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Rational® Functional Tester
Test Execution Specialist Guide
This guide describes how to automate the playback of the tests by using different methods such as Docker, IBM Cloud Private, Jenkins and so on. The test results can be pushed to Rational® Test Control Panel.
Configuration of test runs from the UI Test perspective
When you create Web UI, mobile, or Windows tests, you must configure the play back of the recorded tests as test runs from the UI Test perspective before you can view their test results.
Configuration of Web UI test runs
See the different ways to play back Web UI tests.
Testing with Docker images
IBM® Rational® Performance Tester, IBM Rational Functional Tester, and IBM Rational Performance Tester Agents are available for download as Docker images. You can use them to fulfill the continuous testing aspects of your DevOps lifecycle.
Running tests with containerized agents
When you have a local workbench, instead of installing the agents on different machines and locations, you can deploy the containerized agents to generate the load.

Rational® Functional Tester
- Release Notes
  This document contains information about what's new, installation instructions, known problems in and contact information of IBM Customer Support.
- System Requirements
  This document includes information about hardware and software requirements for IBM® Rational® Functional Tester.
- Getting Started Guide
  This guide provides an overview of Rational® Functional Tester. You can find the task flows to get you started with Rational Functional Tester. This guide is intended for new users.
- Tutorials
  You can learn to start using Rational® Functional Tester by reviewing the information in the Tutorials for the UI Test perspective and Functional Test perspective.
- Samples
  You can find the sample project that you can use with Rational® Functional Tester to test the functionality of an application.
- Administrator Guide
  This guide describes how to install IBM® Rational® Functional Tester software. After you install the software, you can perform administration tasks such as license configuration and integration with other products. This guide is intended for administrators.
- Test Author Guide
  This guide describes how to create test scripts and enhances them by applying different test elements such as dataset, variables, and verification points.
- Test Execution Specialist Guide
  This guide describes how to automate the playback of the tests by using different methods such as Docker, IBM Cloud Private, Jenkins and so on. The test results can be pushed to Rational® Test Control Panel.
  - Configuration of test runs from the UI Test perspective
    When you create Web UI, mobile, or Windows tests, you must configure the play back of the recorded tests as test runs from the UI Test perspective before you can view their test results.
    - Configuration of Web UI test runs
      See the different ways to play back Web UI tests.
      - Prerequisites to running Web UI tests
      - Running a Web UI test
        To verify that a web application works as designed, run the test in a browser. Optionally, you can run the test in more than one browser at a time to speed up your test effort. Before running the test, you can choose to use a specific browser profile for the test.
      - Running Web UI tests on BitBar Cloud
        You can run Web UI tests on mobile devices that are connected to the BitBar cloud device. After the test run is completed, you can view the test reports in IBM® Rational® Functional Tester.
      - Running Web UI tests on Perfecto mobile cloud
        To check the connection between the application and mobile cloud device, ideally before the test execution, you can enter the Perfecto mobile cloud credentials and get it verified.
      - Running Web UI tests on the pCloudy cloud
        You can run Web UI test on Android or iOS devices that are connected to the pCloudy cloud testing platform. After the test run is completed, you can view the test reports in IBM® Rational® Functional Tester.
      - Running a test using industry-standard mobile browsers
        Starting with 9.2.1, you can use industry-standard mobile browsers, such as Chrome and Safari, to run Web UI tests for mobile web applications. You can run tests with Chrome on Android devices and emulators and with Safari on iOS devices and simulators.
      - Running a test recorded in Google Chrome Device Mode
        You can run a test that you recorded in Chrome Device Mode. Doing so allows you to emulate the testing of applications on the browser of a mobile device.
      - Running tests in the headless mode
        When you do not want to view the GUI of the application under test as the recorded test is played back on a web browser, you can choose to run the test in the headless mode. Running of tests in the headless mode is useful when you use an automated testing environment.
      - Running tests in the private or incognito mode
        When you play back Web UI tests, if the user profile that is stored in the browser prevents the test from running without intervention, then you can use the private or incognito mode. Also, when you do not want cookies, caches, and user information to affect your test play back, you can choose the private mode.
      - Testing with Docker images
        IBM® Rational® Performance Tester, IBM Rational Functional Tester, and IBM Rational Performance Tester Agents are available for download as Docker images. You can use them to fulfill the continuous testing aspects of your DevOps lifecycle.
        Configuring Docker containers
        You can now deploy and configure the Docker containers on any computer and quickly get started with testing. You can push the product images to the Docker container to automate the playing back of tests.
        Running tests with containerized agents
        When you have a local workbench, instead of installing the agents on different machines and locations, you can deploy the containerized agents to generate the load.
        Running tests in a containerized workbench
        You can run tests in a containerized workbench after you deploy your Docker images. You need not install the workbench on your computer to run your tests.
        Running an AFT suite in a containerized workbench and agents by using Docker Compose
        You can run an Accelerated Functional Test (AFT) suite in a containerized workbench and agents after you deploy your Docker images. You can use the Docker Compose tool to run an AFT suite and need not install the workbench or the agents on different computers.
      - Testing with IBM® Cloud Private
        You can automate your testing environment by using Docker container images of the workbench and agents on top of IBM® Cloud Private.
      - Starting a new recording immediately after playback
        Starting from 9.1.1.1, you can keep the Google Chrome browser active after Web UI test playback is complete. This feature allows you to continue recording at the point where playback finished without the need to re-record the earlier steps.
      - Adding custom JavaScript code as a test step in a Web UI test
        You can manually add JavaScript files (*.js) to test scripts with defined functions. You might want to run your own JavaScript snippet such as retrieving some data from the application, doing some actions within the application, or validating some complex logic actions within the application for example. To be able to execute specific code in a test, write your own JavaScript code and insert the custom JavaScript statement as a new test step in your test script.
    - Configuration of mobile test runs
      After you record the tests for mobile applications by using Rational® Functional Tester, you can play back the recorded tests by using Rational Functional Tester. The test reports help you to analyze the functional and performance issues in the mobile applications developed.
    - Configuration of Windows test runs
      You can run Windows tests that you created for Windows desktop applications in Rational® Functional Tester.
    - Configuration of AFT Suite runs
      When you create Web UI, mobile, or Windows tests, you must configure the play back of the recorded tests as AFT Suite runs before you can view their test results.
    - Running a test on multiple browsers and devices simultaneously
      Rather than run a Web UI test on one browser at a time, you can run a single Web UI test on multiple browsers simultaneously. Doing so can significantly speed up your test effort. You can also extend your test coverage by adding mobile devices to the test run. You can run the test from Rational® Functional Tester, from the command line, or from Rational Quality Manager. This topic describes how to run a test from the UI Test perspective.
    - Setting a global delay for test steps
      You can set the duration of a global delay in milliseconds between all the steps instead of adding the wait time manually for each of the steps in a recorded test. You can specify this global delay as a preference for the playback of Web UI, Windows, or mobile tests.
    - Configuration of test runs from the command line
      When you need to run Web UI, mobile, and windows tests using the command line without opening the desktop client to run these tests, you can use the command line of Rational® Functional Tester.
  - Configuration of test runs from the Functional Test perspective
    When you created functional tests, you must configure the run of the recorded functional tests from the Functional Test perspective before you can view the test results.
- Test Manager Guide
  This guide describes how to keep track of the performance of the application by evaluating the test results. Following topics cover how you can work with the test results.
- Troubleshooting
  This guide describes how to analyze and resolve some of the common problems that you might encounter while you work with Rational® Functional Tester.
- Reference Guide
  This guide describes the additional topics to gain more knowledge about Rational® Functional Tester.
- All Guides (PDF)
  You can find the link to view or download the content of the release notes, system requirements, and persona guides of IBM® Rational® Functional Tester as a PDF file.
- Security Considerations
  You can take certain actions to ensure that your installation is secure, customize your security settings, and set up user access controls.
- Notices
  This document provides information about copyright, trademarks, terms and conditions for the product documentation.

