Policy Server Guides › Policy Server Configuration Guide › SiteMinder Test Tool › Run a Functionality Test

Run a Functionality Test

The CA SiteMinder® Test Tool allows you to test the functionality of policies in a simulated real-world environment. To perform a functionality test, you must have the following:

• A Policy Server that is configured and running
• A CA SiteMinder® Agent that is configured in the Administrative UI

  Note: If the Test Tool is simulating a CA SiteMinder® Agent v5.x, that Agent must have 4.x support enabled.

• A policy domain configured with any type of user directory
• A policy that pairs a rule with a user(s)

CA SiteMinder® allows you to perform the following functionality tests:

IsProtected

Indicates whether or not a policy is protecting the resource you specified.

IsAuthenticated

Indicates whether or not the Policy Server can authenticate a set of user credentials against a user directory.

When user credentials are authenticated, the Policy Server compares the credentials to entries in a user directory. If the credentials match an entry, the Policy Server creates a session ticket and authenticates the user.

In a "real" CA SiteMinder® deployment, CA SiteMinder® confirms that a user’s session ticket is valid instead of rechecking the user’s credentials against a directory when an authenticated user makes additional requests. By default, the Test Tool authenticates the user each time the IsAuthenticated test is run, regardless of whether or not the user has a session ticket.

You can configure the Test Tool to validate a user’s session ticket by entering Validate in the Comment field in the Test Tool before running an IsAuthenticated test; however, CA SiteMinder® must authenticate the user before validating the session ticket.

Note: You can specify Validate when you run multiple tests in Interactive mode (using the Repeat count field), and in Playback mode.

IsAuthorized

Indicates whether or not the Policy Server can authorize a user based on a policy.

These tests must be run in the order they appear above. For example, you must run IsProtected before running IsAuthenticated. The order reflects the steps that CA SiteMinder® uses to determine a user’s access rights.

While running functionality tests, you can also use the Test Tool to perform the following tasks:

DoAccounting

Logs the most recent accounting server transactions.

DoManagement

Requests Agent commands, such as cache flush commands that clear the Agent cache. Running DoManagement ensures that the Test Tool receives current information from the Policy Server.

To run a functionality test

1. Configure a test environment.

   Note: You can also test policies using the Scripting Interface. See the Programming Guide for Perl.

2. (Optional) Specify the number of times you want the Test Tool to run your test in the Repeat Count field in the Command group box.
3. In the Command group box, select one of the following tests to run:
   • IsProtected
   • IsAuthenticated
   • IsAuthorized
4. If you are running an IsAuthenticated test and you want the Test Tool to validate an authenticated user’s session ticket instead of authenticating the user’s credentials against a user directory, enter Validate in the Comment field.

Note: Before validating a user’s session ticket, the user must be authenticated. Once the user is authenticated, CA SiteMinder® creates a session ticket for the user.

More information:

Calculate an Average Elapsed Time

Configure Your Test Environment Agent

(Optional) Record Your Test in a Command Script File for Regression and Stress Testing

When you run a test in Record mode, the Test Tool writes the test commands and test results to a plain-text Command Script file. This file can later be used as an input file to repeat the test in playback mode.

You can record multiple tests to the same Command Script file. The Test Tool appends the test results to the end of the file. You can then use the script file for regression testing.

Follow these steps:

1. Select the Record test mode.
2. Enter the path and filename for the Command Script file where the test results are stored in the Output Script field.
3. Optionally, enter how many times the recorded test is to run in the Repeat count field.
4. Optionally, enter a comment to add to the Command Script file in the Comment field.
5. Run one or more tests.
6. To stop recording, specify a new test mode.

More information:

How to Use the Test Tool in FIPS-only Environments

Functionality Test Results

The tables in this section describe the results of each type of functionality test.

Calculate an Average Elapsed Time

After performing a test, the Test Tool displays the amount of time the test took to run in the Elapsed Time field of the Command group box. Because of fluctuations in the system, averaging the elapsed time of multiple tests provides more accurate results.

To get an average elapsed time

1. In the Repeat Count field, specify the number of times you want to run the test.

   The Test Tool runs the test the specified number of times and then displays the total elapsed time.

2. Divide the elapsed time by the number of times the test was run to determine the average elapsed time.