Configuration: Testing: Scenarios
Overview
Use this page to create, edit, and manage test scenarios. A scenario is a reusable definition of the user and idle phases that make up a load test: how many virtual users ramp in, how long they stay active, and whether idle time separates bursts of activity. Defining it once lets you reuse the same phase structure across multiple schedules and runs instead of reconfiguring load patterns every time.
Scenarios sit between a test's lower-level building blocks and the act of running one. The virtual users a scenario's phases are built from should already exist in Configuration: Testing: Users. Once a scenario is defined, it becomes available to Testing: Schedules and Testing: Run Test, where the scenario marked Active is the one used by default unless you choose another.
This page summarizes all configured scenarios with KPI cards for total count, the Active scenario, peak users, and longest duration, and lets you search or filter the list. From each scenario card you can edit, clone, create a schedule, set the scenario as Active, or delete it.
Key concepts
- scenario - A reusable definition of the user and idle phases that make up a load test: how many virtual users are active, in what order, and for how long. (related: Testing: Run Test)
- user phase - A stage within a scenario during which virtual users generate load, contributing to the scenario's Total Users and Duration values. (related: Configuration: Testing: Users)
- idle phase - A stage within a scenario where virtual users pause without generating load, used to build think-time gaps between bursts of activity.
- Active scenario - The one scenario currently marked to run by default when a test starts without an explicitly chosen scenario. (related: Testing: Run Test)
When to use it
- Before scheduling or running a test, to confirm which scenario is marked Active.
- When you need to adjust the number of user or idle phases, total users, duration, or randomization for a test.
- When you need to define a new user/idle phase pattern for an upcoming test.
- When a scenario is obsolete and should be removed, or cloned as a starting point for a new one.
- When you want to jump from a scenario straight into creating a schedule for it.
- When a scenario's target credential is nearing expiration and needs to be reissued.
Before you begin
- The virtual users a scenario's phases will run should already be defined in Configuration: Testing: Users.
- You need permission to view and change test configuration, since scenarios are created, edited, and deleted from this page.
- If a Credentials expiring notice appears, reissue the referenced token under Configuration: Credential Profiles before relying on the affected scenario for a scheduled run.
Common workflows
Set a different scenario as Active
Persona: Load test operator
- Open the kebab menu (⋮) on the scenario card you want to run by default.
- Expect: A menu opens listing Clone, New Schedule, Set as Active, and Delete.
- Select Set as Active.
- Expect: The Active badge moves to this scenario's card and the Active Scenario KPI card updates to show its name.
Verify: The Active Scenario KPI at the top of the page names the scenario you just selected.
Create a new test scenario
Persona: Load test operator
- Select New Scenario in the page header.
- Expect: The scenario creation screen opens where you define user and idle phases.
- Define the phases and select Create Scenario.
- Expect: The new scenario appears as a card in the grid and the Total Scenarios KPI increases by one.
Verify: Total Scenarios increases by one and the new scenario's name and stats appear on its card in the grid.
Delete an obsolete scenario
Persona: Administrator
- Open the kebab menu (⋮) on the scenario card and select Delete.
- Expect: A Delete Scenario confirmation dialog opens with Cancel and Delete buttons.
- Select Delete in the confirmation dialog.
- Expect: The scenario card is removed from the grid and the Total Scenarios KPI decreases by one.
Verify: The deleted scenario no longer appears in the grid and Total Scenarios reflects the lower count.
Steps
Step 1
Open Scenarios from the left navigation.
Expected result: The page loads with four KPI cards (Total Scenarios, Active Scenario, Peak Users, Longest Duration), a search and filter bar, and scenario cards for Ramp-50-Users-Steady and Soak-8h-Endurance; a Credentials expiring notice about the Orders API token appears at the top of the page.
This is the starting point for reviewing which scenarios exist and which one is Active before you create, edit, or run a test.
- The Credentials expiring banner links to Configuration: Credential Profiles to reissue the token before it expires.
-
Total Scenarios, Active Scenario, Peak Users, and Longest Duration summarize all configured scenarios at a glance.
Step 2
Select Refresh in the page header.
Expected result: The scenario list and KPI cards reload; the Credentials expiring notice closes, revealing the full header with Refresh and New Scenario buttons.
Refreshing confirms you're working from the latest scenario data before you create, edit, or delete a scenario.
- New Scenario is now visible next to Refresh - use it to start a new scenario.
- The scenario cards still show the same Active status and stats as before, confirming the reload did not change any data.
Field reference
| Field | Purpose | Format / Validation | Required | Default |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Search scenarios... | Narrows the scenario grid to names matching what you type, so you can find one scenario without scrolling through the grid. | free text | No | - |
| All Scenarios (filter dropdown) | Scopes the scenario grid to a subset of scenarios; left at its default value, every configured scenario is shown regardless of status. | dropdown/select | No | All Scenarios |
Column reference
| Column | What it shows | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Total Scenarios | - | Compare this number before and after creating, cloning, or deleting a scenario to confirm the change saved. |
| Active Scenario | - | If this doesn't name the scenario you expect to run, select Set as Active on the correct scenario's card. |
| Peak Users | - | This is the highest Total Users value across all configured scenarios; check individual cards' Total Users to find which one it belongs to. |
| Longest Duration | - | This reports the longest configured duration among all scenarios; it is a cap, not a guaranteed runtime, since a scenario can finish earlier once every user completes. |
| User Phases | - | Counts the active-load stages in the scenario; more user phases let you model more distinct stages of load in one scenario. Open the card's chart to see how each phase ramps. |
| Idle Phases | - | A value of 0 means the scenario runs its user phases back-to-back; a non-zero value adds think-time pauses between bursts of activity. |
| Total Users | - | Shows the total virtual users the scenario's phases run; compare against the Peak Users KPI to see whether this scenario drives the platform's overall peak load. |
| Duration | - | Treat this as an upper-bound cap, not a guarantee: the engine also stops early once every user in the phases finishes, so the actual run can be shorter. |
| Randomize | - | No means the phases run in the fixed, left-to-right order shown in the timeline chart; both captured scenarios show No. |
Controls reference
Refresh
Reloads the scenario grid and the four KPI cards from the server.
