Release notes for IBM Rational Test Automation Server

This document includes information about What’s new, installation and upgrade instructions, known issues, and contact information of IBM Customer Support.

Contents

Product description

You can find the description of IBM Rational Test Automation Server.

Rational Test Automation Server is a server that includes capabilities such as project and role-based security, Docker-based distribution and installation, and running of test cases. For more information about the server, see IBM Rational Test Automation Server overview.

What's new

You can find information about the features introduced in this release of Rational Test Automation Server.

The following sections list the new features, enhancements or other changes made in this release.
  • Support to generate test data

    Rational Test Automation Server now supports the capability to generate test data that you can use in your tests at test run time.

    You can use the in-built data generators or create customized data generators to suit your test data requirements. You can preview the test data in the UI before you generate the test data. You can also download the generated test data.

    You can view the history of the test data generated, and you can regenerate the test data with or without altering any of the parameters used.

    See Data fabrication.

  • Support for Machine Learning insights on performance tests
    Rational Test Automation Server is enhanced to provide Machine Learning insights on performance tests that match certain criteria when you run tests from projects in a team space. Rational Test Automation Server uses Machine Learning algorithms to analyze the following types of parameters in performance tests:
    • Response Time Lock-Step Pattern
    • Response Time Standard Deviation Pattern
    • Throughput Drop Pattern

    The findings from the analysis are presented as a recommendation for each of the parameters on the Infrastructure > Analyzers page in the team space.

    You can improve Machine Learning recommendations by altering the default Threshold value that specifies the level of confidence required in the insights. You can also improve the accuracy of the recommendations by running multiple tests with differing loads repeatedly.

    See Machine learning capabilities in Rational Test Automation Server.

  • Enhanced the dataset editor and managing capabilities

    The CSV Editor that is used to edit datasets is enhanced and now opens within the Rational Test Automation Server UI, which previously opened in a separate browser tab.

    Further, the pages and the methods to create, open, or view datasets are changed in their presentation in the UI.

    See Datasets overview.

  • Enhanced dataset classification

    You can now set the dataset classification (encrypted password) for a dataset irrespective of its location in branches in a repository. The dataset classification that you set is applied to all branches and you need not set a password for each branch that contains the dataset. If you want to use different passwords, then you can create a different dataset by cloning the dataset that you want.

    See Managing an encrypted dataset.

  • Support for in-built Chrome and Edge browsers

    Rational Test Automation Server now provides support for running browser-based tests by using the in-built Chrome and Edge browsers after you accept the license terms for usage. If you do not accept the license terms at the time of signing in or later, tests that use these browsers fail to run successfully.

    See Managing third-party licenses.

  • Support to run AFT Suite on a mobile device by using variables

    You can now run an AFT Suite, which contains mobile or Web UI tests on a device, emulator, or simulator that is connected to an agent of a device cloud. You must enter the details of the agent or device cloud as variables while you configure a run of the AFT Suite.

    See Configuring an AFT Suite to run on a mobile device by using variables.

  • Support to override the project in a mobile device cloud

    You can now select or create a project to override the project that is configured for a cloud credential when you want to run a mobile test, Web UI test, Compound test, or an AFT Suite. The tests run on mobile devices that are connected to a mobile device cloud.

    See Configuring an AFT Suite to run on a mobile device by using a cloud credential, Configuring a run of a Compound Test that contains mobile tests to run by using a cloud credential, or Configuring a run of a Compound Test that contains Web UI tests to run by using a cloud credential.

  • Support to add reports and logs to Jira issues

    After you configure Jira as a change management system on Rational Test Automation Server, you can now add the test reports or test log to the Jira issue that you create for a test result. You can then view the attached reports or log from your project in Jira.

    See Creating Jira issues for the test results.

  • Support to view test log statistics in Grafana

    You can now view the overall statistics and time-series statistics in Grafana by using queries for the test logs that are generated in Rational Test Automation Server.

    See Viewing test results data in Grafana.

  • Enhanced the display of events in Web UI or Functional test logs

    The display of the events in the Web UI or Functional test log is enhanced. Previously, the events were displayed under the UIScript node and placed under the Test node, which did not represent the correct hierarchy.

    Now, the events are placed under the Test node and the UIScript node is no longer displayed, thus displaying the correct hierarchy of the events in the test log.

  • Requirement of Java 17 for Resource Monitoring agents

    The Resource Monitoring Java Agent now requires Java 17 JRE or JDK to be installed on the computer that is used to collect the Resource Monitoring data from Rational Test Automation Server.

Deprecated capabilities

You can find information about the capabilities that are deprecated in this release and are planned for a removal in a future release.
Note: You can contact the IBM Support team if you have any concerns.
  • No capabilities were deprecated in this release.

Removed capabilities

No capabilities were removed in this release.

Installing and upgrading

You can find information about the installation and upgrade instructions for Rational Test Automation Server.

Installing Rational Test Automation Server

For instructions about installing the software, see Installation of the server software.

Upgrading of Rational Test Automation Server

For instructions about upgrading the software, see Server software upgrade methods.

Known issues

You can find information about the known issues identified in this release of Rational Test Automation Server.

Table 1. Release documents - Fix list and known issues
Product Download document Knowledge Base
Rational Test Automation Server Release document Knowledge articles

Known problems are documented in the download document for each product and in the form of individual technotes in the Support Knowledge Base:

The knowledge base is continually updated as problems are discovered and resolved. By searching the knowledge base, you can quickly find workarounds or solutions to problems.

Contacting IBM Rational Software Support

You can find information about Contacting IBM Rational Software Support.

  • For contact information and guidelines or reference materials that you might need when you require support, read the IBM Support Guide.

  • For personalized support that includes notifications of significant upgrades, subscribe to Product notification.

  • Before you contact IBM Rational Software Support, you must gather the background information that you might need to describe your problem. When you describe a problem to an IBM software support specialist, be as specific as possible and include all relevant background information so that the specialist can help you solve the problem efficiently. To save time, know the answers to these questions:
    • What software versions were you running when the problem occurred?
    • Do you have logs, traces, or messages that are related to the problem?
    • Can you reproduce the problem? If so, what steps do you take to reproduce it?
    • Is there a workaround for the problem? If so, be prepared to describe the workaround.