toggle.

Click to enlarge: The NeoLoad Cloud tab, where you turn each zone on or off in the Status column

Each row shows the zone's Provider, its Dedicated IPs count, and its Zone ID. Disabled zones show N/A instead of an IP count, because you can only allocate IPs to a zone that's enabled.

You can't disable a zone that holds dedicated IPs. Its Status toggle stays locked until you release the zone's IPs.

Create a static zone

A static zone groups controllers and load generators that you host yourself, either on-premises or in your own cloud account. Create the zone first, then point your agents at it.

To create a static zone, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Settings > Zones and select the Static tab.

  2. Select Create zone.

  3. Enter a name for the zone, then confirm.

The new zone appears in the table with a Zone ID and a count of Controllers and Load generators, which stays at zero until you attach agents to it.

To attach an agent to the zone, copy the Zone ID and enter it in the agent's Zone identifier setting. For the exact setting, check out Configure the Controller agent and Configure the Load Generator agent.

Create a dynamic zone

A dynamic zone runs controllers and load generators on demand in your own Kubernetes or OpenShift cluster, through an infrastructure provider. NeoLoad Web starts the containers when a test begins and removes them when it ends.

To create a dynamic zone, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Settings > Zones and select the Dynamic tab.

  2. Select Create zone.

  3. Enter a Name for the zone.

  4. Select a Provider. The list shows each provider by name with its platform type, such as Kubernetes.

  5. Select a Resource sizing. NeoLoad Web shows the memory and cores it gives the controller and each load generator for the size you pick, so you can match the sizing to your test load.

  6. Optionally, expand Docker images to override the default controller and load generator images. Use this if you pull images from a private registry, or if your tests need a specific image such as the JMeter controller.

  7. Select Apply.

The Create dynamic zone dialog. It contains a name field, a provider list that includes the platform type, and a resource sizing list. Below the sizing list, NeoLoad Web states the memory and cores for the controller and each load generator. A collapsed Docker images section sits at the bottom.

Click to enlarge: The specifications for the resource sizing you select

If the Provider list shows No providers available, no infrastructure provider exists yet. Create one before you continue. For more information, check out Deploy the dynamic infrastructure agent.

Allocate dedicated IPs

By default, cloud zones send traffic from shared IP addresses that change between runs. Allocate dedicated IPs to a zone when your firewall needs to allow a fixed set of addresses. Dedicated IPs cost cloud credits.

To allocate dedicated IPs to a cloud zone, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Settings > Zones and select the NeoLoad Cloud tab.

  2. Select Allocate IPs.

  3. Select the Zone you want the addresses for. NeoLoad Web shows how many load generators across all tests and workspaces currently use that zone.

  4. Enter the number of addresses in IP count. The counter below the field shows how many you've requested against the maximum for that zone, and NeoLoad Web shows the cost in cloud credits next to the credits you have left.

  5. Select Allocate.

The Allocate dedicated IPs dialog. It names the selected zone and states how many load generators use it. An IP count of 50 sits above a counter that reads 50 of 175, next to the release date. At the bottom, the dialog states the cost in cloud credits and how many credits remain.

Click to enlarge: The requested IP count against the zone maximum, and the cost in credits

The addresses take a few minutes to allocate. Once they're ready, the count appears in the Dedicated IPs column for that zone. All the addresses share one release date, which you can change at any time. For the full set of options, check out Dedicated IPs.

What's next

Now that your zones are configured, here's what you can do next: