Part 1 of this two-part series gives an overview of IBM® Rational® ClearQuest® test management, with an emphasis on Assets, Planning, and Editing within ClearQuest test management. The information in this article helps IBM Rational TestManager users to smoothly upgrade to ClearQuest test management.

Overview of IBM Rational ClearQuest test management

ClearQuest test management uses the ClearQuest architecture. This tool enables users to create test plans, write test cases, run configured test cases, and report on assets. It also provides an import capability that enables project leads or testers to import test results for planned configured test cases associated with test scripts executed on a remote machine.

ClearQuest test management is also built in such a way that it can be extended to the Eclipse platform. It supports various test approaches, including these:

• Manual tests
• Unit tests
• Automated tests (such as IBM® Rational® Functional Tester for regression testing)
• Performance tests

ClearQuest test management can also manage and report on test cases that are associated with requirements, defects, or change requests. This gives all of your team members access to view the charts built within ClearQuest test management.

ClearQuest test management supports four different clients: The IBM® Rational® Software Development Platform, rich client platform (RCP), Web client, and native client. Each of these clients functions differently.

• Rational Software Development Platform: Supports execution of all test types (Rational Functional Tester, IBM® Rational® Performance Tester, IBM® Rational® Manual Tester, and the Eclipse Test and Performance Tool Platform ( TPTP). You can use it to plan, execute, and report. You can also import TPTP testlogs into a configured test case (CTC).
• Rich client platform (RCP): Supports execution of Rational Manual Tester scripts only. It supports planning for all test types, as well as reporting. You can also import TPTP test results into a CTC.
• Web client: Supports planning and reporting only
• Native client: Supports planning and reporting only

Within the ClearQuest perspective, the left pane is separated by two tabs: ClearQuest Navigator and Test Manager-Execution (see Figure 1 and Figure 2, which follow). Within the ClearQuest Navigator tab, you can create new queries to extract results from the database, or use the preconfigured queries that ship with ClearQuest. To plan and execute tests, you use the Test Manager-Execution tab.

At the bottom of the Test Manager view, there are tabs for planning and execution tasks. Within the Test Manager-Planning tab (Figure 3), you can do all of your planning activities. You can run a CTC from either of the tabs. Figure 4 shows the actions available from the Test Manager-Execution tab.

Common workflows

Connect to a ClearQuest database and proceed through the steps listed hereafter.

Set up your workflow

1. On the Test Manager-Planning tab, expand the Configuration folders.
2. Right-click the Configuration Attributes folder to add configurations attributes, such as memory and service pack
3. Assign values to the attributes.
4. After you have added the attributes, you can create configurations.
5. Next, create an Asset Registry by right-clicking the Asset Registry folder.

The Asset Registry is where you store all of your assets. The Asset Registry concept is similar to a Project in Rational Functional Tester. Creating an Asset Registry gives you the ability to create a test plan, a test case, and a configured test case (CTC). Figure 5 shows these steps.

Create test records and execute your workflow

After you have created the CTC, you can associate a test script with it (you need to have a file location record defined that points to the location of the Rational Functional Tester, Rational Performance Tester, or Rational Manual Tester project). When the script is associated with the CTC, you can run the CTC, analyze the results, and then promote the results to the database. You can also submit a defect report for failed results from the results view, either before or after committing the log. Figure 6 shows the most common steps in this workflow.

Storing test records

Rational TestManager and ClearQuest test management assets are stored differently. A Rational TestManager datastore resides in a Rational Project, as shown in Figure 7. A TestManager datastore is a collection of the related test assets (including suites, datapools, logs, reports, test plans, and build information). Test scripts reside separately inside of projects created by the test tool. The Rational Project is a logical collection of databases and datastores that associates the data that you are using. Rational projects also manage the links between different IBM Rational Products (ClearQuest, IBM® Rational® RequisitePro®, and so on).

With ClearQuest test management, the relationship between files, documents, and data is represented by records in a ClearQuest database. The test records are organized in a test planning hierarchy described in the following section. The File Location record is a pointer to a ClearCase view directory where test scripts are stored, as shown in Figure 8. The File Location record can also point to a shared file server directory where other test documents (such as Microsoft® Word document, Microsoft® Excel files, and so on) can be stored and later used in ClearQuest test management as test motivator files.

Test planning

In ClearQuest test management, there is a Test Manager Planning pane that displays all of your test assets. These assets include those that Figure 9 shows:

• Asset Registry
• Test plans
• Test cases
• CTCs
• Test suites
• Iterations
• File locations
• Configurations

Define the format of your plan in the Test Manager-Planning tab

The Asset Registry is the highest level of the test planning hierarchy. You will create all the other assets below the Asset Registry level.

