Performing a test using Integrated Test Environment

Whereas most of this chapter described subtasks you perform as part of a test or specific interface elements of the Integrated Test Environment perspective, this section describes the workflow you typically follow to perform a test. It incorporates most of the subtasks and involves most of the interface elements. It recommends the most efficient and effective techniques in situations where there are multiple ways of accomplishing a subtask. Do the following to test an interface using Integrated Test Environment:

  1. Although you can deploy components to an InterChange Server Express instance by using Integrated Test Environment, it is recommended that you perform all deployment activities beforehand for the following reasons:
  2. See your System Manager documentation for information on deploying components using System Manager and  repos_copy.

    For information on deploying components by using Integrated Test Environment (which is not recommended), reference one of the following sections:

  3. Although you can manage component states by using Integrated Test Environment, you can only do so for the components displayed in the Test Unit view. If one of their dependent components is inactive you must start it using a tool other than Integrated Test Environment anyway, so you can avoid this possibility by ensuring all components are started beforehand.

  4.  

     

    To start components, use either the Windows-based System Monitor or the web-based System Monitor. For information on these tools, see the System Administration Guide.

  5. Register the InterChange Server Express you want to test with as a "Local Test Server".
  6. Start the Integrated Test Environment perspective as described in Starting Integrated Test Environment.
  7. Select the server you want to test with as described in Selecting a server configuration.

  8.  

     

    If the server instance you want to use is not listed in the dialog, try deleting it from the Server Instances view and re-registering it.

  9. Configure RMI settings for your environment as described in Configuring RMI settings. If you do not do this properly, you will not be able to test interfaces using Integrated Test Environment.
  10. Create a test project to contain the test unit. For more information, see Creating a test project.
  11. Create a test unit for the interface you want to test. For more information, see Creating a test unit within Integrated Test Environment.
  12. If you plan to deploy the components in the interface you are testing using Integrated Test Environment, do the following:
  13. Make sure the VisiBroker Smart Agent is started. For more information, see the System Installation Guide for Windows or Unix.
  14. Use the Task Manager view to start the server, bind the Integrated Test Environment agent to it, and connect the Integrated Test Environment to it as described in Using the Task Manager view.
  15. Enable the Server Context Overlay as described in Enabling and disabling the Server Context Overlay.
  16. Confirm that the components in the interface are in an active state.

  17.  

     

    It is recommended that you use the Windows-based System Monitor or web-based System Monitor, as they can show the states of all the components in the system, whereas the Server Context Overlay only displays the connectors, collaboration objects, and parent-level maps in the interface. For more information on the Windows-based System Monitor and web-based System Monitor, see the System Administration Guide.

    You can also use the Server Context Overlay to view the states of components, as described in Using the Server Context Overlay.

  18. Show Connector Agent views for the clients in the interface.

  19.  

     

    It is recommended that you organize the Connector Agent views in a way that makes sense to you. For instance, you might find it easiest to have the view for the source connector in position 1 in the perspective (shared with the ITE Navigator view), and to have the view for the destination connector in position 4 in the perspective (shared with the Properties view).

    You can do one of the following to show and organize Connector Agent views for the interface:

  20. Connect the Connector Agent views to the server as described in Connecting to the server.

  21.  

     

    Confirm that the clients connect to the server successfully as described in Confirming that a client has connected to the server.

    After you have confirmed that the clients connected to the server successfully, configure the Connector Agent view for the source connector to use the Input Pane as described in Using the Input Pane and configure the Connector Agent view for the destination connector to use the Result Pane as described in Using the Result Pane.

  22. If you want to use business object tracing, start it at this point so that the data is captured when you begin to send business objects in the next steps. For more information on starting the business object tracing task, see Table 19.
  23. Do the following to create and send a business object request from the source connector:
    1. Create a business object instance to send as a request as described in Creating request business objects.
    2. Set values for the attributes of the business object instance as described in Setting values for business object attributes.
    3. Save the business object instance to a file to be used in subsequent tests as described in Saving business objects.
    4. Send the business object instance as a request as described in Sending request business objects asynchronously or Sending business object requests synchronously as appropriate.
  24. Use the ICS Console view to observe the processing of the business object as described in Using the ITE Console and ICS Console views.
  25. Do the following to examine the business object as different components finish processing it:
  26. Edit the response business object in the Result Pane of the destination Connector Agent view as described in Editing response business objects.
  27. Send the business object response as a reply as described in Sending response business objects.
  28. Repeat steps 17 through 21 to test the interface again, or repeat steps 7 through 21 to test another interface.

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