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Test Author guide
This guide, which is intended for a tester and test manager, describes how to create test assets in Rational® Test Automation Server and publish test assets to the Git repository that you have configured.
Datasets overview
A dataset provides tests with variable data during a run. The test that uses a dataset at run time replaces a value in the recorded test with variable test data that is stored in the dataset.
Dataset editing
You can add, modify, or remove data from a dataset by using the CSV Editor. The working principle of the CSV Editor is similar to that of a spreadsheet.
Dataset encryption
Encrypted datasets are useful when you want to run tests that contain confidential information such as a set of passwords or account numbers.

Test Author guide
This guide, which is intended for a tester and test manager, describes how to create test assets in Rational® Test Automation Server and publish test assets to the Git repository that you have configured.
- Datasets overview
  A dataset provides tests with variable data during a run. The test that uses a dataset at run time replaces a value in the recorded test with variable test data that is stored in the dataset.
  - Creating a dataset
    You can create datasets in Rational® Test Automation Server to replace the existing dataset values with new dataset values during a test or schedule run.
  - Dataset editing
    You can add, modify, or remove data from a dataset by using the CSV Editor. The working principle of the CSV Editor is similar to that of a spreadsheet.
    - Dataset encryption
      Encrypted datasets are useful when you want to run tests that contain confidential information such as a set of passwords or account numbers.
      - Encrypting a dataset column
        To secure test data, you must encrypt datasets. You can encrypt data in the columns of a dataset by using an encryption key. When you run a test that utilizes a dataset with encrypted variables, you must enter the encryption key for the encrypted column that the test uses.
      - Decrypting a dataset column
        To view the content of an encrypted dataset, you can decrypt the dataset column. Removing encryption from a dataset revokes the protection offered to the test data.
  - Publishing a dataset
    When you create or edit any datasets in Rational® Test Automation Server, you can publish your changes to the Git repository. Therefore, when you publish a dataset, other members in the project can use your dataset in their test assets run, if required.
  - Viewing a dataset
    When test assets includes datasets, you can view the contents of a dataset from Rational® Test Automation Server. The datasets residing in the Git repository are listed in the Datasets page.
  - Deleting a dataset
    You can delete the dataset when it is not required in your test environment.
- Generation of test data
  To test an application, you use data that is passed to get real-time results. Since creating test data manually is time-consuming, you can use HCL® OneTest™ Data, an automated tool to generate random test data. You can generate the test data in various file formats.

Dataset encryption

Encrypted datasets are useful when you want to run tests that contain confidential information such as a set of passwords or account numbers.

When you run a test that uses an encrypted dataset, then you must provide an encryption key for decrypting the encrypted data in columns so that the data can be used in the test. If the test uses data from the multiple encrypted dataset columns, you must enter the same encryption key for every encrypted dataset column that the test uses.

When you run the test that uses the dataset with the encrypted column, the value of the column is decrypted at a run time. The data in the column is sent as a clear-text string in requests to the server. The actual values of the encrypted dataset variables are not displayed in the test log. The test log displays asterisks for the encrypted dataset variables.

You can use only one encryption key to encrypt data in the columns in any dataset.

Important:

The encryption keys that you use to encrypt data in a dataset are not stored on the server nor can be retrieved from the server. Therefore, you must remember to store the encryption keys in a secure location. You must use the same encryption keys to perform the following operations:

View the encrypted values
Decrypt data
Enable the use of the encrypted dataset during test runs