Operating Modes

Operating Modes

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Key properties
• Modes
  • Single User
  • Multi user
  • Connectathon
  • CAS
• Other Features
  • Internet (user interface over https)
  • Restricted Testkit

Overview

Toolkit operates in one of four modes

• Single user - private installation - or multiple users where no information hiding is necessary

• Multi user - introduce user accounts and hide simulators and logs from other users. New user accounts can be created by users.

• Connectathon - extension of multi user mode where you are placed into a default user account when you launch in the browser. Allows skipping the sign-in step at testing events.

• CAS - multi user extensions for Conformity Assessment testing. Users cannot create new user accounts and cannot select environment.

• Internet - extension of multi user mode where UI is referenced through SSL.

A user account in Toolkit is called a Test Session. All data is owned by a Test Session. This includes test logs and simulators. When using a mode other than single user test session IDs are secret - somewhat of a secret password that only the owner knows. You must know the test session ID to enter.

Key properties

These are the key configuration parameters (toolkit.properties) for configuring the operate mode. Documentation for each property is here.

Default_Environment
Gazelle_Config_URL
Gazelle_testing_session
Multiuser_mode
Nonce_size
Default_Test_Session
Default_Test_Session_is_Protected
Cas_mode
Ignore_internal_testkit
Using_SSL
SSL_Port

Modes

Single User

This was the original and is the default configuration when Toolkit is downloaded and installed. This mode is appropriate for a private installation on a personal development machine. There is a password required for viewing/updating the configuration and for saving a system configuration. All other facilities are unrestricted.

Configuration

Default_Environment = default              // can be changed but this is the factory setting
Gazelle_Config_URL                         // not used
Gazelle_testing_session                    // not used
Multiuser_mode = false
Nonce_size                                 // not used
Default_Test_Session = default             // not used
Default_Test_Session_is_Protected = false
Cas_mode = false
Ignore_internal_testkit = false            // internal Testkit us usually enabled in single user
Using_SSL = false                          // UI not running on SSL
SSL_Port                                   // not used

Multi user

Multi user mode defines a level of authentication and adds restrictions on what a user can see and do. This is the basis for Connectathon and CAS modes which introduce additional restrictions.

The main focus of multi user mode is to prevent one user from viewing/modifying the data belonging to another user.

Controls at the top of the window allow you to create a new test session. This generates a test session ID which is displayed. The test session ID is like a password. It is not an obvious - usually 5 hexadecimal characters, so it is hard to guess. This secret id operates as both the identifier for the test session and the secret to enter.

Other controls allow for the deletion of the test session (deletes all similators and logs associated with it) or entering a different test session. When you enter a new test session all your current tools are closed.

Starting with multi user mode the data owned by the default test session is protected but visible. Default test session data becomes "system" data. Visible to all but only alterable by admin. This is where shared/protected data is placed. Data refers to test logs and simulators.

The admin password must be entered to launch a tool in the default test session.

Connectathon and CAS modes extend multi-user mode.

Configuration

Default_Environment = default              // can be changed but this is the factory setting
Gazelle_Config_URL                         // not used
Gazelle_testing_session                    // not used
Multiuser_mode = true
Nonce_size = 5                             // length of the secret ID
Default_Test_Session = default             // this is a required parameter in multi user mode. This is the test session entered when a new window launches
Default_Test_Session_is_Protected = false
Cas_mode = false
Ignore_internal_testkit = false            // internal Testkit us usually enabled in single user
Using_SSL = false                          // UI not running on SSL
SSL_Port                                   // not used

Connectathon

An extension of multi user mode with some convienences built in for operating at large testing events.

Default_Test_Session is set to something other than default. The default test session is the one entered when you launch toolkit in your browser (as opposed to the admin-owned test session named default). By setting this parameter a user can launch and start work without entering a test session ID (since data in the test session default is protected.) At Connectathon this test session is named cat.

Default_Test_Session_is_Protected is set to true. Utilities like Find Documents can be used but the Conformance tool cannot and simulators cannot be created. For users to use these features they must create private Test Sessions (which they can do without admin password).

Gazelle_Config_URL is set to the base URL of the Gazelle service running Connectathon.

Gazelle_testing_session is the Gazelle test session (not related to the toolkit test session) used for this event.

These last two parameters are what links Toolkit to Gazelle for downloading system configurations. Once these are set properly the configurations can be pulled out of Gazelle using the Load all Gazlle Configurations button on the Toolkit Configuration tab.

Configuration

Default_Environment = default              // can be changed but this is the factory setting
Gazelle_Config_URL                         // Gazelle base address
Gazelle_testing_session                    // Gazelle test session number
Multiuser_mode = true
Nonce_size = 5                             // length of the secret ID
Default_Test_Session = cat             // this is a required parameter in multi user mode. This is the test session entered when a new window launches
Default_Test_Session_is_Protected = true
Cas_mode = false
Ignore_internal_testkit = false            // internal Testkit us usually enabled in single user
Using_SSL = false                          // UI not running on SSL
SSL_Port                                   // not used

CAS

CAS mode (short for Conformity Assessment) is a restricted form of multi user mode where

• Environment is not changeable or displayed

• Admin access is required to create Test Sessions.

Other Features

Internet (user interface over https)

This is multi user with the UI using SSL which means the Toolkit URL is https instead of http. Actually these properties can be mixed with any mode so this is really a feature and not a mode.

Configuration

Using_SSL = true                          // UI running on SSL
SSL_Port  = 8081                          // UI port for SSL (must align with Tomcat configuration)

Restricted Testkit

This is focuses on the property Ignore_internal_testkit. Testkits are like path elements used to find commands in Unix. There can be many and there is a well defined search order for using them.

By default the internal Testkit, the one residing inside the Toolkit WAR, is always searched last. The default Testkit for the current environent is searched before that. The Testkit named for the current Test Session, which resided in the current Environment, is searched first.

By ignoring the internal testkit, a custom testing setup can be created offering a fixed set of tests.