TOSCA Integration Technical Architecture Specification

Purpose

This document defines the design and architecture of VERA and Tosca integration. VERA, written by Tx3 Services, is software that controls Test Management for regulated environments. Tosca, by Tricentis, is a Testing tool that specializes in automated testing for a wide variety of systems.

The solution is successful when both products integrate without negatively impacting the strengths of each individual product. In other words, VERA manages and controls regulatory aspects of testing projects – it is the "system of record" for formal controls and approvals. Simultaneously, Tosca engineers develop tests that execute and store results in the integrated environment, without impediments.

For more information on VERA specifics, refer to the VERA Technical Architecture Specification, VERA Technical Architecture Specification.

Scope

This document is narrowly scoped to cover the software design of a VERA – Tosca integration solution. It does not discuss the design or related validation deliverables for MicroFocus ALM, Tx3 VERA for ALM, Tricentis Tosca or any environment in which they reside. Those artifacts are dealt with separately in the context of validating those components.

This integration solution is a few components that enable communication and control between VERA for ALM and Tricentis Tosca.

Definitions

The following terms are used throughout this document:

Term

Definition

ALM

See 'Application Lifecycle Management'

Application Lifecycle Management

An enterprise application manufactured by MicroFocus that provides test management, requirements management, and defect management capabilities for information technology and software development organizations.

Approval Policy

A collection of business rules establishing approval routes for electronic records.

Execution List

A series of Tosca Test Cases bundled together to achieve a specific result – typically, to test a specific business process. Tosca calls these "Execution Lists". ALM calls these "Test Sets".

Policy

A collection of business rules.

Project

A workspace within ALM that is used to access a collection of records related to a single application lifecycle management effort. A project may represent a software application, information system, or business project.

Record

See 'electronic record'

Record Owner

A specific person that owns or is responsible for a given electronic record.

Records Management Policy

A collection of business rules establishing workflows for electronic records.

Software Component

A piece of software that is a part of a larger software application.

System Adapter

A software component in the VERA application architecture that specializes in providing a software interface between VERA and an external software application. As it relates to the VERA Records Management Policy, a system adapter is responsible for ensuring the rules of the records management policy are enforced within the associated external system.

Test Case

A series of steps created to be executed in a target system under test. Tosca calls these "Test Cases". ALM calls these "Tests".

Test Set

A series of ALM Tests bundled together to achieve a specific result – typically, to test a specific business process. Tosca calls these "Execution Lists". ALM calls these "Test Sets".

Tosca

Automated Functional Testing tool produced by Tricentis.

Tx3 VERA

An enterprise application manufactured by Tx3 Services, LLC that specializes in enforcing shared business policies pertaining to the control of electronic records across multiple systems.

VERA

See 'Tx3 VERA'.

VERA Action Menu

The context sensitive menu displaying VERA features based on user group membership and the records management policy. The VERA Action Menu is the centralized user interface for all VERA functions.

Windows Client

A locally installed application comprised of a collection of Microsoft .NET library files (.dll) including the VERA user interface and functions.

Workflow

A defined sequence of stages that an electronic record goes through during its lifetime (from creation through deletion).

Workflow Script

A feature of ALM that enables users to programmatically customize the functionality of an ALM project.

Workflow State

A single stage within a workflow.

Overview

The overall system is comprised of a few requisite components to enable integration. The solution requires that both VERA for ALM and Tricentis Tosca be installed and operational, supporting a multiuser environment. Additionally, Tosca's REST API service must be up and running.

On top of VERA for ALM, components are installed to register a new ALM Tosca Test Type and provide VERA integration between ALM & Tosca. The Tosca Test Type software knows how to interact with both ALM/Vera and Tosca for basic ALM operations, and VERA is configured to connect ALM & Tosca for defined workflow control operations. Both VERA & the ALM Tosca Test Type connects the two systems via standard API's and mechanisms.

Software Components

The following software components comprise the Tosca Adapter solution for VERA for ALM:

Component

Additional Detail

Description

Tosca Test Type

Also known as TOSCA ALM Server Components:

  • TosALM.cab

  • TosALM.lib.cab

  • TosALM.lld

  • TosALM.pbd

The Tosca Test Type leverages the ALM Custom Test Type interface provided by MicroFocus to view Tosca Test Cases in ALM and execute Tosca Test Cases from ALM.

See About Custom Test Types (microfocus.com) for more details. 

VERA Tosca Windows Client

Installer:

  • ToscaALMClientInstaller.msi

The VERA Tosca Windows client contains libraries for importing Tosca Execution Lists to VERA for ALM projects as ALM Test Sets and Test Instances

VERA Tosca Add-on

Installers

  • Vera.Tosca12AddOn.Installer.msi

  • Vera.ToscaAddOn.Installer.msi

Upload Tosca Test Cases from Tosca Workspace to VERA for ALM projects as Tosca Test Types

  • A specific installer was needed for Tosca 12, Vera.Tosca12AddOn.Installer.msi

  • Use Vera.ToscaAddOn.Installer.msi for Tosca 13 and higher

VERA for ALM Tosca Adapter Configuration files

Configuration File Names:

  • Synchronization Policy.json

  • Tosca_Interface.tds (Custom Toolbar Scripts)

VERA for ALM requires additional configuration for the Tosca Adapter:

  • Synchronization Policy file defines the Tosca Workspace and connection string to link a VERA for ALM project to a Tosca Workspace

  • Tosca_Interface.tds, also known as Custom Toolbar Scripts and Tosca Interface Button Script, used to invoke the Tosca Windows Client from an ALM toolbar button in a VERA for ALM project