Application readiness is a key concept for successful deployment of your packages, and to achieve it, checking the package safety and compatibility should become a top priority. Quality Approver is our answer to this challenge. Quality Approver is a tool that runs locally and interacts with either local or remote pre-configured virtual machines (VM) to:
- Test MSI package and its apps for compliance with the Desktop App Certification Program in an unattended mode.
- Test an MSIX/APPX package or bundle with its apps against the Microsoft Store requirements and Desktop Bridge tests.
For testing, you will need to configure at least one virtual machine. For this, click Configure new VM, choose where your virtual machine is located, and follow the configuration instructions that Quality Approver provides. In general, you need to install Windows App Certification Kit, run PACE Tuner to configure the system and save the configured state to the snapshot. Then, our Wizard checks the prerequisites, connects to VM, turns it on and verify other system settings. If everything is fine, it saves that virtual machine to the list on the start screen.
Note that if you have two or more configured VMs, you can run multiple instances of testing.
To run package testing, select a virtual machine and click Test package. In the opened Wizard, choose a package you want to test. You can select either MSI or MSIX/APPX package. If your MSI installation requires external files you can also choose them in this list.
As mentioned before, this process is fully automated and you can switch to other tasks for 10-15 minutes while Quality Approver is testing your package. Meanwhile, the Wizard connects to the virtualization solution, restores VM to the specified snapshot, turns it on, check prerequisites, copies your package to the virtual machine, then it runs testing in the unattended mode.
Behind the scenes, if someone decides to use the remote VM, they will see a message that system is used by Quality Approver.
Once testing is completed, the Wizard generates application readiness report and transfers it back to your computer.
In the report, you can find general information about the tested package, Passed tests, Passed with Warnings and Not Passed tests. For Passed with Warnings and Not Passed tests you can find additional information such as what would be the impact if the issue is not fixed, as well as recommendations on how to fix issues.
Right in the Wizard, you can save this report automatically restore the VM.
In short, Quality Approver not only helps you automate package testing but also gives you actionable recommendations on how to fix any issues, improve the quality of your packages and achieve coveted application readiness.
Quality Approver is a part of PACE Suite and is available in our fully functional, completely free 30 day trial – download it and try it today!