ELITEA Toolkit Guide: Zephyr Scale Integration

Introduction

Purpose of this Guide

This guide is your definitive resource for integrating and effectively utilizing the Zephyr Scale toolkit within ELITEA. It provides a detailed, step-by-step walkthrough, from setting up your Zephyr Scale API token to configuring the toolkit in ELITEA and seamlessly incorporating it into your Agents. By following this guide, you will unlock the power of automated test management, streamlined QA workflows, and enhanced collaboration between development and testing teams, all directly within the ELITEA platform. This integration empowers you to leverage AI-driven automation to optimize your Zephyr Scale-driven workflows, enhance QA productivity, and improve software quality within your projects.

Brief Overview of Zephyr Scale

Zephyr Scale, by SmartBear, is a leading test management application for Jira, designed to provide comprehensive test management capabilities directly within the Jira environment. It is widely used by QA teams to plan, organize, execute, and track software testing efforts seamlessly integrated with their Jira projects. Zephyr Scale offers a wide array of functionalities, including:

Integrating Zephyr Scale with ELITEA brings these powerful test management capabilities directly into your AI-driven workflows. Your ELITEA Agents can then intelligently interact with your Zephyr Scale test assets to automate test management tasks, enhance QA processes, improve test coverage analysis, and leverage AI to optimize your entire software testing lifecycle within Zephyr Scale.

Toolkit's Account Setup and Configuration in Zephyr Scale

Account Setup and Zephyr Scale Integration with Jira

Zephyr Scale is an app for Jira and requires an active Jira instance with the Zephyr Scale app installed. To set up your Zephyr Scale account and integrate it with Jira, follow these steps:

  1. Access Jira Instance: Log in to your Jira instance (Cloud or Server/Data Center) where you want to install and use Zephyr Scale. You will need Jira administrator privileges to install apps.
  2. Navigate to Jira Administration - Apps: In Jira, go to the administration menu (usually by clicking the gear icon in the top right corner) and select "Apps".

    ZephyrScale-APPs

  3. Find Zephyr Scale in Marketplace: In the Atlassian Marketplace, search for "Zephyr Scale".

    ZephyrScale-Marketplace

  4. Install Zephyr Scale: Locate the "Zephyr Scale - Test Management for Jira" app (or "Zephyr Scale Cloud" for Jira Cloud) and click on "Get app" or "Try it free" to start the installation process.

    ZephyrScale-Get_APP

  5. Add to Jira: Follow the prompts to add the Zephyr Scale app to your Jira instance. You may need to accept terms and conditions and confirm the installation.

  6. Verify Installation: Once the installation is complete, you should see a confirmation message indicating that Zephyr Scale has been added to Jira. You can typically access Zephyr Scale features within your Jira projects under the "Zephyr Scale" menu item in the project sidebar.

    ZephyrScale-Install_Success

  7. Access Zephyr Scale within Jira Project: Navigate to a Jira project where you want to use Zephyr Scale. You should now see Zephyr Scale-specific options in the project sidebar, such as "Test Cases", "Test Cycles", "Test Plans", and "Reports".

Token/API Key Generation: Creating a Zephyr Scale API Access Token

For secure integration with ELITEA, it is essential to use a Zephyr Scale API Access Token. This method is more secure than using your primary Jira account password directly and allows you to control access permissions for ELITEA.

Follow these steps to generate a Zephyr Scale API Access Token:

  1. Log in to Jira: Access your Jira instance (Cloud or Server/Data Center) where Zephyr Scale is installed and log in with your Jira credentials.
  2. Access User Profile Settings: Click on your profile avatar in the top right corner of the Jira interface. From the dropdown menu, select "Profile" or "Personal settings".
  3. Navigate to Zephyr Scale API Access Tokens: In your profile settings, look for a section related to Zephyr Scale API access tokens. This is often labeled as "Zephyr Scale API Access Tokens" or similar. You may need to scroll down or navigate through tabs within your profile settings to find this section.

    ZephyrScale-API_Access_Tokens

  4. Create Access Token: In the "Zephyr Scale API Access Tokens" section, click on "Create Access Token" or a similar button to generate a new API token.

    ZephyrScale-Create_Access_Token

  5. Name Your Token: In the "Create Access Token" dialog, enter a descriptive Label for your token, such as "ELITEA Integration Token" or "ELITEA Agent Access." This label will help you identify the purpose of this token later.

  6. Create Token: Click the "Create" or "Generate" button to create the API token.
  7. Securely Copy and Store Your API Token: Immediately copy the generated API token that is displayed in the pop-up window. This is the only time you will see the full token value. Store it securely in a password manager or, preferably, ELITEA's built-in Secrets feature for enhanced security within ELITEA. You will need this API token to configure the Zephyr Scale toolkit in ELITEA.

ZephyrScale-Created_Access_Token

System Integration with ELITEA

Agent Creation/Configuration

To integrate Zephyr Scale functionalities into your workflows, you will need to configure the Zephyr Scale toolkit within an ELITEA Agent. You can either create a new Agent specifically for Zephyr Scale interactions or modify an existing Agent to incorporate Zephyr Scale tools.

  1. Navigate to Agents Menu: In ELITEA, go to the Agents menu from the main navigation panel.
  2. Create or Edit Agent:
    • Create a New Agent: Click on the "+ Agent" button to create a new Agent. Follow the on-screen prompts to define essential Agent attributes such as Agent name, a descriptive Agent description, the desired Agent type, and initial instructions for the Agent.
    • Edit an Existing Agent: Select the Agent you intend to integrate with Zephyr Scale from your list of Agents. Click on the Agent's name to open its configuration settings for editing.
  3. Access Tools Section: Within the Agent configuration interface, scroll down until you locate the "Tools" section. This section is where you will add and configure toolkits, including the Zephyr Scale toolkit.

