Configuration: Systems Under Test: Machines
Overview
Use this page to register, edit, and remove Systems Under Test (SUT) machines, the target hosts your load tests exercise and monitor. The Systems Under Test Machines page keeps a single shared registry of these hosts, so instead of re-entering a server's name, operating system, and connection credentials for every test, you record each host once and reuse it everywhere.
A machine entry depends on a Credential Profile, created on Configuration: Credential Profiles, which LoadGen uses to connect to the host and collect data. Once registered, a machine can be referenced by one or more entries on Configuration: Systems Under Test: Profiles; the Used In Profiles column on this page shows whether that has happened yet.
From this page you can search the registry by machine name, add a new machine with its operating system and credential profile, edit an existing entry, and delete machines no longer under test. Refreshing the list confirms you are viewing the current state of the registry before making changes.
Key concepts
- Systems Under Test (SUT) machine - A target host registered in the shared machine pool that load tests and monitoring profiles can reference by name. (related: Configuration: Systems Under Test: Profiles)
- Credential Profile - A stored set of logon or API credentials that LoadGen uses to connect to and collect data from a machine. (related: Configuration: Credential Profiles)
- Used In Profiles - An indicator shown on each machine row stating whether an SUT profile currently references that machine. (related: Configuration: Systems Under Test: Profiles)
When to use it
- You need to register a new target host before it can be referenced by an SUT profile or test.
- A host's operating system changed after an upgrade and the recorded value needs correcting.
- A credential profile assigned to a machine is expiring or has changed, and the connection needs reassigning.
- You need to confirm which machines are already referenced by an SUT profile before deleting or reconfiguring one.
- You're searching a large machine registry for a specific host by name.
Before you begin
- Create at least one Credential Profile on Configuration: Credential Profiles if you plan to assign one to a new or existing machine.
- Know the exact host name (hostname or fully qualified domain name) of the machine you want to register.
- Know the operating system running on the target machine.
Common workflows
Register a new SUT machine
Persona: Load-test operator
- Select Add Machine.
- Expect: The editor opens with empty Machine Name, Operating System, and Credential Profile fields.
- Enter the host's fully qualified domain name into Machine Name, then fill in Operating System and choose a Credential Profile.
- Expect: The fields accept the input; Machine Name is the only field marked required.
- Select Save.
- Expect: The editor closes and the new machine appears as a row in the table, with Used In Profiles showing Not assigned.
Verify: The machine you registered appears in the Machine Name column with the Operating System and Credential Profile values you entered, ready to be referenced from Configuration: Systems Under Test: Profiles.
Remove a machine no longer under test
Persona: Administrator
- Check the Used In Profiles column for the machine you intend to remove.
- Expect: The column shows Not assigned if no SUT profile currently references the machine, or lists the profile name(s) that do.
- Select the Delete icon on that machine's row.
- Expect: A confirmation modal opens asking you to confirm removal.
- Select Delete in the confirmation modal.
- Expect: The modal closes and the machine's row no longer appears in the table.
Verify: The deleted machine's name no longer appears in the Machine Name column; any SUT profile that previously referenced it must be updated separately on Configuration: Systems Under Test: Profiles.
Steps
Step 1
Open the Systems Under Test Machines page.
Expected result: The page loads showing the global machine registry table with four rows (for example CTX-DDC01.CORP.EXAMPLE.COM), each listing an Operating System and Credential Profile, plus a Credentials expiring warning banner in the top right.
This confirms which hosts and credential profiles are already registered before you add, edit, or remove an entry.
- The Credentials expiring banner flags a credential profile nearing expiry and points to Configuration: Credential Profiles to reissue it.
- Used In Profiles reads Not assigned for every row in this capture.
-
Machine Name values render as link style text for each registered host.
Step 2
Select Refresh.
Expected result: The table reloads; the Refresh and Add Machine buttons and the Search field are now visible in the header, and the earlier Credentials expiring banner is no longer shown.
Refreshing confirms you are working from the current state of the registry before making a change.
- Add Machine opens the editor to register a new machine.
-
Search narrows the table to machines whose name matches the typed text.
