ALM Custom Test Type Developer Guide
Deploy the Test Type and Remote Agent

You are creating a custom test type to integrate a testing tool with ALM. This tool must be deployed on the computers that will run the tests using the testing tool. The deployment method of this testing tool depends on the tool and is not discussed in this guide.

Create the Test Type Files CAB

These instructions apply to the test type assemblies and the COM interop that you created when you implemented the test type. See Implement the Remote Agent and Test Type. These assemblies are:

  • Script Viewer assembly (ScriptViewerControl class)
  • Execution Configuration Viewer assembly (ExecConfigViewerControl class)
  • Result Viewer assembly (ResultViewerControl class)
  • Test Type Image Provider assembly (ImageProvider class)
  • Interop.TDAPIOLELib.dll
  1. Copy the test type assemblies, the interop, and any support files your test type requires to a local folder named x:\...\Extensions\<your_test_type_name>.  The following instructions are performed in that folder.
  2. Change the file extensions by reversing the letters. For example, rename *.dll to *.lld, rename *.ocx to *.xco, and so on. Rename *.exe to *.xxx.
  3. Digitally sign each file. See Signing Files with Digital Signature.
  4. Create an INI file that lists the application files and gives the location. 
    [File_0000]
URLName=%URL%/Extensions/MyTestType/MyTestType.lld
Shortname=MyTestType.dll
Description=My Test Type
[File_0001]
URLName=%URL%/Extensions/MyTestType/MyScriptViewer.lld
Shortname=MyScriptViewer.ocx
Description=My Script Viewer
[File_0002]
Extract=Y
URLName=%URL%/Extensions/my_test_type.manifest.cab
Shortname=my_test_type.manifest.cab
Description=my test type manifest cab
CheckMD5=d4fb7dc6e6678826971e936eb1324f42
    ParameterDescription
    URLNameThe location of the source file to be downloaded. Must start with %URL% and continue with the relative location under the main web server virtual directory. For example:
    URLName=%URL%/Extensions/MyTestType/MyFile.xco
    shortname The file name extension is the runtime extension. For example: MyFile.dll (not lld).
    The options are:
    1. The file name - the file is downloaded to the default destination directory.
    2. The file name with the full path - the file is downloaded to the specified directory.
    3. The file name with a partial path - the file is downloaded to the specified subdirectory of the default directory.
    descriptionOptional. A free text description that is displayed during file download. For example: Description=My Test Type Manager
    ExtractFor archives (cab).
    "Y" - Extract the contents of the archive.
    Default is "N"
    versionOptional. Relevant only for files that have compiled version information. If there is a COM server on the client machine with the same prog ID and the same version, the file is not downloaded. For example: Version=1.48.9.2089
    CheckMD5Optional. The MD5 checksum. Relevant only if the ProgID and Version items are omitted. If there is a file with the same name and checksum in the destination directory, the file is not downloaded.
    For example: CheckMD5=45168d267a09274d1d1a8cda605b3159
    DotNetOptional.
    "Y" - the COM dll was developed under .NET and must be registered with regasm.
    The default is "N"

  5. Create a CAB file containing the INI file. For example, run:

    cabarc -s 6144 n CTT4Net.cab CTT4Net.ini

  6. Digitally sign above CAB file. For example, run:

    signtool sign /v /f X:\ALM\Issue\CTT\MyCodeSig.pfx /p 123 X:\ALM\Issue\CTT\Deploy\Extensions\CTT4Net.cab

Create the Remote Agent Registration XML

  1. Register the remote agent to get a GUID by running the following command:

    C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\<version>\RegSvcs.exe X:\out\MyRemoteAgent.dll

  2. Search the registry for "CSRemoteAgent", you should get a key like "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Wow6432Node\CLSID\{F5FD313D-8716-4D8D-A78D-502EF1821CAF}"
  3. Create an XML file similar to the Example Registration XML below, and place it into “CustomTestTypes” folder; except that, the node <CLSID> is a GUID that you create, and the node <RemoteAgentCLSID> is the value from your registry.
    The format of the assembly CLSIDs is the fully qualified name of the .NET class, a comma (,), and the .NET assembly name. The maximum length of an assembly CLSID is 50 characters.
  4. Install the remote agent on each of the hosts where the testing tool runs the tests you want to track in ALM.
  5. Register the remote agent on the testing hosts using the RegSvcs.exe utility. See the first step in this procedure.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
  <TestTypes>
      <TestType name="CTT4Net">
          <CLSID>25C17E63-1021-46b2-BEB1-DCCD5B40A276</CLSID>
          <ImageProviderCLSID>CTT4Net.ImageProvider,CTT4Net</ImageProviderCLSID>
          <ScriptViewerCLSID>CTT4Net.ScriptViewerControl,CTT4Net</ScriptViewerCLSID>
          <ExecutionConfigurationViewerCLSID>CTT4Net.ExecConfigViewerControl,CTT4Net</ExecutionConfigurationViewerCLSID>
          <ResultViewerCLSID>CTT4Net.ResultScriptViewerControl,CTT4Net</ResultViewerCLSID>
          <RemoteAgentCLSID>479DFA08-CF6D-4890-AAAF-7CAFC39B6974</RemoteAgentCLSID>
      </TestType>
</TestTypes>

Folder Structure

When you have prepared all the files for deployment, the folder structure is:

..\CustomTestTypes\testtypes.xml

..\Extensions\CTT4Net\CTT4Net.cab

..\Extensions\CTT4Net\CTT4Net.lld

..\Extensions\CTT4Net\Interop.TDAPIOLELib.lld

Install on the Server and Client

  1. Copy the Extension and CustomTestTypes folders to the web root folder where your ALM server is installed.

  2. Restart the ALM service.

  3. Register the remote agent on the remote client computer by running the following command:

    C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\<version>\RegSvcs.exe X:\out\MyRemoteAgent.dll

  4. Register the ALM client files on client side by getting the following URL: http:///qcbin/start_a.jsp?Common=true

  5. Update test types from Site Administration > Tools > Update Test Types. For details, see Site Administration Tools.

See Also