How to: Choose Test Settings and Environments for a Test Plan

Test settings use diagnostic data adapters, which specify various types of data to collect when you run manual tests, automated tests, or both. Diagnostic data adapters can also specify how to affect the test machine. For example, a diagnostic data adapter might create an action recording, an action log, a video recording, or collect system information. Additionally, diagnostic data adapters can be used to simulate potential bottlenecks on the test machine or reduce the available system memory. For example, you can emulate a slow network to impose a bottleneck on the system.

Before you select different test settings, you must first create new test settings. For more information, see How to: Create Test Settings for a Test Plan.

If you use test settings that run automated tests or collect data remotely for manual tests, you must define a set of roles in your test settings. You must select environments for your test plan that include this set of roles. For more information about roles and environments, see Setting Up Test Machines to Run Tests or Collect Data.

Choosing Manual Test Settings and an Environment

To select manual test settings and an environment

1. Open Microsoft Test Manager.

   Note

   To display the Microsoft Test Manager window, click Start, and then click All Programs. Point to Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 and then click Microsoft Test Manager 2010.

2. Click the down-arrow on the center group switcher and then click Testing Center.

3. On the center group menu bar, click Plan and then click Properties.

   The properties for the currently selected test plan are displayed.

4. Click the drop-down arrow on Test settings under Manual runs and select the test setting.

   With the test setting selected, you can view and change the test setting by clicking Open to the right of the Test settings drop-down list box. When you select a test setting, the available environments for the roles that are defined in your test settings are listed in Test environment.

   Note

   If you are not collecting data remotely, the <Local> test environment will be selected automatically in the test plan view.

5. (Optional) To select a different test environment from the list of available environments, click the drop-down arrow on Test environment under Manual runs and select the environment that you want.

   Note

   To create a new environment, click Manage to the right of the Test environment drop-down list box.

6. Click Save on the toolbar.

   Note

   You can also create test settings in Lab Center by clicking Test Settings on the center group menu bar and then clicking New.

Choosing Automated Test Settings and an Environment

To select automated test settings and an environment

1. Open Microsoft Test Manager.

   Note

   To display the Microsoft Test Manager window, click Start, and then click All Programs. Point to Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 and then click Microsoft Test Manager 2010.

2. Click the down-arrow on the center group switcher and then click Testing Center.

3. On the center group menu bar, click Plan and then click Properties.

   The properties for the currently selected test plan are displayed.

4. Click the drop-down arrow on Test settings under Automated runs and select the test setting.

   With the test setting selected, you can view and change the test setting by clicking Open to the right of the Test settings drop-down list box. When you select a test setting, the available environments for the roles that are defined in your test settings are listed in Test environment.

5. (Optional) To select a different test environment from the list of available environments, click the drop-down arrow on Test environment under Manual runs and select the environment that you want.

   Note

   To create a new environment, click Manage to the right of the Test environment drop-down list box.

6. Click Save on the toolbar.

   Note

   You can also create test settings in Lab Center by clicking Test Settings on the center group menu bar and then clicking New.

See Also

Tasks

How to: Create Test Settings for a Test Plan

Concepts

Defining Your Testing Effort Using Test Plans