HP ALM

BEST PRACTICES

Table of Contents

3Preface

3Introduction

3The Application Lifecycle Management

4Management

4Releases

5Cycles

5Requirement

6Test Plan

7Guidelines to export Excel data to HP ALM

12Test lab

12Defects

14Test Run

14Report generation

Preface

IntroductionThis document is a generic best practice guide for use by projects in TCoE. It provides guidance and template material which is intended to assist the relevant team in using ALM effectively for project management and execution. It is also useful for anyone involved in planning or monitoring of project activities.The Application Lifecycle Management

Process

The application lifecycle management process with ALM includes the following phases:

Phase Description

Management This area helps us to create and manage releases and cycles and also to helps us make project planning and tracking. Management tab helps us to work with the following areas in ALM:s1. Test Cycle: For any Release create Test Cycle under Release folder Test Cycle_1.0

2. Name Release Name_Test Cycle Name_1.0

3. Start Date This field is necessary to track when a particular test cycle started

4. End Date - This field is necessary to track when a particular test cycle end

Releases

All the work item such as libraries, test execution and defects are tracked based on the release.

Naming convention for Release Folder Name: ReleaseFolderName.

Start_Date: This field is necessary to track when a particular release starts. End_Date: This field is necessary to track when a particular release ends. Naming convention for Release Name: ReleaseName_ID Release Id: Release id will automatically generated.PRIVATE "TYPE=PICT;ALT=Management Tab"Cycles

Each release is further divided into cycles Cycle Name: Cycle_Id_Release_Id_Cycle_Name.

Release_End_Date: Auto_Populated. Start_Date: This field is necessary to track when a particular cycle starts

End_Date: This field is necessary to track when a particular cycle ends.PRIVATE "TYPE=PICT;ALT=Creating Releases"RequirementThe Requirements module enables users to define, manage and track requirements at all stages of the software lifecycle.

Naming convention for Requirement Folder Name: Requirement_Name Naming convention for Requirement Name : Requirement_Name_ID (Must be Unique)

Requirement Type : Based on requirement type user need to select Functional/ Business /Folder / Group/ Testing/ Performance Author : Select from drop down. Creation Date : This field is necessary to enter creation date of requirement. Priority : User can select Priority from P1 to P5. Reviewed : User can select any values Reviewed/Not Reviewed. Target Cycle : This field is necessary to mapped Target Cycle. Target Release : This field is necessary to track Target Release date.

Description : Description about the Requirement. Comments - Comments should be added under comments section if necessary.

Attachments : If any attachment needs to be added.Test Plan Parent Folder name - 10_Folder_name Example: 10_Project_name, 20_Project_name Sub folder name - 01_Subfolder_name Example: 01_system, 02_regression Scenario folder name - 01_Scenario_name Example: 01_rebate, 02_cashback Test case name TC01_scenarioname_positive

Example: TC01_Check rebate for the month of july_positive

TC02_Check rebate for the month of july_negative

Description Test case description should be added under description section mandatorily Comments - Comments should be added under comments section if necessary

Status - Ready for review, Ready for execution

Pre-requisites/ preconditions - If necessary should be added (This can be added as a step in test case itself to avoid overlooking of precondition during test execution)

Designer - Designer of the test case name should be added under Designer section

Guidelines to export Excel data to HP ALMTo export data to ALM:

1. Define the tests in worksheet.

Add a Path column to the Excel worksheet.

In the Path column, type the path under which the requirement is created. Separate each hierarchical level with a backslash (\) character.

Make sure not to use a forward slash.

Subject (mandatory field)

Test Case Name (mandatory field)

Description

Comment

Prerequisites

Step Name (Design Steps)

Description (Design Steps)

Expected (Design Steps)

2. Select the cells that contain the data that one want to export. Do not include the column headings row in selection.

3. In Excel, open the HP ALM Export wizard. Click the Add-ins tab and click the Export to HP ALM button.

The HP ALM Export Wizard - Step 1 of 8 dialog box opens.

Type ALM Platform server and the virtual directory name

(http://[:]/qcbin).

For example, https://qc.allianz.de.awin/qcbin.

4. Click Next button. The HP ALM Export Wizard - Step 2 of 8 dialog box opens.

Type user name and password.

5. Click Next button. The HP ALM Export Wizard - Step 3 of 8 dialog box opens.

Select a domain and project name.

6. Click Next button. The HP ALM Export Wizard - Step 4 of 8 dialog box opens.

Select a data type.

