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# How to Start ALM

This task describes how to launch ALM on your machine from your Web browser. You can work with multiple versions of ALM side-by-side on a client machine.

To start ALM:

1. Browse to your ALM URL:
   `http://<ALM server name/IP address>[<:port number>]/qcbin`. Contact your system administrator if you do not have the correct URL.

2. For Single-Sign-On users:

   1. If the user discovery page is displayed, add your user name or email address as specified in ALM. Click Submit.
   2. In the IDP page, add your IDP credentials. Click the log in button.

3. The Application Lifecycle Management Options window opens.

4. If you want to open ALM using IE, do the following.

   1. Click the ALM Desktop Client link. Each time ALM is run, it carries out a version check. If it detects a newer version, it downloads the necessary files to your machine.

      Tip: Click the Open in Full Screen mode icon to open ALM in Full Screen mode. Full Screen mode enables you to take advantage of the entire screen when using ALM.

      Keep in mind the following guidelines:

      - If you do not have administrator privileges on your machine, and a Security Warning displays, click Don't Install. You are redirected to the Install screen.
      - If file downloads are prohibited through your browser, you can install these files by using the ALM Client MSI Generator add-in, available from the Application Lifecycle Management Add-ins page (Help > Add-ins).
      - If you run ALM over a virtual environment, such as Citrix or VMware, only the system administrator can install a new version.
      - If files are downloaded, but the Login window does not display, you must install a Microsoft Hotfix on your machine. For details, see this KB article.

   2. Follow the on-screen instructions.

      After the ALM version has been checked and files have been updated if necessary, the ALM Login window opens.

      Note: If ALM was configured for external authentication, the Username and Password fields do not appear in this window.

      Username | Type your user name. Note: Not available for Single-Sign-On users.
      Password | Type the password assigned to you by your site administrator. Note: Not available for Single-Sign-On users.
      Forgot Password | If you cannot remember your password, click link to reset your password. For details, see How to Reset Your Password Note: Not available for Single-Sign-On users.
      Automatically log in to my last domain and project on this machine | Select check box if you want ALM to automatically log in to the last project in which you were working. Note: Not available for Single-Sign-On users.
      Authenticate | Click to verify your user name and password. ALM determines which domains and projects you can access. If you specified automatic login, ALM opens. If authentication fails, check that your user name and password are correct and try again. Note: If authentication fails multiple times, you can be locked out of ALM. The number of authentication attempts you are allowed is determined by your site administrator. For details, refer to the Micro Focus Application Lifecycle Management Administrator Guide: Locking Out Users. Note: Not available for Single-Sign-On users.
      Domain | Select a domain. By default, the last domain in which you were working is displayed.
      Project | Select a project. By default, the last project in which you were working is displayed.
      Login | ALM opens and displays the module in which you last worked during your previous session. The first time you run ALM, the Welcome page opens. Note: When an ALM user session is inactive for a period of time, the session expires. This releases the license in use, making it available for other users. When a session expires, you are prompted to reconnect. You can edit reconnect options by modifying the FAST_RECONNECT_MODE parameter in the Site Configuration tab.This parameter is not valid for external authentication, since the user must always be certified when reconnecting. For details, refer to the Micro Focus Application Lifecycle Management Administrator Guide: Setting ALM Configuration Parameters.

   3. To exit and return to the ALM Login window, click the Logout button located in the upper-right corner of the window.

      Alternatively, on the ALM masthead, click <Domain, Project> and select Select to log in to a different project.

5. If you want to open ALM using ALM Client Launcher, do the following.

   1. Next to the ALM Desktop Client link, click the ALM Client Launcher icon .

      Note: The ALM Client Launcher icon is only available when the `packages.xml` file or the ALM client files are located in the `<ALM deployment path>\webapps\qcbin\Apps\ClientPackages` folder . Your site admin can either have client files packaged during the ALM installation or manually upload the files to the server folder.

   2. If you have got ALM Client Launcher ready, you are asked whether you want to open ALM Client Launcher. Click Open ALM Client Launcher.

   3. If you haven't got ALM Client Launcher ready, or you canceled opening ALM Client Launcher in the first place, the How do you want to open ALM Client page is displayed, listing three options.

      Click the option that's applicable to you.

      - Download ALM Client Launcher: Downloads ALM Client Launcher from Marketplace or ALM server to your machine. You should save the download file before running it.

        For ALM 15.5 only: Your site admin should first upload the ALMClientLauncher.exe file to the server before your can download it from ALM server.

      - Run ALM Client Launcher: Opens ALM Client Launcher. Make sure your have run `ALMClientLauncher.exe` before opening it. It's only required for the first time you open it. See ALM Client Launcher User Guide.
      - Continue with IE: Opens ALM using IE. See Open ALM using IE.

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See also:

- How to Reset Your Password
- How to View Administrator Messages

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https://admhelp.microfocus.com ALM 8942
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