When to use: Use it to confirm a create, edit, clone, activate, or delete action saved, or after changes made elsewhere.
Side effects: Read-only: re-fetches current data and does not change any scenario.
New Scenario
Opens the scenario creation screen where you define user and idle phases for a new scenario.
When to use: Use it when none of your existing scenarios match the load pattern you need to test.
Side effects: Read-only until you complete the definition and select Create Scenario; opening it alone creates nothing.
Create Scenario
Saves the phase definition you built after selecting New Scenario as a new scenario.
When to use: Use it once you've finished defining the new scenario's user and idle phases.
Side effects: Mutating: adds a new card to the grid and increases Total Scenarios by one.
Edit
Opens the selected scenario's definition for editing.
When to use: Use it to change an existing scenario's phases instead of creating a new one.
Side effects: Opening it alone makes no change; saving inside the editor is what updates the scenario.
Kebab / more menu (⋮)
Opens a contextual menu for the scenario card with Clone, New Schedule, Set as Active, and Delete.
When to use: Use it to reach actions beyond Edit without leaving the grid.
Side effects: Read-only: opening the menu itself makes no change.
Clone
Creates a copy of the scenario's phase definition as a starting point for a new scenario.
When to use: Use it when a new scenario should closely resemble an existing one, so you don't redefine every phase.
Side effects: Mutating: adds a new scenario card and increases Total Scenarios by one.
New Schedule
Takes you to Testing: Schedules with this scenario pre-filled as the connected profile.
When to use: Use it to schedule this specific scenario to run automatically without reselecting it there.
Side effects: Navigational: leaves this page; the scenario itself is unchanged.
Set as Active
Marks this scenario as the Active scenario used by default when a test runs without an explicit scenario selection.
When to use: Use it when you want a different scenario to be the default without editing every schedule individually.
Side effects: Mutating: updates the Active Scenario KPI and moves the Active badge to this scenario.
Delete (menu item)
Opens a Delete Scenario confirmation dialog for this scenario.
When to use: Use it to remove a scenario you no longer need.
Side effects: Read-only until confirmed: opens a dialog but deletes nothing yet.
Cancel (confirmation dialog)
Closes the Delete Scenario dialog without deleting anything.
When to use: Use it if you opened Delete by mistake or changed your mind.
Side effects: Read-only: no change to the scenario.
Delete (confirm)
Permanently removes the scenario.
When to use: Use it only after confirming in the dialog that you selected the right scenario.
Side effects: Mutating and irreversible: removes the card from the grid and decreases Total Scenarios by one. If this was the Active scenario, set another one Active before relying on default test runs.
Close notification (X)
Dismisses the Credentials expiring banner.
When to use: Use it once you've noted the warning or after reissuing the token.
Side effects: Read-only: hides the banner for this session; does not reissue the credential or change any scenario.
Verify the result
After you create, edit, clone, activate, or delete a scenario, the grid and the four KPI cards update immediately: Total Scenarios reflects the current count, Active Scenario names the one currently marked active, and each card's stats (User Phases, Idle Phases, Total Users, Duration, Randomize) match what you configured. A deleted scenario's card no longer appears in the grid; a newly active scenario's name appears in the Active Scenario KPI. If an action doesn't appear to take effect, select Refresh first to rule out a stale view before assuming the change failed.
Troubleshooting
- Symptom: The Credentials expiring banner reappears after you close it. Fix: Closing it only dismisses it for the current session; reissue the token under Configuration: Credential Profiles to clear the warning permanently.
- Symptom: Selecting Set as Active doesn't change the Active Scenario KPI. Fix: Select Refresh to confirm whether the update saved, then check the scenario's Active status badge on its card.
- Symptom: A scenario you just deleted still appears in the grid. Fix: Select Refresh to reload the list; if it still appears, the delete did not save and should be retried.
- Symptom: A new scenario doesn't appear after you define it. Fix: Confirm you selected Create Scenario to save the definition rather than navigating away, then select Refresh.
- Symptom: A scenario's observed run time is shorter than its Duration value. Fix: This is expected: Duration is an upper-bound cap, and the engine also stops once every user in the scenario's phases finishes.
Related articles
- Prerequisite: Configuration: Testing: Users - a scenario's user phases are built from the virtual users defined there
- Prerequisite: Configuration: Credential Profiles - reissue the expiring token the Credentials expiring notice references
- Next step: Testing: Schedules - New Schedule deep-links a scenario into a new schedule
- Next step: Testing: Run Test - the Active scenario is the one used when you start a test
- See also: Testing: Load Profiles - broader test configuration that scenarios feed into