Micro Focus ALM Quality Center Tool Tutorial (7 In-depth Tutorials)

The Micro Focus Quality Center / ALM tool has replaced the HP Quality Center / ALM tool, but the content on this page is still applicable to the new Micro Focus domain and tools.

We are kicking off the tutorial series on the HP Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) Quality Center (QC) tool. This online training will consist of 7 in-depth tutorials.

For your convenience, we have provided a list of all the HP ALM tutorials on this page.

List of All HP ALM Quality Center Tutorials

• Tutorial #1: Introduction to HP ALM Quality Center
• Tutorial #2: Quality Center Installation guide
• Tutorial #3: Requirements and Release Cycle Management
• Tutorial #4: Creating and Managing Test Cases
• Tutorial #5: Executing Test Cases Using ALM/QC
• Tutorial #6: Adding Defects and other miscellaneous topics
• Tutorial #7: Project Analysis Using the Dashboard Tools
• Bonus Tutorial #8: 70 Most Popular HP ALM QC Interview Questions

This first tutorial will provide you with a complete overview of the tool, including simple examples and relevant screenshots to enhance your understanding of the tool.

We recommend that you follow these tutorials sequentially. Once you have completed them, you will have a comprehensive understanding of how to use this tool effectively in your projects.

Tutorial #1: Introduction to HP ALM (QC) Tool

The HP ALM software is designed to manage the various phases of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) from requirements gathering to testing.

Previously known as HP Quality Center (QC), HP ALM serves as a Test Management tool and a Project Management Tool. The transition from HP QC to HP ALM took place starting from version 11.0. This tutorial will serve as a guide for those who are new to this tool.

Advantages

The list below outlines the various advantages of using this tool:

• Easy to understand and user-friendly
• Integration with external tools such as HP UFT for automation testing and HP Load Runner for Performance Testing
• Project status visibility for all stakeholders
• Reduces risks associated with managing project artifacts at different phases
• Reduces costs and saves time
• Flexible usage

Features

The list below outlines the features provided by this tool:

• Release Management: Manages traceability between test cases and releases
• Requirement Management: Ensures test cases cover all specified requirements
• Test Case Management: Maintains version history of test case changes and acts as a central repository for all test cases
• Test Execution Management: Tracks multiple test case runs and ensures credibility of testing effort
• Defect Management: Ensures major defects are visible to project stakeholders and follows a specified life cycle until closure
• Report Management: Generates reports and graphs to track project health

QC Versus ALM

HP Application Lifecycle Management provides all the core functionality of HP Quality Center, along with additional features:

• Project Planning and Tracking: Allows the creation of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) using ALM data and tracks them against project milestones
• Defect Sharing: Provides the ability to share defects across multiple projects
• Project Reporting: Generates customized project reports across multiple projects using pre-defined templates
• Integration with Third-party Tools: Provides integration with third-party tools such as HP LoadRunner, HP Unified Functional Testing, and REST API

HP ALM Version History

HP QC was originally known as Test Director, a product of Mercury Interactive. Test Director was later acquired by HP and rebranded as HP Quality Center.

HP Quality Center was rebranded as HP Application Lifecycle Management starting from version 11.0.

The table below provides an overview of the version history:

HP ALM Architecture

The diagram below depicts a high-level view of the architecture.

The components are as follows:

#1) HP ALM Client

The HP ALM Client is the browser used to access the tool. It uses Java Enterprise Edition (J2EE) technology and connects to the Oracle or MS SQL server at the backend. When a user accesses ALM through its URL, the HP ALM client components are downloaded to the user’s local machine to facilitate interaction with the HP ALM Server. A load balancer is also used to handle multiple user requests simultaneously.

#2) Application Server

The Application Server is the ALM Server with which the user interacts. It uses Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) to handle user requests.

#3) Database Server

The Database Server includes the following sub-components:

• ALM Database Server
• Site Administration Database Server

The ALM database server stores project-related information such as project reports and project users. The Site Administration database server stores domain, user, and project information.

HP ALM Editions

This tool is available in four editions:

• HP ALM
• HP ALM Essentials
• HP Quality Center Enterprise Edition
• HP ALM Performance Center Edition

HP ALM is the main product with all available ALM features. HP ALM Essentials provides basic features such as requirements, test plans, and defects. HP QC Enterprise Edition is for users who want to integrate ALM with HP Unified Functional Testing for automation scripts. HP ALM Performance Center Edition is for users who want to integrate HP ALM with HP LoadRunner for performance testing.

Import Test Cases From Excel to HP ALM

Creating test cases directly in this tool can be a time-consuming process. To import test cases from Excel to this tool, an Excel Add-in can be used.

HP ALM Excel Add-in Installation

Follow the steps below to download and install the HP ALM Excel add-in:

#1) Download the HP ALM Excel add-in from here. This will open the web page.

#2) Click on the ‘GET IT’ button. Download the add-in version compatible with your installed ALM version.

#3) A ZIP file will be downloaded. Extract the contents of the ZIP file to a folder.

#4) Double click on the ‘ALM_Excel_Addin_Setup.exe’ file. An Installation Wizard will open.

#5) Click on the ‘Next’ button, and the following screen will appear.

#6) The screen below will appear once the extraction is complete.

#7) Click on the ‘Next’ button and once the installation is complete, the following screen will appear.

#8) Click on the Finish button, and the following screen will appear. Click on the Finish button on the Install Shield Wizard.

<img class=”alignnone wp-image-220

Related