LoadGen Appliance Overview
What is the LoadGen Appliance?
The LoadGen Appliance is a pre-configured virtual machine that provides a complete, ready-to-deploy LoadGen Load Testing and Monitoring Platform. It runs on a Linux-based operating system with Docker containers, eliminating the need for manual installation and configuration of individual components.
The appliance is designed to simplify deployment across various virtualization platforms and cloud environments, allowing you to get started with load testing quickly and efficiently.
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Key Features
- Pre-configured Environment: All LoadGen components are pre-installed and configured
- Docker-based Architecture: Services run in isolated containers for reliability and easy updates
- Web-based Management: Access the LoadGen interface and API through your browser
- Built-in Security: Configurable SSL/TLS certificates and security tokens
- Automated Backups: Schedule and manage configuration backups
- Easy Updates: Update individual components without reinstalling the entire system
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Available Image Formats
The LoadGen Appliance is distributed in multiple virtual disk formats to support different platforms:
| Format | Platform | Description |
|--------|----------|-------------|
| OVF | VMware ESXi | Open Virtualization Format for VMware environments |
| VHDX | Microsoft Hyper-V | Virtual Hard Disk format for Hyper-V Generation 2 VMs |
| VHD | Azure / VirtualBox | Virtual Hard Disk format compatible with Azure and Oracle VirtualBox |
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Architecture Overview
The LoadGen Appliance consists of the following components:
Appliance Agent
A service running on the Linux host that manages:
- System configuration (hostname, timezone, network)
- Docker container lifecycle
- SSL certificate management
- Backup operations
- OS and component updates
Docker Containers
The appliance runs several Docker containers:
- LoadGen API: The main API service for test management and execution
- Nginx Reverse Proxy: Handles incoming HTTP/HTTPS traffic
- Let's Encrypt Companion (optional): Automatic SSL certificate renewal
LoadGen API
The REST API provides endpoints for:
- Managing load tests and scenarios
- Configuring test users and workloads
- Scheduling test executions
- Analyzing test results
- Appliance management
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How to Obtain the Appliance
To obtain the LoadGen Appliance image for your platform:
- Contact LoadGen Sales or Support
- Visit loadgen.com for contact information
- Specify your target platform (VMware, Hyper-V, Azure, AWS, or VirtualBox)
- Download the Image
- You will receive download instructions for the appropriate image format
- Verify the download integrity if a checksum is provided
- Review System Requirements
- See LoadGen Appliance - System Requirements for hardware and network requirements
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Supported Deployment Platforms
The LoadGen Appliance can be deployed on:
- VMware ESXi - Enterprise virtualization platform
- Microsoft Hyper-V - Windows Server virtualization
- Oracle VirtualBox - Desktop virtualization for development and testing
- Microsoft Azure - Cloud deployment with VHD upload
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) - Cloud deployment with AMI import
See the platform-specific deployment guides for detailed instructions.
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Next Steps
- System Requirements - Review hardware and network requirements
- Choose your deployment platform:
- 3. Initial Setup - Configure security tokens and basic settings
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Related Documentation
- LoadGen Developer & API Documentation - Complete API documentation
- On-Prem API - Security - Authentication and authorization