Taurus executor catalog

Taurus is an orchestration layer that runs one of many underlying load-testing engines. When you write a Taurus YAML for MaxoPerf, the executor: field in your execution: block selects which engine runs your scenario. This page is the complete catalog of all 21 supported executors.

Before you start

• Read Taurus fundamentals to understand the Taurus YAML structure and how MaxoPerf detects the executor.
• The executor you choose determines which entrypoint file format you need.

Executor source of truth

The authoritative executor list in MaxoPerf is defined in packages/test-config/src/detect-taurus-executors.ts (SUPPORTED_TAURUS_EXECUTORS) and is used as the SSOT for the database engine-kind enum, the Platform API DTOs, the console engine-kind dropdown, and this page. When MaxoPerf validates your upload, it checks the executor: value against this same list.

The full executor catalog

Executor	Underlying tool	Entrypoint file kind	MaxoPerf support	Notes
taurus	Taurus native HTTP runner	.yaml / .yml (no executor: key, or executor: taurus)	First-class	Default when no executor: is set. Taurus handles HTTP requests directly — no separate engine required. Great for simple HTTP load without JMeter or k6.
jmeter	Apache JMeter	.jmx (referenced by scenarios.*.script) or direct .jmx upload	First-class	The most widely used executor. Upload your .jmx directly or reference it from a Taurus YAML. MaxoPerf validates JMX well-formedness and thread-group presence.
k6	Grafana k6	.js / .ts k6 script	First-class	Full k6 support via Taurus or direct upload. The k6 script is your entrypoint; MaxoPerf wraps it in a Taurus execution.yaml at run time.
gatling	Gatling (Scala)	.scala simulation file	Supported via Taurus	Point scenarios.*.script at a Gatling Scala simulation. MaxoPerf runs it through Taurus’s Gatling executor. No first-class MaxoPerf UI for Gatling-specific settings; configure in the YAML.
locust	Locust (Python)	locustfile.py or any .py with from locust import	Supported via Taurus	Taurus wraps Locust, managing its master/worker topology and metrics collection. Upload locustfile.py as a test asset and reference it from the YAML.
selenium	Selenium WebDriver	.py Selenium script or Selenium IDE .side file	Supported via Taurus	Runs browser-driven load tests — real browsers, not HTTP-level simulation. See Selenium browser tests. Resource-heavy; use low concurrency.
apiritif	Apiritif (Python HTTP client)	.py Apiritif script	Supported via Taurus	Python-native HTTP client framework with a recorder. Good for teams that prefer Python over YAML or JavaScript. Not a browser — pure HTTP.
siege	Siege	URL-list file or inline URLs	Supported via Taurus	Simple multi-threaded HTTP benchmarking tool. Effective for quick URL-list hammering. Limited scenario expressiveness compared to JMeter or k6.
ab	Apache Benchmark (ab)	No file — URLs specified inline in YAML	Supported via Taurus	The classic HTTP microbenchmark. Good for single-endpoint baseline measurements. Not suitable for complex multi-step flows.
vegeta	Vegeta (Go)	.txt URL-list or inline targets	Supported via Taurus	High-performance HTTP load generator in Go. Supports constant-rate (rate:) attacks. Better rate control than ab for sustained throughput tests.
tsung	Tsung (Erlang)	Tsung XML config	Supported via Taurus	Distributed load-testing tool for HTTP, WebSocket, XMPP, and more. Complex setup. Use when you need Erlang-based distributed load or XMPP protocol support.
molotov	Molotov (Python asyncio)	.py Molotov scenario	Supported via Taurus	Async Python load-testing library. Good for Python teams testing async HTTP services. Scenarios are Python functions decorated with @scenario.
grinder	The Grinder	.py Grinder script (Jython)	Supported via Taurus	Java-based framework with Jython scripting. Legacy tool; prefer JMeter or k6 for new work. Supported but not recommended for new tests.
junit	JUnit (Java)	Maven pom.xml or JAR	Supported via Taurus	Run Java JUnit load tests. Requires a Maven project structure. Not commonly used for pure load testing; better suited for teams with existing JUnit performance tests.
testng	TestNG (Java)	Maven pom.xml or JAR	Supported via Taurus	Like junit but using the TestNG framework. Same considerations apply.
mocha	Mocha (Node.js)	.js Mocha test file	Supported via Taurus	Run Node.js Mocha tests as load tests via Taurus. Not as ergonomic as k6 for load testing — prefer k6 for new JavaScript load tests.
wdio	WebdriverIO	.js / .ts WebdriverIO spec	Supported via Taurus	Browser automation via WebdriverIO as load test. Similar to Selenium but using the WebdriverIO JavaScript API.
robot	Robot Framework	.robot keyword-driven test	Supported via Taurus	Runs Robot Framework keyword-driven tests as load. Good for teams already invested in Robot Framework for functional testing.
pbench	Pbench-fio / Pbench tools	Pbench config	Supported via Taurus	Performance benchmarking suite from Red Hat. Niche use case. Use when you specifically need Pbench’s tooling.
scalable	Scalable (Taurus internal)	Taurus YAML	Supported via Taurus	Taurus’s own scalable executor for distributed load generation scenarios. Rarely needed — MaxoPerf handles distribution at the runner-fleet level.
external	External process	Any command	Supported via Taurus	Runs an arbitrary external process as the load generator. MaxoPerf validates that the command: key is set. Use only when no other executor fits.

Choosing between executors

Most new MaxoPerf tests should use one of the three first-class executors:

• taurus (native) — for teams that want a single declarative YAML with no external tooling.
• jmeter — for teams with existing JMX files, or who need JMeter’s plugin ecosystem.
• k6 — for teams that prefer JavaScript and want fast iteration.

The “Supported via Taurus” executors work well but receive less active optimization in the MaxoPerf runner images. If you hit a problem with a Taurus-pass-through executor, the MaxoPerf support team can help.

Specifying the executor in your YAML

execution:
  - executor: locust          # must be one of the 21 values listed above
    concurrency: 20
    hold-for: 5m
    scenario: locust-scenario

scenarios:
  locust-scenario:
    script: locustfile.py     # must be uploaded as a Test asset

Single executor per YAML

MaxoPerf enforces exactly one executor: value per Taurus YAML (or none, defaulting to taurus). If you need to run two different engines, create two separate tests and use VarioTest to combine them.

Where to go next

• Taurus fundamentals — YAML structure and upload workflow.
• JMeter JMX on Maxoperf — JMeter-specific tips and upload workflow.
• Gatling and Locust — when and how to use these via Taurus.
• Selenium browser tests — browser-driven load with the Selenium executor.