Tool Test: Rational Test Virtualization Server (RTVS) with aqua

In our 3-part series on "Service Virtualization", our test experts have highlighted all the advantages and possible uses of this approach. Why do our experts actually know this so well?

In our 3-part series on "Service Virtualization", our test experts have highlighted all the advantages and possible uses of this approach. Why do our experts know this so well? That's right! Because they work with it every day on different projects in different companies. This also means that no solution is foreign to us. No matter which tool a company uses to manage and implement virtual stubs, we know them all - and can also map them all in aqua, our agile test management tool.

Keeping track

As demand for this type of testing continues to grow, so does the number of vendors. Big names in the industry include Micro Focus, HP Inc (Hewlett Packard) and IBM. IBM's solution is widely used. Therefore we visualize with aqua in this contribution the "Rational Test Virtualization Server" (short: RTVS), formerly known as "Green Hat Virtualization", from IBM.

Structure of the RTVS

The RTVS is based on an orchestrated interaction. The components are:

• Rational Integration Tester ("RIT"): The primary application for creating stubs.
• Rational Integration Test Agent: Agents execute stubs in the RTVS environment.
• Rational Test Control Panel ("RTCP"): A web application for managing virtual services and agents.
• Rational Test Virtualization Server ("RTVS"): The virtual services runtime environment, a proxy server.

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The IBM tool always operates in one of the following 3 modes:

1. pass-through
2. recording
3. virtualization

Flow of the RTVS with aqua-API

1. pass-through:

The RTVS environment acts as a pure proxy that does not "interfere". Thus, there is communication between the client and the service.

2nd record:

Traffic between client and service is passed through. A virtualization stub is defined (contains the defined response behavior (program logic).

3. virtualization:

If the real service is not available, the associated stub can be enabled. The client can be further tested, the defined stubs are customizable.

Conclusion

The RTVS is easy to use and guarantees a quick success. No change is necessary in the application to be developed, stubs can be set up, defined and managed. In the IBM solution, by design, there are no dependencies between supported protocols (HTTP/S, MQ, J2IMS) and data structures (Copybook, XML, XSD, JSON and WSDL).

In addition, interfaces can be tested and simulated using the "http/s" communication protocol. The application allows to record test data for future test activities and export them as Excel files. REST (Representational State Transfer) technology is also supported by the IBM solution. This allows API apps to be simulated, as well as an API sandbox. So an alternative to other interfaces like SOAP or WSDL is also given.

A look behind the scenes

Experienced test professionals as well as new team members also benefit from the service virtualization in our daily work, as under certain circumstances the aqua API is not accessible at test time or during the onboarding process. However, thanks to the virtualized images, it can still be applied as the behavior of the system is not affected and the functionality is available until the point of failure. In addition, multiple virtual services of varying complexity can be arbitrarily provisioned for training and/or familiarization. Similarly, RTVS can be integrated with aqua. This is done via the provided aqua agents "Powershell. Test cases can be started from aqua via this agent in order to be able to control the defined stubs from RTVS. Condition for it is that the provided Stubs in the same directory as the agents are. Also the stubs must be referenced within the agents.

Specifically, it would be as follows, for example: A check is made in advance to see if the real aqua server is available. If this is not the case, then the created stubs are started from the RTVS. Accordingly, there would then have to be a feedback to aqua that the virtualization has been triggered. As soon as this has happened, the test case is started and executed. Once the test case is complete, then the stub is stopped in the RTVS. Example scenarios would be simulations of false responses, server failure, requests and responses at different intervals. In addition to the technologies already described, the IBM solution supports more than 40 communication technologies:

Table: Communication technologies (excerpt) Our andagon experts encounter the tool "HP ALM" in many of our customer projects. Again, the "RTVS" tool can be useful for managing the core application lifecycle from request to deployment. This is because the "Rational Test Virtualization Server" allows integration with "HP ALM". Defined test cases that run through the virtual interface can be executed. Reports for documenting bugs and defects are also created and stored. The RTVS is also compatible with other products of the IBM family (e.g. "Rational Test Workbench", "Rational Quality Manager").