Integrating JMeter API Client with CI/CD Pipelines

This guide explains how to integrate the LoadFocus JMeter API Client with popular CI/CD platforms like CircleCI, Azure DevOps, and GitHub Actions for automated performance testing as part of your deployment pipeline.

Table of Contents

• General Approach
• CircleCI Integration
• Azure DevOps Integration
• GitHub Actions Integration)
• GitLab CI/CD Integration
• Jenkins Integration
• Best Practices
• Troubleshooting

General Approach

Regardless of the CI/CD platform, there are common steps to integrate the LoadFocus JMeter API Client:

1. Install the client: Install @loadfocus/loadfocus-api-client at the start of your workflow
2. Configure credentials: Set up your API key and team ID securely
3. Execute tests: Run the tests as part of your pipeline
4. Process results: Collect and analyze test results
5. Make decisions: Based on test results, determine whether to proceed with deployment

Best Practices

When integrating LoadFocus JMeter API Client with your CI/CD pipeline, consider these best practices:

Security

• Never hardcode your API key or team ID in your pipeline configuration
• Use your CI/CD platform's secrets management system
• Restrict access to your performance test results to authorized personnel

Performance Test Configuration

• Use descriptive test names that include the branch/environment being tested
• Set appropriate thresholds based on your application's performance requirements
• Consider running different test profiles for different environments (e.g., lighter tests for dev, full tests for staging)

Pipeline Integration

• Run performance tests after functional tests have passed
• Consider running performance tests in parallel with other non-blocking tasks
• Set up notifications for performance test failures

Results Analysis

• Store performance test results as artifacts for historical comparison
• Consider implementing trend analysis to detect performance degradation over time
• Document baseline performance metrics for comparison

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Test Execution Fails

• Verify your API key and team ID are correctly configured
• Check if you have reached your account's concurrent test limit
• Verify the test name exists in your LoadFocus account

Thresholds Not Working as Expected

• Ensure threshold syntax is correct (e.g., avgresponse<=200,errors==0)
• Check if the metrics you're evaluating are relevant to your test
• Verify that the test is generating enough load to produce meaningful results

Pipeline Times Out

• Adjust the timeout settings in your CI/CD configuration
• Consider using the --waitTimeout parameter to limit test execution time
• For long-running tests, implement a polling mechanism instead of waiting in the pipeline

For platform-specific integration details, see the dedicated guides for CircleCI, Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, and GitLab CI/CD.