Version 2.8.0 Winter ’23
Executive summary
We’re happy to announce the latest updates to Provar with the release of version 2.8.0. The latest release of Provar version 2.8.0 is now available in the Provar Success Portal. In general, this release is designed to ensure compatibility with the Salesforce Winter ’23 release. This 2.8.0 release is a mandatory release and we recommend updating is beneficial.
Integration With Test Manager! With 2.8.0, we are happy to announce that Provar is now integrated with *Test Manager.
Test Manager is a testing life cycle management application that leverages the Salesforce platform to provide a flexible and robust environment that provides a holistic view of all QA activities, whether you’re undertaking manual, unit or automated functional test activities on any application. This integration will give you a great user experience and a seamless integration.
Some of the major functionalities provided are listed below:
- Test Manager Connection
- Test Project Context Menu
- Test Plan configuration
- Test Execution configuration
- Test Execution Results
*Test Manager now has a new name of Provar Manager, to reflect the wider scope of quality management and analysis. This will be reflected in future product changes and documentation updates.
2.8.0 at a glance:
- Integration with Test Manager.
- Provar compatibility updates for Winter ’23, including information and guidance about any instances where your test cases may require revision.
- Enhanced auto pagination functionality.
- Enhanced custom template support.
- Improved performance for encrypted connections.
- Chrome 104 and 105 compatibility, keeping you up-to-date with the latest versions for Chrome for test authoring and execution.
Access world-class customer support at the Provar Success Portal
Providing ongoing support is a part of our promise to help you deliver robust, scalable and repeatable testing to achieve release agility, drive down system errors and get the maximum return on your Salesforce investment. If you have any questions regarding 2.8.0, please get in touch with us and we would be happy to help. To raise a case, simply log on to the Provar Success Portal and click View/Raise Case.
Useful Information
If you are on a version less than 2.7.2, then delete the .configuration folder; install version 2.8.0 and start with a new workspace.
Advance Information
Java 11 pre-announcement
As part of our ongoing technical maintenance, we are continuously working to upgrade and adopt technology changes to deliver enhancements and to keep Provar up to date with supported 3rd party distributions.
As a part of this process, we have been working over the last year to upgrade Provar’s Java dependency from Java 8 to Java 11. This has been a major challenge due to technology changes but we’re pleased to share that this work is now complete, and rest assured we’re already working on Java 17.
We plan to start distributing Java 11 with our 2.8.1 release around November this year and recommend you make plans for verifying 2.8.1 within your DevOps and QA systems prior to the Salesforce Spring ’23 release in January 2023. If you have concerns or issues with our upgrade to Java 11, please contact your local Provar Customer Success team.
ServiceMax FSA Mobile End of Life Announcement
MicroFocus has superseded the ServiceMax FSA Mobile application with ServiceMax Go. While there are still some ServiceMax FSA users, the need to test changes to the FSA application have largely become redundant. We’re deprecating support for mapping new ServiceMax FSA interactions for our January 2023 release for Spring ’23. Customers with existing ServiceMax FSA tests may still execute them using TestRunner and the Provar CLI from this date, but any issues occurring during execution will no longer be supported, and it will no longer be possible to author new ServiceMax test cases.
We’re making this change to re-introduce new mobile application testing support in the future. This change will not affect customers using Provar’s cross browser testing support via Appium for SauceLabs, Browserstack, Perfecto, Selenium Grid or AWS Device Farm to verify mobile web applications. Customers testing the ServiceMax Salesforce Desktop Web App will also remain unaffected by this change.
Salesforce Winter ’23 support
Winter ’23 general compatibility
Provar version 2.8.0 is compatible with the Winter ‘23 Release. You can learn more about the release here.
The following includes a summary of Winter ’23 updates that Salesforce introduced that we have addressed. Your existing Provar tests that use standard components will continue to perform as expected.
Browsers
Chrome 104 and 105 compatibility
As part of our pre-release testing, we are happy to confirm that Chrome 104 and Chrome 105 are compatible with Provar version 2.8.0.
Who does this impact?
Provar customers who are currently using or would like to upgrade to Chrome 104 and 105.
Why is this important?
Ensuring that ChromeDriver 104 is compatible with Provar version 2.8.0 eliminates the risk of incompatibility issues which can prevent Provar from working as expected.
How can I use this?
If you would like to upgrade to Chrome 104 or 105 we recommend that you upgrade to Provar version 2.8.0, which will use ChromeDriver 104 out of the box.
In general, Provar will automatically attempt to download the correct ChromeDriver if it detects a driver exception. If your organization’s security protocols block the automatic download, you can override the ChromeDriver manually.