Toolkit Configuration

This section provides detailed instructions on how to configure the Zephyr Scale toolkit within your ELITEA Agent.

  1. Add Toolkit: In the "Tools" section of the Agent configuration, click on the "+" icon. This action will display a dropdown list of available toolkits that can be integrated with your Agent.
  2. Select Zephyr Scale Toolkit: From the dropdown list of available toolkits, choose "Zephyr Scale". Selecting "Zephyr Scale" will open the "New Zephyr_Scale tool" configuration panel, where you will specify the settings for your Zephyr Scale integration.
  3. Configure Zephyr Scale Toolkit Settings: Carefully fill in the following configuration fields within the "New Zephyr_Scale tool" section:

    • Name: Enter a descriptive Name for your Zephyr Scale toolkit instance. Choose a name that is easily recognizable and helps you identify its purpose within your Agent's instructions (e.g., "ProjectZephyrScale", "TestManagementAccess", "ZephyrScaleIntegration").
    • Description: Provide a concise Description for the toolkit. This description should clarify the toolkit's purpose or the specific Zephyr Scale project it is intended to access (e.g., "Toolkit for accessing and managing test cases in Zephyr Scale", "Integration for Zephyr Scale Project 'Project Alpha'").
    • Base URL: Enter the base URL of your Jira instance where Zephyr Scale is installed. Ensure you use the correct format, including https:// or http:// and the full workspace URL (e.g., https://your-workspace.atlassian.net/jira). For Epam Jira, use https://jira.epam.com/jira/. Important Note: Use the base URL of your Jira instance, not the Zephyr Scale-specific API endpoint. The toolkit automatically constructs the API endpoint URL.
    • API Token: In the "API token" field, paste the API token you generated in Zephyr Scale (during the "Software-Specific Setup" section of this guide) into the "API token" field.
      • Enhanced Security with Secrets (Recommended): For enhanced security, it is strongly recommended to use ELITEA's Secrets Management feature to store your Zephyr Scale API token securely. Instead of directly pasting the token into the "API token" field, select the "Secret" option and choose the pre-configured secret containing your Zephyr Scale API token from the dropdown list. This prevents hardcoding sensitive credentials in your toolkit configuration.
    • Project Key: Enter the Project Key of the specific Jira project in which Zephyr Scale is enabled and that you want to access with this toolkit. The Project Key is a unique identifier for your Jira project (e.g., "PA" for "Project Alpha"). You can typically find the Project Key in your Jira project settings or in the URL when you are within your Jira project.

    ZephyrScale-Toolkit_Configuration

  4. Enable Desired Tools: In the "Tools" section within the Zephyr Scale toolkit configuration panel, select the checkboxes next to the specific Zephyr Scale tools that you want to enable for your Agent. It is crucial to enable only the tools that your Agent will actually need to use to adhere to the principle of least privilege and minimize potential security risks. Available tools include:

    • Get Tests - Retrieves a list of all tests in Zephyr Scale.
    • Get Test - Retrieves detailed information about a specific test case in Zephyr Scale.
    • Get Test Steps - Retrieves the steps associated with a specific test case in Zephyr Scale.
    • Create Test Case - Allows the Agent to create new test cases in Zephyr Scale.
    • Generic request - Allows to send custom HTTP requests to Zephyr Scale API.
  5. Complete Setup: After configuring all the necessary settings and enabling the desired tools, click the arrow icon (typically located at the top right of the toolkit configuration section) to finalize the Zephyr Scale toolkit setup and return to the main Agent configuration menu.

  6. Click Save in the Agent configuration to save all changes and activate the Zephyr Scale toolkit integration for your Agent.

Tool Overview: Zephyr Scale Toolkit Functionalities

Once the Zephyr Scale toolkit is successfully configured and added to your Agent, you can leverage the following tools within your Agent's instructions to enable intelligent interaction with your Zephyr Scale test assets:

Instructions and Prompts for Using the Zephyr Scale Toolkit

To effectively utilize the Zephyr Scale toolkit within your ELITEA Agents, you need to provide clear and precise instructions within the Agent's "Instructions" field, telling the Agent how and when to use these tools.

General Instruction Structure:

When instructing your Agent to use a Zephyr Scale tool, you will typically follow this pattern:

Use the "[tool_name]" tool to [describe the action you want to perform] in Zephyr Scale.
Provide the following parameters:
- Parameter 1: <value or description of value>
- Parameter 2: <value or description of value>
- ...

Example Agent Instructions for Zephyr Scale Toolkit Tools:

Important Considerations for Agent Instructions:

Best Practices and Use Cases for Zephyr Scale Integration

Best Practices for Efficient Integration

Use Cases for Zephyr Scale Toolkit Integration

The Zephyr Scale toolkit opens up a wide range of automation possibilities for test management and QA workflows within ELITEA. Here are some compelling use cases:

Troubleshooting and Support

Troubleshooting Common Issues

FAQs

Support and Contact Information

If you encounter any issues, have questions, or require further assistance beyond what is covered in this guide regarding the Zephyr Scale integration or ELITEA Agents in general, please do not hesitate to contact our dedicated ELITEA Support Team. We are here to help you resolve any problems quickly and efficiently and ensure you have a smooth and productive experience with ELITEA.

How to Reach ELITEA Support:

Best Practices for Effective Support Requests:

To help us understand and resolve your issue as quickly as possible, please ensure you provide the following information in your support email:

Before Contacting Support:

We encourage you to first explore the resources available within this guide and the broader ELITEA documentation. You may find answers to common questions or solutions to known issues in the documentation.

To further enhance your understanding and skills in integrating Zephyr Scale with ELITEA, here are some helpful resources: