Tip: Data Collectors Behave Differently Based on Test Pass or Fail — IntelliTrace and Test Impact

I learned a very important tip today about Microsoft Test & Lab Manager. The data collectors that you can specify in your test runs (which by the way are extremely helpful) don’t necessarily attach data to the test run or bug all of the time. It depends on the actual success of the test case during the test run. Two example were mentioned today:

• IntelliTrace — The IntellIiTrace data collector will only output a trace log if the test case fails.
• Test Impact Analysis — The Test Impact data collector will only publish test impact data back to Team Foundation Server if the test case succeeds.

So this leads us to the fact that we won’t ever see both of them together at the same time. If you see an IntelliTrace trace log file for a test case then you won’t be getting any test impact data published to the server (and vice versa.) Be sure to have both of them enabled though if you would like to get that type of data when the test case ends. This also helps me in figuring out why I haven’t been getting impacted tests in my build reports and the handy view of “recommend tests” based on choosing a build in MTLM. I need to actually pass some tests to get that data published back up to the server!

How about that? Very handy to know. The Visual Studio Quality Tools team has a blog that has been very active lately. If you would like to learn more about Microsoft Test & Lab Manager head on over to the site.

Ed Blankenship