Prepare multi-user repositories

A tester's work environment in Tosca is called a workspace. It's where they plan, create, and run tests.

This topic is for administrators. It explains how to set up the repository for multi-user environments, which are environments where multiple people need access to the same test assets and data. Once that's done, testers can create their workspaces.

In this topic, we'll cover the following:

Database requirements

In a multi-user environment, all test assets and data live in a repository, which is a dedicated database. This database isn't part of the Tricentis Tosca installation. You need to host and prepare it yourself.

The following table covers considerations and requirements for the database:

Consideration

Requirement

Database system

Tosca supports the following database systems:

  • MS SQL: strongly recommended. It's widespread, easy to manage, and integrates seamlessly with Windows.

  • DB2

  • Oracle

  • SQLite: not supported in productive multi-user environments. Among other issues, SQLite only allows one user or process at a time to make changes, which isn't feasible for multi-user environments.

Your chosen database must meet the system requirements.

Database location

Host the database on a separate machine, such as a virtual machine or managed service. Avoid running it on the same machine as other Tosca installations.

Size and memory

Requirements are highly individual and depend on your project: number of tests, test runs, and users, complexity of tests, add-ons, and so on.

For a new SQL Server or cluster, start with 4 vCPU, 16 GB RAM, and 50 GB free disk. Monitor resource consumption and scale as needed.

Character sets

Tosca only stores binary/byte data. You can use the standard character set of your chosen database.

User credentials, rights, and roles

There are no restrictions on the user name. However, you—the user who creates and prepares the database—need full access rights to all tables:

  • SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, CREATE, ALTER, DELETE rights.

  • DROP rights for schemas.

  • MS SQL only: db_owner, db_datawriter, and db_datareader.

    You only need the db_owner rights to create the database and migrate schema. Your team doesn't need these rights to perform standard user tasks.

Contents

Start with an empty database. You'll create the tables later on when you prepare the infrastructure.

Maintenance

Tosca—and Tricentis—don’t handle database maintenance. You're responsible for tasks such as migrating databases, changing hosting platforms, performing routine maintenance, backups, encryption, or advanced configurations.

Repository options

Tosca offers two ways to use repositories in productive multi-user environments: local database or Tricentis Server Repository.

Local database

With this option, users need two things to create a workspace for an MS SQL, DB2, or Oracle database: a connection string and a local Tosca Commander user account. Local workspaces only accept local users.

You'll use Tosca Commander user management, which lets you manage users, but only within a single repository.

Tricentis Server Repository (strongly recommended)

With this option, any assigned user can create a workspace connected to that repository. Connecting is as simple as selecting a project from a dropdown.

You'll use the server-based Tricentis User Administration, which lets you manage users centrally across multiple repositories. This saves you time and headache as your organization's testing efforts scale.

Note that the term "Tricentis Server Repository" refers to the server’s role in authentication and access. The server doesn’t function as a repository database. You still need to prepare and host a database yourself.

Prepare the connection string

Now that you’ve picked a database type and decided on the repository option, prepare a connection string. Who needs it and when depends on your chosen repository option:

  • Tricentis Server Repository: Only you need the connection string and only once, to initialize the repository.

  • Local database: Each tester needs the connection string, every time they create a workspace that's connected to the common repository.

Tosca accepts all standard connection strings. The exact format depends on your database type and the authentication setup in your environment. For examples and templates, check out this connection string resource (opens in new tab).

Please note the following:

  • Tosca doesn't support Active Directory Interactive.

  • Tosca works best with a static connection string. A change after the fact may cause issues and require you to reconfigure the repository.

  • Tosca requires Active Directory or Entra ID users to be part of the right Active Directory group.

Prepare the infrastructure

Last but not least, it’s time to set up the infrastructure. To get instructions for your type, choose your use case:

To prepare your environment for Tricentis Server Repository workspaces, follow these steps:

  1. Prepare the repository database: MS SQL, DB2, or Oracle.

  2. Add a project to the Tosca Administration Console to connect your repository to Tosca.

  3. To manage access, prepare Tricentis User Administration:

To use MS SQL as the repository database, you need to prepare the database:

  1. Create a database with the default database owner (dbo) schema.

  2. To initialize the repository and create all tables with indexing, create a multi-user workspace for your database type. Make sure you do the following:

    • Deselect the checkbox Use existing repository.

    • Use the connection string you prepared.

  1. To prevent deadlocks, activate snapshot isolation. Depending on your SQL Server type, use the script in %COMMANDER_HOME%\SQL\MS SQL Server or %COMMANDER_HOME%\SQL\Azure SQL Server with the following statements:

    • ALTER DATABASE <name of your database> SET ALLOW_SNAPSHOT_ISOLATION ON

    • ALTER DATABASE <name of your database> SET READ_COMMITTED_SNAPSHOT ON

  2. Optionally, defragment indexes to improve the performance of your repository database. To do so, adapt the script Rebuild Indexes MSSQL.sql in %COMMANDER_HOME%\SQL\MS SQL Server.

To use DB2 as the repository database, you need to install the driver and prepare the database.

Install the driver

To install the driver, follow these steps:

  1. Download Net.IBM.Data.Db2 from NuGet (opens in new tab).

  2. Copy the following objects from the download package into %COMMANDER_HOME%:

    • The file IBM.Data.Db2.dll from the lib\net8.0 folder.

    • The subfolder clidriver from the buildTransitive folder.

Prepare the database

To prepare your database, follow these steps:

  1. Create a database with the default database owner (dbo) schema.

  2. To initialize the repository and create all tables with indexing, create a multi-user workspace for your database type. Make sure you do the following:

    • Deselect the checkbox Use existing repository.

    • Use the connection string you prepared.

To use Oracle as the repository database, you need to prepare the database:

  1. Create a database with the default database owner (dbo) schema.

  2. To initialize the repository and create all tables with indexing, create a multi-user workspace for your database type. Make sure you do the following:

    • Deselect the checkbox Use existing repository.

    • Use the connection string you prepared.

Quick reminder: Tosca doesn't support SQLite as a database system for productive multi-user environments. We recommend that you use SQLite workspaces for training or demo purposes only.

You don’t need to prepare any infrastructure. Choose one of the following options:

  • Create an empty database before creating a workspace.

  • Have Tosca create the database automatically when you create the first workspace.

In either case, make sure to save the database file in a location that's accessible from all machines that should have access.

What's next

Now that you've prepared everything, your team can create multi-user workspaces.