Run unattended tests with team agents

Tosca Cloud lets you run tests unattended on virtual machines. To run tests unattended, your team agent needs an active Windows desktop session. To create an active session for unattended test runs, choose one of the following options:

• Configure Microsoft Autologon to automatically sign in a specific user at boot. This is our recommended option because it's easier to configure as well as more reliable.

• Configure Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) if your organization doesn't allow Autologon or storing user credentials on your machine.

Key differences

These are the key differences between Microsoft Autologon and RDP:

	Microsoft Autologon	RDP
Credentials	Windows encrypts and stores your credentials as a Local Security Authority (LSA) secret in the registry and uses them during startup.	You enter credentials at runtime, and Windows protects them during the session with Data Protection API (DPAPI).
Sessions	Windows creates the session automatically at startup.	You need to connect manually.
Policy considerations	May conflict with security or group policies that restrict Autologon.	May conflict with policies that block RDP access.

Recommendation

We strongly recommend Microsoft Autologon for unattended test runs. Here's why:

• It's easier to configure and maintain.

• It's more reliable, because it doesn't depend on a stable RDP connection.

• It's more robust. The agent automatically recovers a session after a reboot.

• It's easier to manage than RDP.

RDP disrupts test runs

If you're working with unattended test runs, Autologon is more reliable than RDP. Connections may fail due to network issues, Windows updates, or session policies. This will cause test runs to fail. Use RDP only if Autologon is not an option in your environment.

What's next

Configure your agent for unattended test runs with Microsoft Autologon or RDP.