randomizing execution of tests

[David Paper <hobbit (at) ginch.org>]

Greetings hobbit gurus [0],

While I am still trying to search my way to an answer via the archives  
of this list and google, I'm hoping someone could point me in the  
right direction.

I've got a bb-hosts file with 8 server process instances getting  
tested.  Each instance gets tested with 3 HTTP requests (2 GET, 1  
POST).  All 8 server processes live on the same physical OS instance.   
This results in 24 HTTP requests getting sent from hobbit within  
1/100th of a second.  This causes the load on the host to spike, and  
generates contention w/in each server to satisfy the requests.  This  
same setup is repeated for hundreds of hosts and hundreds of processes.

Is there a way to tell hobbit to take all of the entries in bb-hosts  
and test them in a random order w/in the 1 minute testing interval?   
This would end up staggering the arrival of each HTTP test somewhat  
and lessen contention within each HTTP server and on each host.

Thanks,

-dave

[0] Of which I am not, but ... maybe one day.

--
Dave Paper

MCSE is to computers as McDonalds Certified Chef is to fine cuisine.