With unattended execution, you can execute graphical user interface tests with a locked screen, i.e. test keyboard or mouse operations without a user logged in to the agent computer.

When you execute your TestEvents, Tricentis Tosca automatically establishes a remote desktop connection (RDP). The system severs the connection once it has executed all TestCases.

Opening and closing RDP connections may impact execution times. Tricentis recommends limiting the number of Distribution Agents with RDP access for your user interface tests.

Install unattended execution

Unattended execution is installed together with Tosca Distributed Execution as part of the Tricentis Tosca standard installation and the Tosca Server installation. For more information, see chapter "Install Tosca Distribution Agent".

A Tosca RDP Server and a Tosca Distribution Agent must not run on the same machine.

Set up unattended execution

To set up unattended execution for Tosca Distributed Execution, follow the steps below:

1. Make sure that Port 3389 is open for outbound communication. Port 3389 is the default port for Remote Desktop on Windows and cannot be configured.

2. If you have not started the Tosca RDP Server before, right-click the file ToscaRdpServer.exe and select Run as administrator from the context menu. This file is located in the DEXRdpServer folder, by default C:\Program Files (x86)\TRICENTIS\Tosca Server\DEXRdpServer.

   You only need to do this once. After you have started the Tosca RDP Server for the first time, it will start automatically on system startup.

3. Start your Distribution Agents.

4. Configure each Distribution Agent:

   • Define the connection to the Tosca Distribution Server.

   • Set up the agent workspace.

   • Set up a remote desktop connection.

5. On each machine from which you want to trigger executions, define the connection to the Tosca Distribution Server.

Once you have set up unattended execution for Tosca Distributed Execution, you can:

1. Create and execute your TestEvents.

2. Monitor the execution of your TestEvents with the Tosca Distributed Execution Monitor.

Optional configurations

You can set optional configurations for the Tosca RDP Server, the Tosca Distribution Server, and the Tosca Distribution Agents.

Scale unattended execution

The Tosca (RDP) Server consumes substantial amounts of memory because it manages the UI sessions of the agents connected to the Tosca Distribution Server. For this reason, you may run into memory limitations when you need the Tosca RDP Server to handle a high number of RDP connections.

There are two ways to ease this memory load:

• Limit the number of RDP connections that a Tosca RDP Server is allowed to handle

• Increase the number of Tosca RDP Servers and limit the number of RDP connections to them

Customize the behavior of the Tosca RDP Server

The Tosca RDP Server tries to establish a connection to the Tosca Distribution Agent for a set amount of time. If it cannot establish a connection within that time frame, it aborts. If needed, you can increase that time frame.

To do so, modify the applicationSettings of the ToscaRdpServer.exe.config file. This file is located in the DEXRdpServer folder (by default, C:\Program Files (x86)\TRICENTIS\Tosca Server\DEXRdpServer).

• StartupTimeout defines the time in milliseconds the Tosca RDP Server tries to establish a connection. The default value is 180000.

• CheckConnectionInterval defines the time interval in milliseconds before the connection status is checked once the connection has been established. If you have increased StartupTimeout, you should also increase CheckConnectionInterval.

  By default, the value is set to 5000.

<applicationSettings>
	<Tricentis.RdpServer.Properties.Settings>
		<setting name="StartupTimeout" serializeAs="String">
			<value>180000</value>
		</setting>
		<setting name="CheckConnectionInterval" serializeAs="String">
			<value>5000</value>
		</setting>
	</Tricentis.RdpServer.Properties.Settings>
</applicationSettings>

Optional configurations for Tosca Distribution Agents

You can set the following optional configurations for your Tosca Distribution Agents:

• Change machine-related information, such as the operating system or the IP address, and set custom configuration parameters for your agent. For more information on how to use custom configuration parameters to specify which Tosca Distribution Agent should execute which TestEvent, see chapter "Customize execution behavior".

• Configure logging options for the Tosca Distribution Agent and its workspace.

• If you are using a proxy server, establish the communication between proxy and agent.

• If you want encrypted communication between the Tosca Distribution Agent and the Tosca Distribution Server, set up an HTTPS connection.

Optional configurations for the Tosca Distribution Server

You can set the following optional configurations for your Tosca Distribution Server:

• Change the synchronization interval between the Tosca Distribution Server and Tosca Distribution Agents.

• Whitelist specific domains, so the Tosca Distribution Server only accepts agents from these domains.

• Change the path of the server log file.