Applies to: Exchange Server 2007 SP3
Topic Last Modified: 2009-09-30

This document contains a template that you can use as a starting point for developing a test plan that is appropriate for your Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 lab environment.

Test Plan Template

[Software] Test Plan

Prepared For: [Organization]

By: [Test Consultant Company]

Document Information

Author: [Author]

E-mail: [Author E-mail]

Address: [Test Consultant Company address]

Lab Test Participants

[Participant01] - Systems Consultant

[Participant02] - Microsoft Application Development Consultant (Onsite)

[Participant03] - Performance Test Consultant

[Participant04] - Manager

[Participant05] - [Company]

[Participant06] - [Company]

Revision History

Date Revision Author Remarks

xx/xx/xxxx

#.#

Participant01

Draft

xx/xx/xxxx

#.#

Participant02

Final revision

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

LAB TEST PARTICIPANTS

REVISION HISTORY

CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

TEST SCOPE

LAB TEST GOALS

SUCCESS CRITERIA (OBJECTIVES) / CRITICAL METRICS

TEST TOOLS

ASSUMPTIONS

RISK FACTORS

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ITEM BEING TESTED

USE CASES

NOT IN TEST SCOPE

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Executive Summary

[A brief background of the customer (organization). This information can typically be found on the customer Web site.]

Test Scope

This section describes lab test goals and objectives.

Lab Test Goals

[A short paragraph describing the goals or purpose of the lab test.

Examples:

  • To minimize the server footprint for a new Exchange 2007 deployment and to obtain performance data while under load (load testing).

  • Determine the appropriate hardware budget for a migration to Exchange 2007.]

Success Criteria (objectives) and Critical Metrics

[A list of measurable and realistic objectives needed to complete the lab goals and associated metrics.

Example:

1. Discover the baseline performance of the Exchange Client Access server role while under load.

2. Identify and discuss areas of improvement.

3. Generate performance data for Exchange while under load.

4. Load test with 4,000 users with various protocol mixes.]

Test Tools

[This section defines the testing tools that will be used during the engagement.]

Microsoft Performance Monitor

Purpose: Monitor system resources to detect potential bottlenecks. Performance Monitor is typically used to test an ASP Web Server-based solution, such as Outlook Web Access.

Where to find: Operating system

Performance counters:

  • ASP.NET

    • Requests Queued

  • Memory

    • Available MBytes

    • Pages/sec

  • MSExchange ActiveSync

    • Average Ping Time

    • Average Request Time

    • Ping Commands Pending

    • Ping Commands/sec

    • Requests Total

    • Requests/sec

  • MSExchange Availability Service

    • Availability Requests (sec)

  • MSExchange Database(EdgeTransport)

    • Database Cache % Available

    • Database Cache Size (MB)

    • Database Cache Size Max

    • Database Cache Size Min

  • MSExchange OWA

    • Average Response Time

    • Current Unique Users

    • Current Users

    • Failed Requests/sec

    • Logons/sec

    • Requests Failed

    • Requests/sec

  • MSExchangeTransport Queues

    • Items Completed Delivery Per Second

    • Items Completed Delivery Total

  • MSExchangeTransport SmtpReceive

    • Average bytes/message

    • Messages Received Total

    • Messages Received/sec

  • Processor

    • % Processor Time

  • Web Service

    • Bytes Total/sec

    • Current Connections

Microsoft Exchange Load Generator

Purpose: In the context of the lab engagement, Microsoft Exchange Load Generator (LoadGen.exe) is used to simulate various client loads.

Where to find: See Microsoft Exchange Load Generator.

Assumptions

[List of assumptions made by lab personnel:

Applies to Testing an Application Only:

The application being tested has successfully passed all use cases (See the "Use Cases" section below) using a single user (smoke test).]

Risk Factors

[A list of risk factors.

Example: A user protocol baseline was developed using an earlier version of Exchange. If the user protocol baseline is no longer accurate, a new baseline protocol mix may need to be developed. The time that it takes to collect a new baseline protocol mix might cut into the time normally slated for test runs.]

Brief History of the Item Being Tested

[Example: Exchange 2007 Service Pack 2 (SP2) is the latest release in the Exchange 2007 product line.]

Use Cases

[This section explicitly defines the functionality being tested. This information is used in the creation of the test scripts.

Example:

Outlook Web Access performance testing on a combined-role server

</> = Perform as a transaction/action

[] = Indicate an expected result

Before you begin: Set Internet Explorer to the Default security level for Internet zone and Intranet zone.

<LOAD TEST>

<OWA>

Generated a simulated Outlook Web Access load against a dual-core server that has 4 GB of RAM installed.

[A certain CPU usage and memory usage occurs]

Increase the number of OWA requests per second.

[CPU and memory usage increases]

Perform additional increases in the client load and Outlook Web Access requests per second.

[The server no longer responds to client requests in a timely manner]

</OWA>

<OUTLOOK2007>

Generate a simulated Outlook 2007 load against a dual-core server that has 4 GB of RAM installed.

[A certain CPU usage and memory usage occurs]

Use heavier client profiles to increase the client load.

[CPU and memory usage increases]

Perform additional increases in the client load.

[The server no longer responds to client requests in a timely manner]

</OUTLOOK2007>

<SEARCH CASE>]

Not in Test Scope

[A list of items that will not be tested.

  • Example: The performance of Exchange running various unsolicited commercial e-mail (UCE) filtering programs will not be tested.]