WaRR: A tool for high-fidelity web application record and replay

Abstract

We introduce WaRR, a tool that records and replays with high fidelity the interaction between users and modern web applications. WaRR consists of two independent components: the WaRR Recorder and the WaRR Replayer. The WaRR Recorder is embedded in a web browser, thus having access to user actions, and provides a complete interaction trace-this confers high recording fidelity. The WaRR Replayer uses an enhanced, developer-specific web browser that enables realistic simulation of user interaction-this confers high replaying fidelity. We describe two usage scenarios for WaRR that help developers improve the dependability of web applications: testing web applications against realistic human errors and generating user experience reports. WaRR helped us discover bugs in widely-used web applications, such as Google Sites, and offers higher recording fidelity compared to current tools.