How do I use dimensions?

Dimensions are a great way to enrich your test results.
In this tutorial we will create a Sales Person dimension that lists all sales staff in our company.
Then we create two tests that map to that dimension.

Finally we show how to view that data on the portal.

Creating Dimensions

Dimensions are created globally for all tests in exMon.
To create a dimension you right click the Dimension folder in General and select New… > Dimension.

Dimensions consist of:

• Query to a datasource
  • Same datasources as supported by Tests in exMon. SQL Server, Oracle, Powershell, Excel etc.
• Mapping that data to business key, business value and any attributes.
• Schedule to update that dimension regularly.

1. Select the data provider and enter a query that returns the sales person id, his name and any attributes we have on that person. In our case we use in what country he’s located.
2. Execute the query with the F5 key.
3. In the property grid map the id to Business Key, the name to Business Value and attributes to the persons country column.
4. Select a schedule to update the dimension. Here we select every weekday morning.

Note: you can also update dimension in Command Prompt by: epcmd—uat <UAT>—update_dimension <DIMENSION_ID>

Mapping Tests to Dimensions

The next step is to map Tests to our dimension.

1. Create a Query with a datasource containing SalesPersonId in the results.

   

2. Execute the query with F5.
3. Open up the Exception Manager Properties window.
   There you find
4. On the bottom there is a list of all available dimensions.
   Select SalesPersonId for the Sales Person dimension. Note that you can have tests in multiple dimensions. Here I have also selected the Customer dimension.

   

5. Save and execute the query.

View Dimensions on the exMon Web Portal

Now you can view exception in the Exception Overview by Data Type or by Dimensions.

Hover over dimension selector to get a list of dimensions and select Sales Person.

There you get an overview of the sales staff with how many exceptions are mapped to each of them.
The staff is grouped by attributes and here I have expanded into our North America > North West territory and see exceptions on three sales persons.

When I click a sales person I can view how those exceptions are divided into Tests.
Here David Campbell has 39 exceptions in two tests.
I can expands the tests to see detail, filter and sort to get the best sense of the exceptions.

If I click the Test title (Account Number Not Set) I can view the detail of that specific test and view all data returned from the query.

And to quickly move between sales persons you can hover of Dave Campbell’s name to select another.