How do you load/stress test a java servlet?

Question

I have a servlet, and I want to do more than a unit test. I need to know performance under load and stress test it.

I need to be able to script a variety of transactions that run over specific time frames, and get collect response time data so I can identify failure points and at what point responses severely degrade. I have been looking through SO for any answers, and found some information about HTTPUnit, but am not sure if this would be the solution to this question. Would appreciate very simple samples in your answers, if possible.

Answer 1

Try something like JMeter.

Answer 2

Try http://www.blitz.io. Works well for testing from the cloud if the app is accessible from the Internet.