diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index d6af00e..12ba9b3 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -1,70 +1,70 @@ # Siege -WHAT IS IT? +## What is it? ----------- -Siege is an open source regression test and benchmark utility. -It can stress test a single URL with a user defined number of -simulated users, or it can read many URLs into memory and -stress them simultaneously. The program reports the total -number of hits recorded, bytes transferred, response time, -concurrency, and return status. Siege supports HTTP/1.0 and 1.1 -protocols, the GET and POST directives, cookies, transaction -logging, and basic authentication. Its features are configurable +Siege is an open source regression test and benchmark utility. +It can stress test a single URL with a user defined number of +simulated users, or it can read many URLs into memory and +stress them simultaneously. The program reports the total +number of hits recorded, bytes transferred, response time, +concurrency, and return status. Siege supports the HTTP/1.0 and 1.1 +protocols, the GET and POST directives, cookies, transaction +logging, and basic authentication. Its features are configurable on a per user basis. Most features are configurable with command line options which -also include default values to minimize the complexity of the -program's invocation. Siege allows you to stress a web server -with n number of users t number of times, where n and t are +also include default values to minimize the complexity of the +program's invocation. Siege allows you to stress a web server +with `n` number of users `t` number of times, where `n` and `t` are defined by the user. It records the duration time of the test as well as the duration of each single transaction. It reports the number of transactions, elapsed time, bytes transferred, response time, transaction rate, concurrency and the number of -times the server responded OK, that is status code 200. +times the server responded OK, that is status code 200. -Siege was designed and implemented by Jeffrey Fulmer in his -position as Webmaster for Armstrong World Industries. It was -modeled in part after Lincoln Stein's torture.pl and it's data -reporting is almost identical. But torture.pl does not allow +Siege was designed and implemented by Jeffrey Fulmer in his +position as Webmaster for Armstrong World Industries. It was +modeled in part after Lincoln Stein's torture.pl and its data +reporting is almost identical. But torture.pl does not allow one to stress many URLs simultaneously; out of that need siege was born.... -When a HTTP server is being hit by the program, it is said to be +When an HTTP server is being hit by the program, it is said to be "under siege." -WHY DO I NEED IT? +## Why do I need it? ----------------- -Siege was written for both web developers and web systems admin- -istrators. It allows those individuals to test their programs -and their systems under duress. As a web professional, you are -responsible for the intregrity of your product, yet you have no -control over who accesses it. Traffic spikes can occur at any +Siege was written for both web developers and web systems +administrators. It allows those individuals to test their programs +and their systems under duress. As a web professional, you are +responsible for the integrity of your product, yet you have no +control over who accesses it. Traffic spikes can occur at any moment. How do you know if you're prepared? -Siege will allow you to place those programs under duress, to -allow you to better understand the load that they can with -stand. You'll sleep better knowing your site can withstand the +Siege will allow you to place those programs under duress, to +allow you to better understand the load that they can withstand. +You'll sleep better knowing your site can withstand the weight of 400 simultaneous transactions if your site currently peaks at 250. A transaction is characterized by the server opening a socket for the client, handling a request, serving data over the wire and closing the socket upon completion. It is important to note -that HUMAN internet users take time to digest the data which +that **human** internet users take time to digest the data which comes back to them. Siege users do not. In practice I've found that 400 simultaneous siege users translates to at least five times that amount in real internet sessions. This is why siege -allows you to set a delay ( --delay=NUM ). When set, each siege -user sleeps for a random number of seconds between 1 and NUM. +allows you to set a delay (`--delay=NUM`). When set, each siege +user sleeps for a random number of seconds between 1 and `NUM`. Through your server logs you should be able to get the average amount of time spent on a page. It is recommended that you use that number for your delay when simulating internet activity. -WHERE IS IT? +## Where is it? ------------ -The latest version of siege can be obtained via anonymous FTP: +The latest version of siege can be obtained via anonymous FTP: http://download.joedog.org/siege/siege-latest.tar.gz The source repository is located on GitHub: @@ -73,43 +73,42 @@ git clone https://github.com/JoeDog/siege.git You can view in your browser here: https://github.com/JoeDog/siege -Updates and announcements are distributed via JoeDog: +Updates and announcements are distributed via JoeDog: http://www.joedog.org/ - -INSTALLATION +## Installation ------------ -Siege was built with GNU autoconf. If you are familiar with -GNU software, then you should be comfortable installing siege +Siege was built with GNU autoconf. If you are familiar with +GNU software, then you should be comfortable installing siege. Please consult the file INSTALL for more details. PREREQUISITES ------------- To enable HTTPS support, you must install both openssl and -openssl-devel on your system. +openssl-devel on your system. -To enable gzip transfer encoding, you will need both zlib and +To enable gzip transfer encoding, you will need both zlib and zlib-devel installed on your system. All prerequisites must be installed at compile time. If you add -the libraries after siege has been compiled, you will have to -run ./configure, make and make install again. +the libraries after siege has been compiled, you will have to +run `./configure`, `make`, and `make install` again. -Siege prereqs are not dependencies. If these libraries are not -present, the application will still compile and function. It +Siege prereqs are not dependencies. If these libraries are not +present, the application will still compile and function. It simply won't contain these functionalities. -DOCUMENTATION +## Documentation ------------- Documentation is available in man pages siege(1) layingsiege(1) -An html manual is included with this distribution: manual.html +An HTML manual is included with this distribution: manual.html Complete documentation for siege can be found at www.joedog.org -LICENSE +## License ------- Consult the file COPYING for complete license information. @@ -138,4 +137,4 @@ file(s) with this exception, you may extend this exception to your version of the file(s), but you are not obligated to do so. If you do not wish to do so, delete this exception statement from your version. If you delete this exception statement from -all source files in the program, then also delete it here. +a