How to Install the JMeter Plugin Manager

In JMeter, plugins have multiple uses, ranging from graph tools and listeners to developer tools. Using the JMeter Plugins Manager is critical to flexible and powerful load testing with open-source JMeter. With the JMeter Plugin Manager, you can do load testing for plenty of new scenarios for your application, based on your specific user needs and behaviors.

In this blog, learn how to install the JMeter Plugins Manager so you can also be part of this exciting JMeter community. Get ready to leverage all the capabilities of JMeter testing, contributed by developers worldwide.

What is the JMeter Plugin Manager?

The JMeter Plugin Manager installs, upgrades, and uninstalls plugins for users, making the plugin installation process smoother and more convenient. Teams also use it to expand their load testing capabilities.

What are JMeter Plugins?

JMeter plugins are software components used to customize programs by extending abilities and inserting functions into the core JMeter tool. There are hundreds of plugins available through JMeter, ranging from graph extensions to JSON plugins, dummy samplers, and more. 

Plugins allow everyone to contribute to the JMeter program and add features that the original developers might not have thought of, or may have been unable to add in the past. The option to use JMeter plugins is one of the greatest benefits of open source JMeter.

In short, JMeter plugins make programs better, because users can enjoy many people’s skills, experiences, and abilities, from all around the JMeter community.

Why Is the JMeter Plugin Manager Necessary?

Since JMeter plugins already exist, the next logical question would be why it is necessary to have a JMeter Plugins Manager at all. The Plugins Manager is the tool for installing plugins, to make the process easier for developers and testers. It is a single solution for all your plugin requirements, so you can enjoy the full power of JMeter load testing.

Now let’s get practical and install your JMeter Plugins Manager on your local machine.

How To Install the JMeter Plugins Manager

Let’s see how you can add the JMeter Plugins Manager to your JMeter tool:

1. Download the Plugins Manager JAR file. You can use this link: https://jmeter-plugins.org/wiki/PluginsManager/.
2. Put the file in the lib/ext directory.
3. Restart JMeter.
4. Click “Options”. Then, click on“Plugins Manager”

The “Installed Plugins” tab shows you which plugins are already installed on your JMeter. To uninstall plugins you no longer use, need, or want, just uncheck the box next to the plugin name.

To update your plugins, go to the “Upgrades” tab. Use this for updating plugins, if there are newer versions.

The “Available Plugins” tab shows which plugins can be installed. To install, check the box next to the plugin name.

Here is what the Installed Plugins tab looks like:

We recommend you thoroughly review all the changes at the “Review Changes” box on the bottom window pane to make sure no mistakes are made. Then, click the “Apply Changes and Restart JMeter” button. The Plugins Manager will download all the required files, change the JMeter directories and restart JMeter to pick up the changes in the setup.

Congratulations! You are now ready to start using JMeter Plugins Manager. Enhance your load testing with all the new capabilities that JMeter’s community has to offer.

You can always check out this full list of JMeter plugins available for installation through the JMeter Plugins Manager.

If you are not sure where to get started, we have also created a list of the top 10 recommended JMeter plugins. This list covers:

• 3 Basic Graphs
• JSON Plugins
• Inter-Thread Communication
• Flexible File Writer
• Custom JMeter Functions
• Throughput Shaping Timer
• Dummy Sampler
• Custom Thread Groups
• PerfMon Servers Performance Monitoring
• Plugins Manager

Each plugin in the recommended plugins guide has explanations so you can see if it’s a good fit for your needs.

Bottom Line

JMeter is a powerful, Java-based, open-source solution for load testing your applications. After downloading JMeter, you can create your script and test your applications with the JMeter Plugins Manager to ensure they are stable during traffic spikes.

BlazeMeter is a cloud-based continuous testing solution that can run JMeter in the cloud. BlazeMeter lets you upload your JMX script, or you can create your script automatically straight in BlazeMeter. Then, you can get all the JMeter benefits with more geo-locations, advanced reporting, integrations, and a lot more.

Expand your JMeter testing with BlazeMeter today.

START TESTING NOW

This blog was originally published on June 9, 2016, and has since been updated for accuracy and relevance.

Related Resources

• JMeter Installation: How to Get Started
• How to Use the JMeter Maven Plugin
• How to Install Jenkins Plugins