Data-Driven Load Tests using Visual Studio Online and SQL Azure

This post details how to perform data-driven load tests using Visual Studio Online and SQL Azure. It explains the importance of adequate stress testing with representative data, the cost barriers to traditional load testing, and how cloud services like Visual Studio Online and Azure SQL Database can mitigate these issues. The article provides a step-by-step guide for setting up data in Azure SQL Database, creating data-driven web tests in Visual Studio, and integrating these tests into load tests for cloud execution. It covers scenarios like simulating dynamic URLs, filling forms with different data, calling web services with varying parameters, and simulating AJAX calls, with a specific focus on dynamic URL generation for e-commerce or CMS sites.