Running tests with containerized agents

When you have a local workbench, instead of installing the agents on different machines and locations, you can deploy the containerized agents to generate the load.

Before you begin

You must have configured the Docker container. See Configuring Docker containers.

About this task

Typically, when the agents are installed, you specify the workbench host name and port number to establish the connection with the workbench. If you use containerized agents, they are already installed. Therefore, you specify the connection information during the run.

Note: The version number of the container images and the desktop products must match. If you have previous version of the container image, uninstall it and install the latest version.

To uninstall the image, you must stop the container by running the docker stop "CONTAINER ID" command, and then run the docker rmi -f "image ID" command to uninstall the image.

Procedure

Start the container instance of the agent by running the following command:

$ docker run -dit --rm -e MASTER_NAME=Workbench_name or IP -e MASTER_PORT=port_number -e AGENT_NAME=Agent_name -e AGENT_IP=IP_address imageName:imageVersion

Table 1. Description of parameters
Command	Description
-dit	Specifies that the agent container runs in the background.
--rm	Specifies to clean up the container and remove the file system when the container exits.
MASTER_NAME	Specifies the IP or host name of the workbench.
MASTER_PORT	Specifies the port number of the workbench. If you use the default port number of 7080, this command is optional.
AGENT_NAME	Optional: Specifies the name of the agent that report to the workbench.
AGENT_IP	Optional: Specifies the IP address of the agent that report to the workbench.
imageName:imageVersion	Specifies the name and version of the image.

From the Web UI Test perspective, select the Web UI tests to run and from the context menu click Run Distributed Tests.

The tests are distributed among the connected agents.