JMeter - force all transactions/threads to stop when test reaches duration

Question

I have a custom controller type which runs it's own specific test fragments. The important thing to note is that these fragments contain Transaction Controllers, which contain gaussian timers simulating wait times of up to 5 minutes.

The tests I am running are data driven, and should be runnable for a varying length of time. To specify the runtime of a test I have been using the "Duration" option on the Thread Group scheduler.

In the event were a test has ran beyond its duration, I've noticed that when these timer fragments are in use, the test is delayed and cannot end until the transaction (or at least the timer) has been complete. The other timings and samplers recorded seem to be unaffected, however the runtime of the test is impacted.

I'd like to solve this issue without having to rely on the user manually killing a test when it has reached it's duration. Is there any option within JMeter to kill or interrupt any type of running thread when a duration has been reached?

Answer 1

As per my understanding with Jmeter, there is no element which can stop the running test on reaching specific duration.

However, an element named 'Test Action' can be used to Pause/Stop/Stop Now actions on your test during run time and this element can be used under 'If Controller' element so that you can set the condition in this element to stop the thread.

Although JMeter provides various head-on elements to handle different conditions but in rare cases where existing elements could not provide direct solution to the problem then JMeter experts in any software testing company uses multiple elements with child-parent hierarchy to handle the condition [as used above with Test Action & If Controller elements]

Answer 2

I believe this has to do with stop test vs shutdown. When a test reaches its duration, it will issue a stop test, at which point any timer will finish, the request will happen, then the thread stops. This is why manually shutting it down works- shutdown doesn't respect timers, etc.

I don't think there's a way to set duration to use shutdown rather than stop. One thing you might try is multiple, smaller timers, and see if it still waits for all of them.