Installing and Getting Started with ZBots

Prerequisites

Before installing ZBot, make sure you have JDK 17.0.10 for ZBot to run.

Java - one of the following:

  • OpenJDK 17.0.10 (recommended): Download here / Unzip to any folder

  • Oracle Java JDK 17.0.10: Download - here / Installation instructions - here

Update the PATH and JAVA_HOME environment variables

Once you have the JDK installed, ZBot needs a couple of environment variables set. You can set the variables this way to allow it to persist through reboots.

Note that the steps may vary depending on your Windows version.

  1. Click Start > Control Panel > System

  2. Click Advanced > Environment Variables

  3. Scroll through the fields until you find PATH

  4. Add the location of the bin folder of the install for PATH in System variables (do not delete the existing value, just add to the beginning of it)

A typical path is:

  • for OpenJDK: C:\<SomeFolder>\jdk-17\bin

  • for Oracle JDK: C:\Program Files\Java\JDK_17.0.<version>\bin

Note that the steps may vary depending on your Windows version.

  1. Click Start > Control Panel > System

  2. Click Advanced > Environment Variables

  3. Scroll through the fields until you find JAVA_HOME, if it's not present Add it to the System variables.

  4. Add the location of the JDK root folder to the value of JAVA_HOME in System variables.

A typical path is:

  • for OpenJDK: C:\<SomeFolder>\jdk-17\bin

  • for Oracle JDK: C:\Program Files\Java\JDK_17.0.<version>\bin

Note that the steps may vary depending on your version of Linux.

  1. Set JAVA_HOME using the syntax export JAVA_HOME=path to JDK. For example, export JAVA_HOME= /usr/java/jdk17.0.10_xx/.

  2. Set PATH using the syntax export PATH=${PATH}:path to the JDK bin. For example, export PATH=${PATH}:/usr/java/jdk17.0.10_xx/bin

  3. Verify the settings using the following commands:

    echo $JAVA_HOME
    echo $PATH
  4. The output must display the JAVA_HOME and PATH that you set.

Important

Make sure you have specified the correct path.

Download ZBot

You may download the ZBot directly from Zephyr.

  1. Click your username in the top-right corner of the main Zephyr screen and select Download ZBot from the menu.

  2. In the subsequent dialog, specify a name for your ZBot so that you can easily identify it in Zephyr and click Download.

  3. Unzip the downloaded archive and place it in a folder on your hard drive.

Contents of ZIP file:

Zip Package - Once unzipped, the following is present in the unzipped folder:

  1. zbot_install_service_64.bat (To start ZBot and create automatic Services when your computer starts, just run the zbot_install_service_64.bat file in Windows)

  2. zbot_start.bat (Run the zbot_start.bat batch file to start ZBot. To shut it down, just close the terminal)

  3. zbot_start / stop shell scripts for Linux and Unix

  4. conf/zbot.properties

  5. zbotsocket/[email protected]

Run ZBot

Windows

You can start ZBot right after downloading, there is no need to configure it in any way. It is preconfigured to use your Zephyr URL, username and password, however, you can change these values in the conf\zbot.properties file, if needed.

zbots-run-zbots.png
  • Run the zbot_start.bat batch file to start ZBot. To shut it down, just close the terminal.

  • To start ZBot automatically, you can schedule to run the batch file automatically by using Windows Task Scheduler.

  • To start ZBot as a service when your computer starts, just run the zbot_install_service_64.bat file.

Note

ZBot must be run as administrator.

Linux and MacOS

You can start ZBot right after downloading, there is no need to configure it in any way. It is preconfigured to use your Zephyr URLusername and password, however, you can change these values in the conf\zbot.properties file, if needed.

Note

Zbot must be run as root. Run the sudo commands for root permission.

Open a terminal window and navigate to $ZBOT_EXTRACTION_FOLDER/zbot and use the following to administer:

  • ./bin/zbot.sh start - to start the ZBot in background

  • ./bin/zbot.sh status - to check the status of the ZBot

  • ./bin/zbot.sh stop - to stop the ZBot

  • ./bin/zbot.sh console - to run the ZBot in an interactive mode

Log files are in $ZBOT_EXTRACTION_FOLDER/zbot/logs.

Creating Automation Jobs

A job is a task with a number of parameters. You use it to automate your test cases. You can create three types of jobs: Script Automation, Suite Automation and Folder Watcher.

  • Script Automation job triggers a automation script that retrieves data from the specified test automation tool through the ZBot and passes it to Zephyr. Click here to learn more.

  • An Automation job allows you to trigger an execution directly from Zephyr, and once the automation is done, it posts the results to Zephyr. Click here to learn more.

  • Folder Watcher job waits for results to appear in the specified results folder, and if any report file is generated, it posts the results to Zephyr. Click here to learn more.

Warning

Before running a job, you need to start ZBot. You can execute your jobs only when ZBot is running.

API Tokens

Downloading ZBot also creates a Zephyr API Token (a token is generated automatically based on the ZBot name) and adds it to the ZBot properties file. You can then use this token to control your ZBot via API. To view the API tokens you have created or to create a new one, click your username in the top-right corner and select API Token from the menu:

zbots-api-tokens.png
Publication date: