How to Start ALM

This task describes how to launch ALM on your machine from your Web browser. You can work with multiple versions of ALM side-by-side on a client machine. This includes multiple ALM clients of version 12.00 or later connecting to different ALM servers, and a single Quality Center 10.00 or 9.2 client.

To start ALM:

1. Open your Web browser and type your ALM URL
   http://<ALM server name/IP address>[<:port number>]/qcbin. Contact your system administrator if you do not have the correct URL.

   The HPE Application Lifecycle Management Options window opens.

   

2. Click the ALM Desktop Client link. Each time ALM is run, it carries out a version check. If it detects a newer version, it downloads the necessary files to your machine.

   Note:

   • Windows 7/8/2008R2/2012: If you do not have administrator privileges on your machine, and a Security Warning displays, click Don't Install. You are redirected to the Install screen.

   • If file downloads are prohibited through your browser, you can install these files by using the HPE ALM Client MSI Generator add-in, available from the HPE Application Lifecycle Management Add-ins page (Help > Add-ins).

   • If you run ALM over a virtual environment, such as Citrix or VMware, only the system administrator can install a new version.
   • Click the Open in Full Screen mode icon to open ALM in Full Screen mode. Full Screen mode enables you to take advantage of the entire screen when using ALM.

3. Follow the on-screen instructions.

   Note: If files are downloaded, but the Login window does not display, you must install a Microsoft Hotfix on your machine. For more information, see HP Software Self-solve knowledge base article KM905289.

   After the ALM version has been checked and files have been updated if necessary, the ALM Login window opens.

   

   Note: If ALM was configured for external authentication, the Name and Password fields do not appear in this window. Continue with step 9.

4. In the Name box, type your user name.

5. In the Password box, type the password assigned to you by your site administrator. If you cannot remember your password, click the Forgot Password link. For more details, see How to Reset Your Password.

6. Select the Automatically log in to my last domain and project on this machine check box if you want ALM to automatically log in to the last project in which you were working.

7. Click the Authenticate button. ALM verifies your user name and password and determines which domains and projects you can access. If you specified automatic login, ALM opens.

8. If authentication fails, check that your user name and password are correct and try again.

   If authentication fails multiple times, you can be locked out of ALM. The number of authentication attempts you are allowed is determined by your site administrator. For more information, refer to the HPE Application Lifecycle Management Administrator Guide: Locking Out Users.

9. In the Domain list, select a domain. By default, the last domain in which you were working is displayed.

10. In the Project list, select a project. By default, the last project in which you were working is displayed.

    If the demonstration project was installed on the ALM server, you can select the ALM_Demo project (make sure that you select DEFAULT in the Domain list). The project includes sample data to help introduce you to ALM. For more information, refer to the HPE Application Lifecycle Management Tutorial.

11. Click the Login button. ALM opens and displays the module in which you last worked during your previous session.

    The first time you run ALM, the Welcome page opens.

    From the Welcome page, you can directly access the ALM documentation. If you do not want to display the Welcome page each time you log in to ALM, select Don't show this again.

12. To exit and return to the ALM Login window, click the Logout button located in the upper-right corner of the window.

    Alternatively, on the ALM masthead, click <Domain, Project> and select Select to log in to a different project.

    Note: When an ALM user session is inactive for a period of time, the session expires. This releases the license in use, making it available for other users.

    When a session expires, you are prompted to reconnect. Logging in from the ALM login window includes loading project customization. However, if a project administrator has not made any significant changes to project customization, the customization does not reload when you reconnect. This enables you to reconnect quickly and continue working where you left off.

    You can edit reconnect options by modifying the FAST_RECONNECT_MODE parameter in the Site Configuration tab.This parameter is not valid for external authentication, since the user must always be certified when reconnecting. For more information, refer to the HPE Application Lifecycle Management Administrator Guide: Setting ALM Configuration Parameters.