14 DAY TRIAL // A new Visual Studio 11 resource is available for download from Microsoft. The Microsoft Download Center is now offering early adopters testing Windows 8 Developer Preview and the next major version of VS, Visual Studio Agents 11 Developer Preview. Released as an ISO image, the Visual Studio Agents 11 Developer Preview packs both agents and controllers designed to streamline application testing for the desktop, as well as the server, and even apps that stretch into the Cloud.
“Test controllers and test agents provide the ability to scale out load generation, and support distributed data collection and distributed test execution. Test agents also manage testing, workflow, and network isolation for virtual machines used with Visual Studio Lab Management,” the software giant explained.
According to Microsoft, Visual Studio Agents 11 Developer Preview should only be leveraged in testing scenarios. Just as it is the case with Visual Studio 11 Developer Preview, this Build is nothing more than pre-release software and should not be deployed into production.
The test controllers can be used to manage test agents, essentially telling them what actions to take.
“A test controller enables you to run tests on any machine that has a test agent installed. You can run tests concurrently on several machines. Use diagnostic data adapters to collect data or affect the test machine when the tests are run. You can use test controllers remotely to create environments using Visual Studio Lab Management,” the software giant added.
According to Microsoft, with the advent of Visual Studio Agents 11 Developer Preview, lab agents and test agents are now one and the same. Developers using Visual Studio Agents 11 Developer Preview will have the option of deploying test agents either as services or as interactive processes.
“When you configure a test agent as part of the installation process, you can select how you want to run the agent. To run tests that interact with your desktop, such as coded UI tests, you configure the test agent as an interactive process,” Microsoft noted.
“A test agent also manages testing, workflow, and network isolation capabilities for virtual machines that have been configured for Visual Studio Lab Management.”
Visual Studio Agents 11 Developer Preview is time-bombed and set to expire on June 30th, 2012. The same applies to Visual Studio 11 Developer Preview.
Devs starting to build apps for Windows 8 can now use Visual Studio Agents 11 Developer Preview in tandem with Visual Studio 11 Developer Preview and Team Foundation Server 11 Developer Preview.
Visual Studio Agents 11 Developer Preview (ISO) is available for download here. Visual Studio 11 Developer Preview is available for download here. Windows 8 Developer Preview Build 8102 Milestone 3 (M3) is available for download here.