7. Click Next button. The HP ALM Export Wizard - Step 5 of 8 dialog box opens.

To specify a map option for mapping ALM fields to Microsoft Excel columns, select one of the following:

Select a map. Select an existing map that is created on the same machine. If this option is unavailable upgraded to a new version of Microsoft Excel, One may need to perform an additional step.

Type a new map name. Create a new map. This map is saved for reuse on the same machine.

Create a temporary map. Create a temporary map that will not be saved.

8. Click Next. button The HP ALM Export Wizard - Step 6 of 8 dialog box opens.

The left pane displays all the available ALM fields for the data type that one has selected in Step 4 of the Export Wizard. Required fields are displayed in red. The right pane displays the mappings of ALM fields to columns in excel worksheet. To change the mapping, click Back button.

9. Click Export button. The HP ALM Export Wizard - Step 6 of 8 dialog box opens.

10. If an error occurs while exporting the worksheet, the HP ALM Export Wizard - Scan Error Report dialog box opens. Review the errors. To save the errors as a text file, click the Launch Notepad button. The row numbers in the error report refer to the rows that is selected, and do not correspond to the worksheet row numbers.

For example, Row 1 indicates the first row one has selected. Click Close button to exit the wizard. Correct the errors and start again at step 1

11. If one successfully exports worksheet to ALM, the HP ALM Export

Wizard - Step 8 of 8 dialog box opens. Click Finish button.

12. Refresh the view in ALM. Review the exported data and make the necessary additions and adjustments.Suggestions:

Tip: Before one begins the export process, one need to ensure that the column names and letters remain visible. One can either reduce the zoom level of the worksheet so that all the columns are visible, or copy the column names and letters to a separate application.Test lab Naming convention for release folder - Rel-Name of release 1.x.x

Naming convention for execution cycle

System testing 10_FeatureName, 20_FeatureName Regression testing 10_Regression_cycle1, 20_Regression_cycle2

Responsible tester - Update responsible tester name

Status Pass, Fail(link defect id), NA(update comments), Blocked(Update comment), Not Completed(Update comments)

Take screen shot where ever applicable in the step

Add all the required proofs. Highlight any required area in screen shot

Actual add comments for actuals

Expected add comments for expected

Attachments attachments if required should be added

Defects The Summary of Defect should be precise,unique and should convey the defect baseline.

Defect description should include complete and comprehensive information about defect.

Screen shots should be attached to defect.

Defect should be correctly linked to the test step at which it is encountered,so that the defect fixer can go back to test set and review steps and duplicate the actual result.

In case the defect is to be fixed in the next cycle as per Test plan,the Target Release should be assigned to new one and Target Cycle should be assigned to next Cycle.

In case the Defect is related to another Defect already logged into the system,create Defect link between the two.

Before closing a Defect,a tester should go to linked entities and make sure all test instances associated with Defect have passed.In case any tests are in Failed status,then the Defect should not be closed.

Entering comments by team members at time of changing any Defect field is a good practice.

Defect Analysis

The intent of defect analysis is to identify causes of defects so they can be prevented or detected earlier.The goal of defect analysis is to plan defect prevention activities,common causes of defects are identified and mitigated.Most organizations with well-defined processes can benefit from some application of defect analysis. Maximum benefit obtained from,

Institutionalize standard templates various defect metrics which are tracked,reported and analysed to various stakeholders.

Establish a process where in development team specifies procedure of verifications of all fixed defects.

Maintain an updated list of various defects logged against product till date,which testers can refer to as and when they encounter a defect.

Pursuing a strategy derived from an objective understanding of improvement opportunities

Test Run

When click respective run id link . On test run details section screen includes

Test Set Name : Auto populated module name from Test Lab section for running test case.

Test Cases Name/Test Instance: Auto populated This consist unique test case name.

Test case run Id : This is auto generated unique test cases run id.

Run Type: actual test case execution type Manual/Automation

Run Name : _Test case Unique id

Test case status: Passed/Failed/Blocked/No Run

Tester Name : automatically populated test cases executed tester name

Report generationALM/ Quality Center offers four tools for reporting purposes,

Dashboard module

For creating textual reports or graphs based on field values

With Graph Wizard one can create an own graph

Document Generator For generating project level Word documents one can get all project data into a single document.Analysis menu in each module

Standard Reports and Graphs that can be customized and saved to Dashboard module for future use

Live Analysis in Test Plan and Test Lab

Two configurable graphs side by side showing statistics of the selected folder Live Analysis in Test Plan and Test Lab

Two configurable graphs side by side showing statistics of the selected folder

Type of Reports Test Execution Status Complexity

Test Execution Status Daywise

Defect Status

Plan Vs ScheduledTest Completion