To downgrade or revert the ChromeDriver you can refer to this support article that explains how to use a ChromeDriver that is different from the one provided by default in your Provar installation.
What are the browser and driver combinations that you recommend for Provar 2.8.0?
Please refer to the Browser and Driver Recommendations support article for a comprehensive guide.
Packaged ChromeDriver for 2.8.0
Provar version 2.8.0 is packaged with ChromeDriver 104.
Provar Desktop
Integration with Test Manager
Some major highlights of this integration are:
- Setting up a Connection to Test Manager.
- How to upload Test Plans, Test Plan Folders, Test Plan Instances, and Test cases in Test Manager.
- How to configure Test Plans for reporting in Test Manager.
Who does this impact?
All Provar users who want to use Test Manager for managing their testing life cycle, analyzing historical execution, or integrating and scheduling their unit and functional testing can now take advantage of this integration.
Why is this important?
With this seamless integration you can take advantage of both Provar and Test Manager for the ease of creating and executing test cases as well as managing your testing life cycle.
How can I use this feature?
For information on how to use this integration, we’ve put together a new support article, Integration with Test Manager.
Above: Snapshot of Test Manager connection in Provar.
Metadata and Partner connection in Advanced Settings for OAuth (Web & JWT)
Provar now supports Metadata and Partner Connection overrides in the OAuth (WebFlow and JWT) connections.
Who does this impact?
All Provar users who may want to use Metadata and Partner overrides in OAuth (WebFlow and JWT) connections.
Why is this important?
We now support Metadata and Partner Connection overrides in the OAuth (WebFlow and JWT) connections in the same way as we support for other connections. We have added a metadata connection and partner connection in Advanced Settings for OAuth (Web & JWT) connections.
How can I use this feature?
You can use this feature by defining a separate Metadata and Partner Connection for OAuth (Web & JWT) connections as mentioned below.
JWT
- Users can define a separate Metadata Connection in the OAuth JWT Flow > Advanced Settings connection dialog.
- Users can define a separate Partner Connection in the OAuth JWT Flow > Advanced Settings connection dialog.
- Users without ModifyAllData permission can log in to Salesforce using an OAuth JWT connection, having selected a Metadata Connection with a user that has ModifyAllData.
Web Flow
- Users can define a separate Metadata Connection in the OAuth Web Flow > Advanced Settings connection dialog.
- Users can define a separate Partner Connection in the OAuth Web Flow > Advanced Settings connection dialog.
- Users without ModifyAllData permission are able to log in to Salesforce using an OAuth Web Flow connection, having selected a Metadata Connection with a user that has ModifyAllData.
Above: Snapshot of Metadata and Partner overrides in OAuth (Webflow and JWT) connections.
CPQ Quote Information enhancement
Enhanced auto pagination functionality to cover tables which exist inside a tab.
Improved support for Custom Templates
In continuation from the Provar 2.7.2 release, we have enhanced our support for custom Flexipage templates. Provar 2.8.0 includes support for the Recent Items component in custom templates in addition to the existing standard templates support. We plan to deliver additional components in subsequent releases to complete support for the full suite of custom and standard components across standard and custom templates. Contact our support team if you have a priority need or early access to this capability.
New Licensing support
Our current license management system has undergone a change in hosting, and is now hosted by Provar directly, rather than relying on a third party service. The primary reasons for this is to improve overall service availability, support the growing scale of Provar users and provide future insights to users on your product usage.
Who does this impact?
The immediate difference to you as a customer is subtle, and is focused on the migration of current data to the new server. The significant and exciting update is that it offers major benefits, including license usage tracking from the user side and better license management; much of the functionality remains the same. Provar will be scheduling customers for migration to the new service pending any firewall changes your IT Network team needs to make.
Why is this important?
For most customers you can keep using your current license key, we will reach out if there are any exceptions to this.
How can I use this?
Depending on your internal network security, you may need to whitelist a new IP for the new license server cluster. The whitelisted IP’s are provided below and we recommend initiating the whitelisting process with your internal IT team as soon as you receive it. We will begin migrating customers to the new service from October 2022 and this is anticipated to last through to March 2023.
The following IP addresses should be whitelisted on your corporate firewall:
- 3.33.181.102
- 3.33.198.11
- 15.197.201.149
- 15.197.189.154
- 75.2.87.200
- 99.83.184.43
Until migration has been completed we recommend also retaining the existing whitelist for the legacy Provar license server at 160.153.235.197 as this will ensure failback in the event of any issues. For further information on our license whitelisting requirements please see here.