How to fix delays or prolonged duration of test runs during test execution

Article Overview:

This article will cover how you can achieve the following:

This article will help you identify and resolve issues that cause Virtuoso tests to take longer than expected to execute.

Problem Statement:

What to do when your previously efficient Virtuoso tests start taking significantly longer to complete. You could be observing that the transitions between pages in your tests are slowing down, despite no recent changes being made to the test scripts.

Understanding the "Wait for Network Traffic" Feature

Dynamic web pages – such as single-page applications (SPAs) – update their contents according to responses that they receive from a remote server; using their APIs behind the scene. This means that steps in a journey could try to interact with elements on the page that will exist, but do not exist yet. Virtuoso resolves this problem by autonomously waiting for pending network requests to resolve by default.

Why this Might Cause Delays:

If a test step consistently takes exactly one minute to execute, it is likely being delayed due to this feature timeout. While this behavior is beneficial for ensuring elements load properly, it can also unintentionally slow down test execution when waiting is unnecessary.

Solution:
Try to Disable the "Wait for Network Traffic":

1. Review Test Settings:
   Check if the "Wait for Network Traffic" setting is enabled in your Goal settings. This option can lead to delays if the backend loading time is longer than expected. To view this setting, open your goal, click on the hamburger menu on the left of your goal name, and click on Edit goal settings.             

2. Disable the "Wait for Network Traffic" Option: This option is available under the 'interaction' sub menu.
   
   
   

3. If enabled, disable this option to prevent unnecessary waiting for the backend to load, allowing the test to proceed once the frontend is ready.
   
   

4. Monitor Test Execution:
   After making the change, observe the test execution times to ensure they have returned to their typical duration.
   
   

5. Further Troubleshooting:
   If the issue persists, consider other factors such as server performance, network latency, or recent changes in the application that might affect loading times.

    

   Examples:

• Scenario: A customer noticed that their tests, which usually ran efficiently, began taking significantly longer. The delay was due to the "Wait for Network Traffic" option being enabled, which caused Virtuoso to wait for the backend to fully load the page.

• Resolution: After disabling the "Wait for Network Traffic" option, the tests resumed their usual speed.