Start TestExecute from TeamCity

To test our desktop application we are using TestComplete/TestExecute. We have a Master project that is started on a Management machine. This Master project doesn't require interaction with the Desktop, it is not testing our App.

This project will start the Slave remote project (actual UI tests of our app that require Desktop Interaction) on different VMs through TestExecute directly.

We are currently moving our Build process to TeamCity. On this Management machine we have a Build Agent from TeamCity. The Build Agent is running as service with a System Account (not the Local System Account).

We are not using the Local System Account (that can interact to the Desktop) because we need a domain account to access domain resources. And we don't want to start the Agent as a process, we want to keep it at a service.

Right now, we can't start TestExecute directly from TeamCity because TestExecute requires an interactive session and the Account of the Build Agent can't interact with Desktop. We tried with a script (executed from TeamCity) to create a PSSession with a normal user that have access to Desktop and start TestExecute from this PSSession. But this is not working either.

Here is the exception that we had with both cases (directly and through PSSession):

Start-Process : This command cannot be run due to the error: This operation requires an interactive window station.
At line:3 char:9
+         Start-Process "D:\SmartBear\TestExecute 12\Bin\TestExecute.ex ...
+         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (:) [Start-Process], InvalidOperationException
     + FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvalidOperationException,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.StartProcessCommand

Does anyone have a solution to start tests with TestExecute from TeamCity ? As I said this project doesn't need to interact with desktop, it will start the UI test on different VMs through TestExecute directly.

Or is it possible for a domain system account (like the one we are using) to interact with the Desktop ?

Solution

Inside the installation directory of TestExecute, you can find the manifest File TCLauncher.exe.Manifest :

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<assembly xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" manifestVersion="1.0">
  <trustInfo xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3">
    <security>
      <requestedPrivileges>
        <!-- Here is the relevant part -->
        <requestedExecutionLevel level="asInvoker" uiAccess="true">
        </requestedExecutionLevel>
      </requestedPrivileges>
    </security>
  </trustInfo>
</assembly>

You can configure the uiAccess to false.

If you don't use the TCLauncher, but directly TestExecute.exe, there is also a Manifest file, with the same section <Security> that you can configure.

You also can specify the level, from asInvoker to highestAvailable, but you might be prompted by the UAC.