Using JMeter to record program http requests

Question

Is JMeter designed to only record web browser traffic, or can it record http requests made by installed programs as well?

I set up JMeter as per these instructions and I do not see the web traffic of a particular application installed on my computer. I've set up the proxy settings in my system settings.

• user246: Tony, have you verified that your application is using the proxy settings? For example, does your application fail if you try to run it when JMeter is not running?
• alreadytaken: I just tried application when JMeter and the application works, which upon further research is because the application communicates binary data with the server via some other port, which I assume is not going to be picked up by JMeter.
• user246: You can use HTTP over any port, and you can send binary data over HTTP. JMeter supports protocols other than HTTP, e.g. FTP, but it does not automatically support arbitrary protocols. If the binary data uses a protocol JMeter does not support, you will need to extend JMeter. I do not have any experience with that.
• user6447: i am also facing this same problem, any way i got solution from your answer thanks

Answer 1

With Jmeter you can record both HTTP/HTTPS traffic, also there is Jmeter Chrome extension which can record traffic without configuring JMeter.

To record web traffic in Jmeter:

• add Recording Controller into Test Plan
• add HTTP Proxy Server into WorkBench
• click Start button.
• open browser network settings
• change proxy settings to localhost:8080
• remove localhost and 127.0.0.1 from "No proxy for" field.

To record any application IO:

• Set proxy (in Linux)

  export http_proxy=http://localhost:8080
  

• Or set proxy localhost:8080 if it's possible to change proxy settings in application.

• Start JMeter Proxy Server

• Use your application

Note! Do not use JMeter as the proxy for any other request types - FTP, etc. - as the JMeter proxy cannot handle them.

• Kate Paulk: Bob - if this is the configuration to record non-browser HTTP/HTTPS traffic, could you make that a bit clearer in the answer for those of us who aren't as familiar with JMeter?
• alreadytaken: Thank you for your answer but I think these are the instructions for recording browser HTTP/HTTPS traffic.
• Bob Meliev: @KatePaulk follow links if it's hard to understand. tony I added instruction related to recroding applications. Actually there is no any difference between recording browser or any application.