Download and install the bridge

Note: This topic is relevant for NextGen Synchronizer only. For details about the ALM Synchronizer, see ALM Synchronizer for Agile Manager or search using the ALM Synchronizer filter.

Download the Integration Bridge from Agile Manager and install it on a computer that can access both Agile Manager and ALM. The bridge communicates with both applications, enabling data synchronization between the two.

If you are installing on a Windows operating system, install the bridge as a Windows administrator user. You can run the bridge as a non-administrator user with the relevant permissions.

On a Linux computer, any user can install the bridge.

For more detail, see Security recommendations.

  • Make sure that you are assigned to the Integration Administrator role (Site > Users or Workspace > Users configuration page).

  • Obtain a client ID and secret to enter during the Integration Bridge installation. The bridge uses these credentials to access Agile Manager.

    On the Integrations > API configuration page, add an Integration Bridge client.

    Note: This step must be performed by a Site Administrator.

    Agile Manager generates a client ID and secret for the bridge.

Click Configuration on the top right of the page, and select Integrations from the navigation menu on the left.

Tab: Integrations > Synchronizer. This tab is visible to Integration Administrators only.

Tip: If you have just assigned yourself to the Integration Administrator role, you do not need to log out and log in again. Simply refresh your browser window to access the Integrations configuration area.

On the Integrations > Synchronizer configuration page, do one of the following:

If this is the first time you are installing the bridge In the checklist, click the link in the second step to download the bridge, according to your operating system.
If you are installing an additional bridge or performing an upgrade

Select More Actions > Download Integration Bridge, and select the relevant download according to your operating system.

  1. On the computer where you want to install the bridge, extract the downloaded zip file (hpe-integration-bridge-windows.zip or hpe-integration-bridge-linux.zip). You must extract this zip file to a path named only with English characters.

    The zip file contains the following:

    • The installation executable file.
    • A configuration file (server-connection.conf) containing the URL and site ID that the bridge will use to connect to Agile Manager.
    • The Agile Manager Integration Bridge Installation Guide, in which you can find installation instructions and more.
    • For Linux: An integrity verifier (.bin.sig file), used for signature verification when packaging the installation files.

  2. On Linux: In the folder containing the extracted files, run chmod +x hpe-integration-bridge.bin to obtain execution permissions on the installation file.

  3. Run the following file to begin the installation:

    On Windows: hpe-integration-bridge.exe (Runs a GUI Wizard)

    On Linux: hpe-integration-bridge.bin (CLI only)

  4. Follow the instructions in the installation process to complete the installation.

    When provided, accept the default values, which are configured to connect to your workspace.

    Note:  

    • The Integration Bridge must be installed to a path named only with ASCII characters, and must not contain consecutive spaces.

    • If you select the Modify an Existing Instance option, the bridge you select is uninstalled. After uninstalling, run the installation again to install a new instance.

    Tip: On Linux:

    • You can cancel the installation at any step by typing quit.

    • You can return to a previous step in the installation process by typing back.

    • In the step for configuring the connection to Agile Manager:

      Settings Description
      Bridge name

      Define a name for the bridge.
      URL

      The URL of your Agile Manager site.

      Format: http(s)://<hostname or IP address>:<port number>/agm

      This URL will be used in email notifications, such as to Integration Administrators and when creating URL attachments in ALM.

      Tip: We recommend ensuring that this URL is accessible to email recipients and from the ALM client.

      By default, this URL is provided for you, from the downloaded server-connection.conf file. 

      Caution: If you modify this URL, make sure not to end it with a slash ('/').

      It is stored in the <Integration Bridge installation folder>\product\conf folder (on Linux, reverse the slashes).
      Site ID
      (Read only)

      The site ID of the Agile Manager site.

      You can find the site ID in your Agile Manager's URL, in the tenant ID attribute. For example: TENANTID=123456789.

      This is also stored in the server-connection.conf file.
      Client ID and Client Secret fields

      The client ID and secret that Agile Manager generated on the Integration > API page.

      If you need to modify these credentials later on, see Set Agile Manager credentials.
      Proxy server

      If you will be using a proxy server to access Agile Manager, select Use proxy server.

      Enter details for the proxy server and the user who will be logging into the proxy server:

      • Host. A valid address for the proxy server.
      • Port. A valid port number (integer, between 1-65535)

      For details about modifying the proxy credentials later, see Configure a proxy for Agile Manager connections.

      Tip: On Windows:

      You can click Test Connection to verify that the bridge can connect to Agile Manager.

      After you enter this information, the connection to Agile Manager is tested. If the test fails, you can reenter the connection settings or continue the bridge installation and modify the credentials later.

    • In the step for configuring the HPE Integration Bridge service, accept the default service name and port number, or modify as needed.

      Tip: If you install multiple bridges, use a name that will help you associate the service with the corresponding bridge.

      In Linux: The service name must contain only ASCII characters, and must not contain square brackets ([ ]).

  5. When the installation is finished, the Installation complete message is displayed. Press ENTER to quit the installer.

  6. If you performed the installation on Linux as a non-root user, you must manually install the Integration Bridge service as a root user:

    <Bridge_installation_directory>/product/bin/HPEIntegrationBridge.sh install

  7. On Windows or on a Linux computer that supports GUI, the Endpoint Credentials Manager application opens automatically. Define credentials for connecting to ALM, as described in Manage connection setup.

    Note: You must configure ALM credentials before you configure your links.

    If the credentials manager does not open automatically, you can open it manually or configure the credentials using the CLI. For details, see Manage connection setup.

In Agile Manager, the new bridge is identified within a few moments. If you do not see your new bridge, refresh the page. From there, click Create synchronization links to start creating your links.

Installing multiple bridges

Installing multiple bridges is necessary only in certain cases. For example:

  • If you need to synchronize Agile Manager with ALM projects that reside on different networks.

  • If you define a large number of synchronization links and you want to distribute the load between multiple bridges.

  • If you install bridges for multiple Agile Manager sites. Each bridge communicates with one site.

    In this case, you must download each bridge separately, from the site with which it will communicate. The downloaded files contain the configuration necessary for the bridge to connect to the relevant site.

Recommendations if you install multiple bridges:

  • Use a separate set of Agile Manager credentials (client ID and secret) for each bridge.
  • Instead of using the default installation folder, provide a name that helps identify the bridge. For example, if you install multiple bridges to communicate with multiple Agile Manager sites, include the site name in the installation folder name.