Install and configure a Controller
The Controller is the hub of your performance testing setup. It decides how many virtual users to generate, directs the Load Generators, and tracks the results. Here’s how to set it up:
Configure the Controller agent
To connect the Controller to NeoLoad Web, you need to set up the Controller agent that connects NeoLoad to NeoLoad Web. To set it up follow these steps:
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Launch the Controller agent:
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Open the ControllerAgent.exe file from the NeoLoad bin folder.
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Right-click the Agent icon in the system tray and select NeoLoad Web settings.
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Set the deployment type:
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Select SaaS for US-based SaaS deployments of NeoLoad Web.
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Select On-premise for EU-based SaaS deployments of NeoLoad Web. You can retrieve the URL directly. Select API from the user menu in NeoLoad Web and copy the link without the /explore suffix. For example: https://neoload-api.saas.neotys.com/.
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Authenticate with an access token:
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Generate an access token in NeoLoad Web and paste it into the access token field (opens in new tab).
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Set a zone (optional):
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To assign the Controller to a zone, paste the Zone ID into the Zone identifier field (opens in new tab).
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Test the connection:
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Select Test to verify your settings. After a successful test, select Apply to save your changes.
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Run the Controller agent as a service
Run the Controller agent as a service so it starts automatically with your system. The service has no UI, so configure the agent manually first to generate its configuration file.
To run the Controller agent as a Windows service, follow these steps:
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Configure the agent manually with the steps in Configure the Controller agent above. The agent writes your settings to your user profile.
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Go to %APPDATA%\Neotys\NeoLoad\<version>\conf.
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Copy the controller_agent_user.properties file to the service account's profile folder:
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Local System account: C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Roaming\Neotys\NeoLoad\<version>\conf.
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Network Service account: C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\NetworkService\AppData\Roaming\Neotys\NeoLoad\<version>\conf.
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In the Services panel, set the service's Startup type to Automatic, then start the service.
If the service stops shortly after starting, the agent can't reach NeoLoad Web. Check the logs in the same profile folder, under \logs.
The Controller agent has no UI on Linux. Generate the configuration on a Windows machine first, then transfer it to the Linux host. To run the Controller agent as a Linux service, follow these steps:
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On a Windows machine, configure the agent with the steps in Configure the Controller agent above.
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Copy the controller_agent_user.properties file from %APPDATA%\Neotys\NeoLoad\<version>\conf.
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On the Linux host, paste the file into $HOME/.neotys/neoload/<version>/conf, where $HOME is the home folder of the user who runs the service.
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Create and enable the service with systemctl.