How run UI tests on a Azure VM using Azure DevOps (VSTS) ?

[VinnyK]

Hi All,

I have some TestComplete UI tests for a desktop application, which I am able to run via Visual Studio and integrate it with Azure DevOps (VSTS), however I would like to run these tests on an Azure VM UI interactive, how do I go about doing this?

The devops agent has been installed on the VM and I am able to build the test project on that VM(via Azure DevOps) and Test Execute is running but when the test task(Azure DevOps build step where it triggers the test run) is kicked off, it errors on that step and in the logs I see 

----> System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception : This operation requires an interactive window station.

Has anyone successfully ran the TestComplete UI tests on a Azure VM using Azure DevOps? If you have please suggest what can be done to achive this. Many thanks in advance.

[AlexKaras]

Hi,

> This operation requires an interactive window station.

In order for TestComplete/TestExecute to be able to interact with tested application's UI, your tested application must run in the non-locked active interactive user session (i.e. the user on behalf of whose account tests are executed must be interactively logged on into the system). This is essential requirement of the Windows OS, but not something specific for TestComplete.

So I think that you must provide interactive session on the remote machine first and then use it to execute automated tests.

I did not use Azure and Azure DevOps so, unfortunately, cannot help with exact steps but I hope that https://support.smartbear.com/testcomplete/docs/working-with/integration/azure/index.html help article will help you.

[VinnyK · Accepted solution]

The build agent was configured to be interactive. 

I was able to resolve this by re-configuring the build agent and enabling autologon, this works now.  :-)

I knew that this has got nothing to do with TestComplete in a way, but was hoping if someone would have come across same issue in Azure. 

thanks

[AlexKaras]

Hi,

Yes, this seems to be the correct way.

Again, without too much knowledge about Azure DevOps but with the memories about Windows services:

-- Service, configured to be interactive is allowed to send messages to the user desktop if it is present. Service will do its job sulently/unattended if the desktop is absent;

-- Implemented autologon ensures that the user desktop is present and thus tested application can render its UI.