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Overview

The list command group provides information about available resources in Chainbench:
  • methods - RPC methods that can be tested individually
  • profiles - Pre-configured test profiles with multiple weighted methods
  • shapes - Load pattern shapes for controlling test behavior
  • clients - Client types for endpoint discovery

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Subcommands

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chainbench list methods

Lists all RPC methods available for testing. 
chainbench list methods

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Example Output

$ chainbench list methods

Methods for EvmUser: 
- eth_blockNumber
- eth_getBalance
- eth_getBlockByNumber
- eth_getBlockByHash
- eth_getTransactionByHash
- eth_getTransactionReceipt
- eth_call
- eth_estimateGas
- eth_gasPrice
- eth_getCode
- eth_getLogs
- eth_getStorageAt
- eth_getTransactionCount
- eth_chainId
- eth_syncing
- eth_getBlockTransactionCountByHash
- eth_getBlockTransactionCountByNumber
- eth_getUncleCountByBlockHash
- eth_getUncleCountByBlockNumber
- debug_traceTransaction
- debug_traceBlockByNumber
- trace_block
- trace_transaction

Methods for SolanaUser: 
- getBalance
- getBlock
- getBlockHeight
- getBlockProduction
- getBlockTime
- getClusterNodes
- getEpochInfo
- getHealth
- getSlot
- getTransaction
- getVersion
- getVoteAccounts

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Usage with start

Once you identify a method, use it with the start command: 
chainbench start eth_getBlockByNumber \
  --users 50 \
  --workers 2 \
  --test-time 1h \
  --target https://node-url \
  --headless \
  --autoquit
Methods are grouped by user class (EvmUser for EVM chains, SolanaUser for Solana). Some methods like debug_* and trace_* are excluded by default unless you use --debug-trace-methods.

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chainbench list profiles

Lists all available load test profiles. 
chainbench list profiles

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Options

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-d, --profile-dir
path
Specify a custom directory to list profiles from.
chainbench list profiles --profile-dir /path/to/custom/profiles
If not specified, lists profiles from the default chainbench/profile directory.

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Example Output

$ chainbench list profiles

arbitrum.general
avalanche.general
base.general
bsc.general
bsc.historical
bsc.light
eth-archive.general
ethereum.general
evm.heavy
evm.light
fantom.general
gnosis.general
oasis.general
optimism.general
polygon.general
ronin.general
solana.general
starknet.general

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Profile Naming Convention

Profiles use dot notation for organization:
  • network.variant - Maps to profile/network/variant.py
  • evm.light - Maps to profile/evm/light.py
Only one level of nesting is supported.

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Usage with start

chainbench start --profile ethereum.general \
  --users 100 \
  --workers 4 \
  --test-time 6h \
  --target https://node-url \
  --headless \
  --autoquit

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Custom Profile Directories

# List custom profiles
chainbench list profiles -d ~/my-profiles

# Use custom profile
chainbench start \
  --profile-dir ~/my-profiles \
  --profile my-custom-profile \
  --target https://node-url \
  ...
For information on creating custom profiles, see the Custom Profiles Guide.

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chainbench list shapes

Lists all available load pattern shapes. 
chainbench list shapes

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Example Output

$ chainbench list shapes

spike
step

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Available Shapes

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step
shape
Load increases in discrete steps.
  • Step size controlled by --spawn-rate
  • Number of steps = --users / --spawn-rate
  • Step duration = --test-time / number of steps
Example:
chainbench start eth_blockNumber \
  --shape step \
  --users 100 \
  --spawn-rate 10 \
  --test-time 10m \
  --target https://node-url
This creates 10 steps, each lasting 1 minute, adding 10 users per step.
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spike
shape
Load runs in a spike pattern:
  • Ramps to 10% of users for 40% of test duration
  • Spikes to 100% of users for 20% of test duration
  • Reduces back to 10% for remaining 40%
Example:
chainbench start eth_blockNumber \
  --shape spike \
  --users 100 \
  --test-time 30m \
  --target https://node-url
Timeline:
  • 0-12min: Ramp to 10 users
  • 12-18min: Spike to 100 users
  • 18-30min: Drop back to 10 users
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default (ramp-up)
shape
When no shape is specified, Chainbench uses a linear ramp-up:
  • Load increases at --spawn-rate until --users is reached
  • Maintains constant load for remaining test duration
Example:
chainbench start eth_blockNumber \
  --users 100 \
  --spawn-rate 10 \
  --test-time 30m \
  --target https://node-url
Timeline:
  • 0-10s: Ramp from 0 to 100 users (10 users/second)
  • 10s-30min: Maintain 100 users

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Custom Shapes

You can create custom shapes by:
  1. Copying an existing shape from chainbench/shapes
  2. Modifying the load pattern logic
  3. Placing it in the shapes directory
  4. Referencing it with --shape your-shape-name

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chainbench list clients

Lists all available client types for endpoint discovery. 
chainbench list clients

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Example Output

$ chainbench list clients

eth: Ethereum JSON-RPC Specification
geth: Geth v1.13.x
erigon: Erigon v2.56.x
nethermind: Nethermind v1.25.x
bsc: Binance Smart Chain
arbitrum: Arbitrum Nitro
optimism: Optimism Bedrock
polygon: Polygon PoS

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Usage with discover

Use client names with the discover command: 
# Discover using single client
chainbench discover https://node.example.com --clients geth

# Discover using multiple clients
chainbench discover https://node.example.com --clients geth,erigon

# Discover using chain-specific methods
chainbench discover https://bsc-node.example.com --clients eth,bsc

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Client Types

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eth
client
Standard Ethereum JSON-RPC specification methods. This is the default.
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geth
client
Geth-specific methods including debug and trace APIs.
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erigon
client
Erigon-specific methods and optimizations.
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nethermind
client
Nethermind-specific methods and extensions.
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bsc
client
Binance Smart Chain specific methods.
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arbitrum
client
Arbitrum Nitro specific methods.
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optimism
client
Optimism Bedrock specific methods.
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polygon
client
Polygon PoS specific methods.
Client definitions and supported methods are maintained in chainbench/tools/discovery/clients.json and methods.json.

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Common Workflows

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Exploring Available Options

# See what methods you can test
chainbench list methods

# See what profiles are available
chainbench list profiles

# Check load pattern options
chainbench list shapes

# View client types for discovery
chainbench list clients

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Planning a Test

# 1. Discover what the endpoint supports
chainbench discover https://node.example.com --clients geth

# 2. Check available profiles
chainbench list profiles

# 3. Review load shapes
chainbench list shapes

# 4. Run the test
chainbench start --profile ethereum.general \
  --shape step \
  --target https://node.example.com \
  ...

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Working with Custom Profiles

# List your custom profiles
chainbench list profiles -d ~/custom-profiles

# Verify methods used in profile
chainbench list methods | grep eth_

# Test custom profile
chainbench start \
  --profile-dir ~/custom-profiles \
  --profile my-test \
  --target https://node.example.com \
  ...

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