Installing STAF STAX on the server

This topic explains how to install Software Testing Automation Framework (STAF) and Software Testing Automation Framework Execution Engine (STAX) onto the same server as IBM® Engineering Test Management, and onto an external server.

Before you begin

Refer to the STAX user documentation for additional configuration instructions and settings. You can find the documentation here: STAF documentation.

Procedure

Download and install the latest STAF v3.3.x release from STAF documentation.
Download and install the STAX service from STAF documentation.
Create a services folder in the STAF install folder, for example: C:\STAF\services.
Extract the STAX service archive (STAXV3XX.zip or STAXV3XX.tar) to ..\STAF\services. You should now have a ..\STAF\services\stax folder.
Modify the STAF.cfg file in ..STAF\bin to include the following lines:
- ```
SERVICE STAX LIBRARY JSTAF EXECUTE {STAF/Config/STAFRoot}/services/stax/STAX.jar
```
  Note: For intensive automation, you might need to increase the default STAX JVM max memory by adding OPTION J2=-Xmx512m to the end of this line.
- ```
SERVICE EVENT LIBRARY JSTAF EXECUTE {STAF/Config/STAFRoot}/services/stax/STAFEvent.jar
SET MAXQUEUESIZE 10000
```
Configure STAF trust levels. Trust levels provide security by granting permissions to machines or users. Each STAF client function defines a trust level required for it to be invoked. STAF has full permissions for the local machine by default, but in STAF versions prior to v3.3.3 this works only when machine name "local" is used in a request. Variants such as localhost, 127.0.0.1, or the local hostname will not have the full permissions. This can be fixed in STAF versions prior to v3.3.3 by adding a trust level for the local machine Logical ID. On the Engineering Test Management/STAX Server, run this command:
- ```
> staf localhost misc whoami
Response
--------
Instance Name : STAF
Instance UUID : B59A4649A01200000925E9802D543630
Request Number : 37
Interface : ssl
Logical ID : MyMachine
Physical ID : 127.0.0.1
Endpoint : ssl://MyMachine@6550
Machine : MyMachine
Machine Nickname: MyMachine.raleigh.ibm.com
Local Request : No
Handle : 10
Handle Name : STAF/Client
User : none://anonymous
Trust Level : 3
```
  Notice in the response that the trust level is 3, not 5. A trust level of 5 needs to be added for the Logical ID (on Windows the Logical ID should be the computer name, on Unix the Logical ID should be localhost). Add the following to STAF.cfg:
- ```
trust machine MyMachine level 5
```
  or
- ```
trust machine localhost level 5
```
If you are using an external STAX server, the STAX server must trust the Engineering Test Management server with trust level 5, and the Engineering Test Management server must trust the STAX server with at least trust level 4. Add the following lines to the STAF.cfg files:
- Add the following line to the Engineering Test Management server STAF.cfg file:
```
trust machine mystaxserver.ibm.com level 4
```
- Add the following line to the STAX server STAF.cfg file:
```
trust machine myetmserver.ibm.com level 5
```