Help on Understanding SAP TAO functionalities

Question

Hi,
I am a automation tester who is new to SAP TAO. Our team will shortly be working on a test automation project using TAO. I do not have access to SAP TAO yet. I have gone through the various files (PDFs, PPTs, Flash movies) available on the site to get to know what TAO is all about.  I have following doubts w.r.t  TAO functionalities:
1. Change Analyser & Inspection do the same job to find changes in the SAP system isnt it? How different are these two other than Change Analyser repairing the broken components?
2. What is the need for consolidation? We can directly upload transactions to QC isnt it (without consolidating)
3. Where does QTP come into picture here? Everything is between SAP TAO & QC isnt it? For the project purpose we have to integrate QTP with QC, isnt it? Or is it mandatory to have QTP.
4. Also I didnt understand the integration between UI Scanner & QTP.
These questions might  seem too naive. But please help with my doubts & as how QTP is integrated with SAP TAO as none of us know much.
Thanks in advance.
Cheers,
Soumya

Answer 1

Hello,
Soumya u2013 After I read all your questions I understood is you need to know what is SAP TAO.
In a simple first assume you donu2019t have TAO. So what you will do is using QTP with SAP add-ins you will record a simple transaction login, some actions, logoff then you modify your script like adding parameterization, etc..then you  will save the script into QC &  from test lab when you click on Run, first QTP launches then it will execute and store the results in QC.  If it complex scenario like New Hire, OTC cycle ..it will just take plenty of time to just recording a transaction & writing a VB code.
So now using SAP TAO when you install it, it will come with some default components of SAP like. Login, logoff, get text, set text etc..around some 326 as far as I know and some recording options like PFA, Inspection, UI Scanner etcu2026 some other features also have self check, change analyzer & Repository, Consolidation , so already components were built in SAP TAO using QTP now if we use SAP  TAO it helps us without recording using QTP from scratch like basic components.
So now you know some components were built in SAP TAO now how do you execute it ? For this you need a QTP to launch the script and execute it ? Is this clear now?:)
Coming to PFA & Inspection u2013 these are two recording options in SAP TAO instead of using QTP with SAP add-ins & writing plenty of code in VB. You will just insert a transaction and record or inspect using SAP TAO then you will upload script into QC then after consolidation you will execute it from lab and when you click on run, QTP launches the script and execute. i.e. means. While you are recording a transaction using SAP TAO backend there is some script is generating in your words.
Coming to UI Scanner : it scans the screens i.e. means when you insert a transaction code when you click on execute , QTP will launch and generate a script here you will not touch with any QTP script once you scanned automatically scanned component will be uploaded into QC and when execute this , QTP will launch and execute the script.
Coming to Consolidation:  Forget about all these Object Repository etc...In a simple Consolidation is nothing but you is just consolidating all your components in single component and making a final component and will increase the performance of the script.  Ex: using PFA or UI Scanner you will record a transaction (i..e. Test scenario) then you will upload into QC. Then you will modify some changes to the scenario liking adding Logoff, Capture screen, Get Text etc...Then you will consolidate the script using SAP TAO then you will drag that into test plan then test lab and execute. Once you will execute QTP launches the script and execute the script.  Removing components means for example using PFA you recorded a script there are unnecessary things like check transaction, messages etc...You don't need some times so u will remove those things in QC level and nothing  to do with  QTP here. QTP just comes into the picture when you will execute it from Lab only.
If you don't use consolidation option every time QTP initialize the script and execute every step so if you have 20 components added in your script so 20 times QTP initialize the script so that performance will be slow if you consolidate all , it will initialize  once then execute rest of all scenario fast.
Just want to tell you never go for Inspection option for recording you should be very familiar with all screens and numbers then only you can make good script and its waste of so much time to identify all screen numbers and compare each. So better to go for UI Scanner or PFA. You should know when to use PFA and when to you use UI Scanner. PFA is good for if transaction has 20 to 30 screens like New Hire action. UI Scanner you can go for min screens. Ex: all P2P, OTC etc....& will not recommend using Inspection.
Any automation test script execution you need a QTP, think practically how can you execute a script with only QC & TAO is a just option where we can utilize existing components and can be used for easy  instead of recording using QTP with SAP add-ins & writing plenty of VB code.
So now you will know your above question answers if you understood correctly
SAP TAO is a front end tool it integrates with QC, QTP & BPT.
Good luck.
Ram
Edited by: Ram Challa on Dec 8, 2010 12:35 PM