Nexus Private Runner

This feature is only available to specific plans

The Nexus Private Runner is a feature that allows you to use your own server as a runner for executing tests in Nexus. By using this feature, you can run tests from Autify Nexus against target sites in environments that cannot be directly accessed from the outside, such as your internal corporate network or local environment.

Prerequisites

• Workspace administrator privileges are required to set up the Nexus Private Runner.

• The computer where the Nexus Private Runner will be set up must meet the following system and network requirements, and have a supported browser installed.

System Requirements

When using as a Nexus Private Runner, the following system requirements must be met:

• Windows 10 or later, or macOS 14 Sonoma or later

  • 32-bit Windows 10 is not supported.

• At least 2 CPU cores

  • At least 2GB of RAM (4GB recommended)

  • At least 50GB of hard disk space

These are the minimum requirements. Depending on the complexity of your tests, you may need to provision additional resources for each runner.

Network Requirements

Similar to the client, it must be able to connect to the Nexus server via the server URL and the web application you want to test using the runner.

Supported Browsers

• The runner must have Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge installed.

• On macOS, place these browsers in the /Applications folder.

• During test execution, you can run the tests using one of the installed browsers.

Dedicated User Account

For security reasons, we recommend creating a dedicated user account to run the Autify Nexus runner.

Do not use the root account, the Windows "Administrator" account, or any other highly privileged OS user for the runner.

Setting up the Runner

1. Install the Nexus desktop application on the runner

Log in to the runner computer using the dedicated runner user account and install the Autify Nexus desktop application.

Follow the steps in Installing Autify Nexus for the installation procedure.

2. Create an API client for the runner

The runner connects to the server using an API client.

Perform the following steps to create an API client using the desktop application installed on the runner or a desktop application capable of logging into the same workspace from a different device.

1. Open the Autify Nexus desktop application and log in as an Autify user with administrator privileges.

2. Click the Settings icon in the bottom left corner of the window.

3. In the Account section of the settings dialog, click the Manage API Clients button.

4. Click the Create API Client button in the top right corner of the window.

5. Enter a unique client ID for the client. Select the workspace the runner will use. Then, click Create.

6. Click the View API Credentials button (the icon on the right side of the table).

7. Note the runner setup URL displayed at the bottom of the API credentials dialog.

   1. The URL starts with autify-next://runner and includes both the server URL and the necessary API key.

Note:When setting up multiple runners in the same workspace, you can reuse the same API client and setup URL for all runners.

Starting the Runner

Launch the Autify Nexus desktop application on the runner computer.

If you are already logged in to the runner computer from during the runner setup, click the Settings icon in the bottom left corner of the window, and click the Log out button at the bottom of the settings dialog.

Enter the runner setup URL obtained in "Setting up the Runner" into the Server URL field, and click Log in.

The Nexus application will enter Cloud Runner mode. Click the Start button to confirm using this computer as a test runner.

Setting the Runner to Start Automatically

As long as the Autify Nexus desktop application is open, the runner will be able to run tests automatically.

If necessary, you can configure the computer to automatically log in and open the Nexus application every time it boots.

For Windows

• Make the computer automatically log in to the dedicated runner user account.

  • Follow the steps on the Microsoft website: Turn on automatic logon in Windows.

• Make the computer launch the Nexus application automatically.

  1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog, type shell:apps, and press Enter to open the Applications list in File Explorer.

  2. Press Win + R again to open the Run dialog, type shell:startup, and press Enter to open the Startup folder in a second File Explorer window.

  3. Drag and drop Autify Nexus from the Applications window to the Startup window.

For macOS

• Make the computer automatically log in to the dedicated runner user account.

  • Follow the steps on the Apple website: Automatically log in to a Mac user account.

• Add the Nexus application as a Login Item to open it automatically.

  • Follow the steps on the Apple website: Open items automatically when you log in on Mac.

Getting a Debug Trace when Running with the Runner

If an issue occurs when running with the runner, you may need to get a debug trace for investigation.

In that case, click the Stop button on the running runner, turn on Create debug trace during test execution, and click Start again.

The acquired trace log can be downloaded from the test results.

• If the trace log size is large, it will be saved in the runner's Downloads folder. Please log in to the runner computer and retrieve it if necessary.

Notes

• If the PC or server running the runner is in sleep mode, the test will not be executed. We recommend using it in an environment that is always awake.

• Depending on the settings of your security software or internal firewall, communication may be blocked. In that case, please consult your internal network administrator.

• Each runner can run only one test at a time.