Service Guide
Version v2.6.3

Installation and Upgrade

Before installing Alyvix Service, first check that your setup meets the system requirements.

Note that Alyvix Service also requires Alyvix to be installed on the same machine. Alyvix, which we call Alyvix Core here to distinguish it from Alyvix Service, is a free and open source engine for designing and building GUI test cases that show what a task and its interface should look like and how they behave, and then later running them autonomously on the local Windows machine.


System Requirements

Note

Alyvix Service assumes that you have one virtual or physical machine exclusively dedicated to running Alyvix test cases.

You should check that your designated machine and the account on that machine meet the following requirements before you install Alyvix Service:

Minimum

Recommended

Operating System

Windows 10 (64-bit) Pro or Enterprise

Windows Server 2016, 2019 or 2022 (English language)

(32-bit versions of Windows are not compatible with Alyvix Service)

Processor

2 CPUs

2 CPUs base + 2 CPUs per session

Memory

4GB RAM

4GB RAM base + 4GB RAM per session

Graphics

24-bit RGB or 32-bit RGBA screen color depth

Remote Desktop

Users defined on Alyvix Service must have RDP access (through RDC mstsc.exe) to the machine itself (e.g. the user must be a Remote Desktop User, and the firewall must not be set to block local RDC)

1 session only: No Windows Terminal Server available; 1 test case executed at a time

Multiple sessions in parallel: Windows Terminal Server allows multiple test cases to run at once

Application Permissions

Users defined on Alyvix Service must have the proper permissions to run and interact with the application interface being monitored

Versions

Alyvix Service Version

Required Alyvix Core Version

PostgreSQL Version

Alyvix API Version

Alyvix Service 2.6.x

Alyvix 3.6.x

12.x

3, 4

Alyvix Service 2.5.x

Alyvix 3.6.x

12.x

0, 1, 2, 3

Alyvix Service 2.4.x

Alyvix 3.5.x

12.x

0, 1, 2

Alyvix Service 2.3.x

Alyvix 3.5.x

12.x

0, 1

Alyvix Service 2.2.x

Alyvix 3.5.x

12.x

0, 1

Alyvix Service 2.1.x

Alyvix 3.4.x

12.x

0, 1

Alyvix Service 2.0.x

Alyvix 3.3.x

12.x

0, 1

Installation Steps

The following steps will install Alyvix Service on your machine:

  1. Request an Alyvix Service subscription

    Choose your preferred subscription plan and get in touch with us to request it, providing a machine IP from where you will download the software package. You’ll obtain access to our repository.

  2. Install Alyvix Core

    Follow the installation instructions for Python and Alyvix.

  3. Install PostgreSQL

    Download and run the most recent version of the PostgreSQL 12.X installer for the Windows x86-64 architecture. Be sure to run it in administrator mode.

    Click “Next” to accept all the defaults until it asks you to set the password. Change the default password to ensure the security of your system, and make a note of it so that you can configure Alyvix Service to use PostGre in the next step below.

    Use a secure password and remember it.

    Continue clicking “Next” to accept the remaining defaults and complete the installation.

  4. Install Alyvix Service

    Download the most recent version of the installer (alyvix_service_<version>.zip) from the repository, and run the setup.exe installer which can be found inside the .zip file in administrator mode.

    Set the database password from step #3 as follows:

    • Open the file C:\ProgramData\Alyvix\config.json in administrator mode

    • Paste the password in this line:
      "database":{.. "password": "<your_password>", ..}

  5. Mandatory security configuration

    First save your HTTPS certificate files used for browser security as follows:

    • Create the folder C:\ProgramData\Alyvix\certs\webserver\

    • Save cert.crt as an HTTPS certificate recognized by your CA

    • Save cert.key as its (unprotected) password

    Note that the private key is all you need, you should not be asked for an additional password.

    Next, copy the JSON Web Token (JWT), which is used for API authentication purposes, from your monitoring system to Alyvix Service.

    • Create the folder C:\ProgramData\Alyvix\certs\jwt\

    • Copy the JWT certificate file from your monitoring system into the folder above, renaming it to public.pem.

  6. Start Alyvix Service

    Run Alyvix Service within Windows Services Task Manager > Services Tab > Alyvix Service > Start

    Start the Alyvix Service.

  7. Monitoring system integration

    At this point Alyvix Service is installed and running, and you can now proceed to integrate it within a monitoring system.


Upgrading

The following steps will upgrade Alyvix Service to the latest version on your machine:

  1. Back up your existing configuration

    • If you’re upgrading from version 2.4.x or earlier, create the subdirectory webserver\ within C:\ProgramData\Alyvix\certs\ and move cert.crt and cert.key to the new subdirectory (before version 2.6.0 these files may be in C:\Program Files\Alyvix\Alyvix Service\)

    • Now back up the entire security certificate directory:
      C:\ProgramData\Alyvix\certs\

    • Then back up your Alyvix Service configuration file:
      C:\ProgramData\Alyvix\config.json

    • And back up your Alyvix Service tenant roles file:
      C:\ProgramData\Alyvix\mapping.json

  2. Uninstall the current version of Alyvix Service

    • Stop Alyvix Service: Windows Services > Alyvix Service > Stop

    • Close all Alyvix Client windows (where appropriate)

    • Uninstall Alyvix Service: Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features > Alyvix Service > Uninstall

    • Remove residual Alyvix Service files (when appropriate): C:\ProgramData\Alyvix\ (C:\Program Files\Alyvix\Alyvix Service\ for versions before 2.6.0)

    • Remove old Alyvix Client scheduled tasks: Windows Task Scheduler > alyvix_client<..> > delete

  3. Upgrade Alyvix Core

    Follow the instructions here

  4. Install the new version of Alyvix Service

    • Run the Alyvix Service Installer (setup.exe) found in the Alyvix Service package

    • Restore the two backup files and the directory you made in step #1:

      • C:\ProgramData\Alyvix\config.json

      • C:\ProgramData\Alyvix\mapping.json

      • C:\ProgramData\Alyvix\certs\

  5. Run Alyvix Service

    • Start Alyvix Service: Windows Services > Alyvix Service > start

    • Sign out of the current session


Uninstalling Alyvix Service

The following steps will remove Alyvix Service from your machine. Basically you will need to reverse the steps performed during installation.

  1. Disable the relevant Alyvix Nodes within your integrated monitoring system.

  2. Stop Alyvix Service under the Services tree: Start > Computer Management > Services and Applications > Services > Alyvix Service

  3. Uninstall Alyvix Service: Start > Settings > Apps > Alyvix Service > Uninstall

    If desired, also uninstall PostgreSQL the same way.

  4. Remove these two directories:

    • C:\Program Files\Alyvix\

    • C:\Program Data\Alyvix\

  5. If desired, remove Alyvix Core and/or Python using the Alyvix uninstall instructions.