Tosca Test Data Service: Use Cases and Setup

In modern software testing, having accurate and reusable test data is just as important as having test cases. Manual data preparation is time-consuming, error-prone, and difficult to maintain. Enter Tosca Test Data Service (TDS)—a powerful feature in Tricentis Tosca that allows testers to manage and reuse test data in a centralized, structured, and automated way.

This blog explores the use cases, benefits, and step-by-step setup of Tosca TDS, helping teams improve efficiency, reduce duplication, and enable true test data-driven automation.


💡 What is Tosca Test Data Service (TDS)?

Tosca Test Data Service is a centralized data storage system integrated into Tosca. It stores test data that can be dynamically accessed, reused, and updated by Tosca test cases during execution. TDS is especially useful in data-driven, API, and end-to-end test scenarios.

With TDS, test data is stored on a server (typically accessed via REST APIs), rather than hardcoded into test cases. This promotes flexibility, maintainability, and reusability.


✅ Use Cases for Tosca TDS

1. Dynamic Test Data Retrieval

Instead of hardcoding usernames or IDs, testers can fetch the data directly from TDS during execution. This makes tests adaptable to environment changes and reusable across projects.


2. Data-Driven Testing

TDS enables the reuse of test steps with different input values. You can loop through records from TDS to validate multiple scenarios without duplicating test cases.


3. API Testing

When chaining multiple APIs (e.g., Create User → Get User → Update User), you can store dynamic values (e.g., user ID) in TDS between test steps.


4. Team Collaboration

Centralizing data in TDS ensures all team members access consistent and updated data sets, promoting better collaboration in shared test environments.


5. Test Data Version Control

TDS supports structured organization and controlled access to test data, helping in managing versioned or environment-specific data.


🛠️ How to Set Up Tosca Test Data Service

1. Install & Configure TDS

TDS usually comes with Tosca Server. You can install it using the Tosca Server installer, which includes services like TDS, DEX, and OSV.

Ensure you have access to Tosca Server

Use Tricentis Admin Console to enable the Test Data Service

TDS runs typically on http://<your-server>:8732/ToscaTDSService


2. Access TDS in Tosca Commander

Open Tosca Commander

Go to Project → Test Data Service → Manage Test Data

You’ll see a UI to create or import datasets


3. Create TDS Definitions and Records

Definition: Like a table schema (e.g., CustomerData, LoginData)

Records: Actual data entries under a definition

Each record is key-value based, and you can reference these in your test steps.


4. Use TDS Values in Tests

To use data from TDS:

Add a TestStepValue and bind it with TDS[<DefinitionName>:<Key>]

During execution, Tosca fetches the corresponding value dynamically


5. Integrate with Modules

You can use standard Tosca modules or custom ones to create/update/fetch records from TDS via REST API, giving you flexibility in complex test flows.


🎯 Final Thoughts

Tosca Test Data Service is a game-changer for managing test data efficiently. It brings reusability, scalability, and dynamic behavior to automated testing. By separating test logic from test data, you not only streamline your testing efforts but also enhance collaboration, reduce redundancy, and accelerate your DevOps pipelines.

Whether you’re testing UI, APIs, or workflows—TDS gives your automation the agility and reliability it needs.

Learn Tosca Training in Hyderabad

Read More : Using Tosca Recorder for Scriptless Automation
Read More : Tosca vs UFT: A Detailed Comparison
Read More : Tosca Licensing: Types and Considerations

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