Field reference
| Field | Purpose | Format / Validation | Required | Default |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Search | Filters the table to machines whose name contains the typed text, narrowing a long registry down to the host you want without opening any row. | Free text, matched against machine name | No | Empty (shows all machines) |
| Machine Name | The unique host identifier LoadGen uses to target this machine, typically its fully qualified domain name. This is the only required field in the editor: without it you cannot save the entry. | Text, for example sut-stork-02.appliance.example.com | Yes | Empty |
| Operating System | Records the OS running on the host so you can confirm compatibility before assigning the machine to a test profile or template that expects a specific OS. Free text, not validated against a fixed list. | Text, for example Windows Server 2022 | No | Empty |
| Credential Profile | Selects which stored credential set LoadGen uses to log on to or query this machine. Choosing a profile that is expiring or misconfigured causes connection failures during a test; an inline option lets you create a new credential profile without leaving this editor. | Selection from existing credential profiles | - | None |
Column reference
| Column | What it shows | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Machine Name | Identifies the registered host. | Each row is one registered SUT machine; this is the value test profiles reference when they target the host. |
| Operating System | Shows the OS recorded for the machine. | Compare this to what a test profile or template expects before assigning the machine to it. |
| Credential Profile | Shows which credential profile is assigned to the machine. | Shows which credential profile LoadGen currently uses to connect to this machine; check Configuration: Credential Profiles if it references one that is expiring or expired. |
| Used In Profiles | Shows whether an SUT profile references the machine. | Reads Not assigned when no SUT profile references this machine yet; otherwise lists the profile name(s) that do, which you should check before deleting the machine. |
| Actions | Holds the row level edit and delete controls. | Holds the per row Edit and Delete icon buttons; there is no status indicator in this column. |
Controls reference
Refresh
Reloads the machine list from the server.
When to use: After another operator may have added, edited, or removed a machine, or to confirm you're viewing current data before making a change.
Side effects: Read-only; reloads the table, does not change any data.
Add Machine
Opens the editor in add mode with empty Machine Name, Operating System, and Credential Profile fields.
When to use: To register a new target host before assigning it to an SUT profile.
Side effects: Mutating once you select Save in the editor; a new row is added to the table. Selecting Cancel discards the entry instead.
Edit
Opens the same editor pre-filled with the selected row's Machine Name, Operating System, and Credential Profile.
When to use: To update a machine's recorded operating system or reassign its credential profile, for example when a profile is expiring.
Side effects: Mutating once you select Save; the row's values update in place. Cancel discards the change.
Delete
Opens a confirmation modal asking you to confirm removal of the selected machine.
When to use: To remove a machine that is no longer under test; check the Used In Profiles column first to avoid breaking a profile that still references it.
Side effects: Mutating only after you select Delete in the confirmation modal; selecting Cancel there leaves the machine untouched.
Save
Commits the Machine Name, Operating System, and Credential Profile values entered or changed in the editor.
When to use: After filling in the required Machine Name field in the add or edit editor.
Side effects: Mutating; creates a new row or updates the existing one, then closes the editor.
Cancel
Closes the editor without saving any changes.
When to use: When you opened Add Machine or Edit by mistake, or decide not to keep your changes.
Side effects: Read-only; discards unsaved input.
Delete (confirmation)
Permanently removes the machine from the registry.
When to use: Only after confirming via Used In Profiles that no active SUT profile depends on this machine.
Side effects: Mutating and not reversible from this page; the row disappears from the table.
Cancel (delete confirmation)
Closes the confirmation modal without deleting the machine.
When to use: If you opened the delete confirmation by mistake.
Side effects: Read-only; the machine stays in the table.
Close
Dismisses the Credentials expiring warning banner.
When to use: After you've noted the warning or already reissued the credential on Configuration: Credential Profiles.
Side effects: Read-only; hides the banner only, it does not reissue or renew the underlying credential.
Verify the result
After adding, editing, or deleting a machine, the Systems Under Test Machines table reflects the change immediately: a new or edited machine appears as a row with the Machine Name, Operating System, and Credential Profile you set, and a deleted machine's row no longer appears. The Used In Profiles column reads Not assigned until an SUT profile references the machine. If a change does not appear, select Refresh to reload the table from the server before assuming it failed. If the entry still cannot be saved, check that Machine Name, the only required field, is filled in.
Troubleshooting
- Symptom: The Credentials expiring banner keeps appearing every time you open the page. Fix: Reissue the referenced credential under Configuration: Credential Profiles; the banner clears once the profile is no longer near expiry.
- Symptom: Save does not seem to commit anything in the Add or Edit editor. Fix: Confirm Machine Name is filled in; it is the only required field and the entry cannot be saved without it.
- Symptom: A machine you just added or edited is not showing the expected values. Fix: Select Refresh to reload the table from the server.
- Symptom: You deleted a machine and a test or profile that used it now fails. Fix: Check Used In Profiles before deleting a machine next time, then recreate the entry or update the affected profile on Configuration: Systems Under Test: Profiles.
- Symptom: The Credential Profile field in the editor has no profiles to choose from. Fix: Create one first on Configuration: Credential Profiles, then return to this editor.
Related articles
- Prerequisite: Configuration: Credential Profiles - a machine needs a credential profile assigned before LoadGen can connect to it
- Next step: Configuration: Systems Under Test: Profiles - SUT profiles reference the machines registered here, shown in Used In Profiles
- See also: Configuration: Systems Under Test: Templates - templates define reusable settings that apply to registered machines
- See also: Configuration: Systems Under Test: PerfCounter Settings - performance counters are collected from the machines registered here