The next level in the test planning hierarchy is the Test Plan. The Test Plan is used to organize test case execution. The Test Plan can contain child test plans or test cases.

Test cases are below the test plan and are children of a single test plan. The test case is the parent of the CTC.

The CTC is the child of the test case. There can be multiple CTCs associated with a single test case, each representing a different machine configuration (platform, OS version, memory, and so on) where the test case will be executed. The CTC is associated with a test script (implementation of the test case), configuration, and iteration. The CTC is the lowest level in the test planning hierarchy and is what gets executed to run the test case.

You can create a test suite to run a group of CTCs. A test suiite runs against one configuration and can contain multiple CTCs. When the test suite is run, each of the CTCs is executed. You can configure suites to run on multiple iterations.

Beneath the Asset Registry, iterations are also defined. Iterations are used to track the execution and associations of the Test Planning hierarchy. A CTC must have an associated iteration to be able to execute.

File locations are used for externally referenced files, such as test scripts or test motivator files. A file location defines where the test asset resides. When you define the file location, the external files must be in a shared network location as in a UNC or a ClearCase view. To create a CTC, you must use a file location.

Configurations are what you set up to define the testing environment. You can define configuration attributes as either hardware or software. The configuration records are outside of the Asset Registry, and can be used by any test assets in the ClearQuest database.

Asset record actions

You can perform the following actions on asset records:

Delete

Using Delete, you can remove an asset record from the database.

1. Highlight the record that you want to delete, either from the Test Manager-Planning tab or from the ClearQuest Navigator query results.
2. Select Utility > Delete, and the record will be removed.

The record will no longer be available for queries, reports, or charts.

Modify

You can also modify an asset.

1. Select the asset to be modified either from the Test Manager - Planning tab or the ClearQuest Navigator results.
2. Right-click and select Modify from the context menu.

The properties of the asset record are displayed and can be modified (in other words, configured). When you close the Properties window, the modifications are saved.

Associate

After a CTC is created, you can then associate a script with the CTC.

1. Select the CTC.
2. Right-click and select Associate Test Script.
3. You will see a Script Association dialog screen. Only test types defined in File Locations will show. There are multiple test types that can be associated (Rational Manual Tester, Rational Functional Tester, Rational Performance Tester, TPTP, and so on).
4. Select the Test Type and a list of available scripts displays.
5. Choose the script that you want to associate with the CTC.

Note: At present, there is no Test Input view; therefore, you can associate only one script with the CTC, and you can have only one configuration for each suite.

Comparison of editing in Rational TestManager and ClearQuest test management

ClearQuest test management offers multi-select editing on any record, at any level within the hierarchy. This allows you to change any field value on several test records at the same time quickly and easily. This is particularly useful for a Test Manager or Test Lead when a slip in the Development schedule occurs that requires all test cases change Iteration value, or several test cases require owner or priority changes.

ClearQuest test management records can be edited individually or as a group. The table in figure 10 shows actions available on each ClearQuest test management record when multi-selected as a group.

Wrap up

This article discussed the basic differences between Rational TestManager and the test management features in ClearQuest, as well as providing some details about the functionality of the latter. Part two of this series will cover more complex functionality, and should prepare you to upgrade to ClearQuest test management.

Resources

Learn

• Find out more about the test management capabilities in IBM Rational ClearQuest: "Run and Analyze Software Tests with Rational ClearQuest Test Management" (developerWorks tutorial, October 2006).
  
  
• Find out more about TPTP: "Using TPTP Logging and Monitoring Tools" (EclipseCon, 2005) and "Using the Test and Performance Tools Platform" (EclipseCon, 2005).
  
  
• In the Rational Functional Tester resource area you'll find technical documentation, how-to articles, education, downloads, product information, and more.
  
  
• Browse the technology bookstore for books on these and other technical topics.
  
  

Get products and technologies

• Visit the Rational products' trial downloads area.
  
  

Discuss

• Check out the Functional and GUI Testing Rational discussion forum.
  
  
• Check out developerWorks blogs and get involved in the developerWorks community.
  
  

About the authors

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Table of contents

• Overview of IBM Rational ClearQuest test management
• Common workflows
• Storing test records
• Test planning
• Comparison of editing in Rational TestManager and ClearQuest test management
• Wrap up
• Resources
• About the authors
• Comments

Next steps from IBM

• Try: Rational ClearQuest
• Demo: Create customized queries with IBM Rational ClearQuest
• Webcast: Tips on achieving global IT efficiency through collaboration, automation, and project insight
• Briefing: Quality driven software delivery
• Buy: Rational ClearQuest

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