CI-CD pipeline fails to trigger test execution in ELM after Jenkins upgrade

ALM IBM Engineering Lifecycle Management
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1

We recently upgraded our Jenkins controller to the latest LTS version and now our ELM CI-CD connector integration is broken. The pipeline builds successfully but test execution in ELM never triggers.

Our Jenkins pipeline is configured with the ELM CI-CD connector plugin, and we’ve verified the webhook registration endpoint is still active. The service account has the necessary permissions in ELM, but we’re getting timeout errors after 5 minutes:


ERROR: ELM test trigger timeout
at com.ibm.elm.connector.TestExecutor.trigger(TestExecutor.java:142)
Connection refused: connect

This is blocking our entire regression test suite. The connector callback URLs were working fine before the Jenkins upgrade. Has anyone encountered similar webhook issues with ELM 7.0.3 after upgrading Jenkins? We need to understand if this is a connector compatibility problem or a configuration issue with the test environment status checks.

2

I’ve seen this before. After Jenkins upgrades, the webhook callback URLs sometimes change format. Check your Jenkins system configuration under “Jenkins Location” - the base URL might have changed. Also verify the ELM connector plugin version is compatible with your new Jenkins LTS release.

3

I can help resolve this comprehensively. Based on the error and your Jenkins upgrade, here’s the complete solution addressing all aspects:

1. Webhook Registration Fix: First, re-register the webhook in ELM with your new Jenkins callback URL. Go to ELM Admin Console > CI-CD Connectors > Webhook Registry and update the Jenkins endpoint:


https://jenkins.yourcompany.com/context-path/elm-webhook/callback

Remove the old registration if it still exists to avoid conflicts.

2. Service Account Permissions: Your service account needs these specific permissions in ELM:

  • JazzUsers (base access)
  • Test Execution Trigger (project-level)
  • CI Integration Service (application-level)
  • Webhook Callback Handler (new in 7.0.3)

The last permission is often missed and causes silent failures.

3. Connector Callback URL Configuration: In your Jenkins pipeline, update the ELM connector configuration block:

elmConnector {
  serverUrl = 'https://elm.company.com:9443/qm'
  callbackUrl = "${JENKINS_URL}elm-webhook/callback"
  timeout = 600000
}

The timeout should be at least 10 minutes for large test suites.

4. Test Environment Status Validation: Verify your test environment is active in ELM:

  • Navigate to Quality Management > Test Environments
  • Check the status of your target environment
  • If it shows “Unavailable” or “Maintenance”, the connector will timeout
  • You may need to manually mark it as “Active” after the Jenkins upgrade disruption

5. Network Connectivity: The “connection refused” error suggests a network issue. Verify:

  • ELM’s CI-CD connector service is running (check server logs for ConnectorService startup)
  • Firewall allows Jenkins IP to reach ELM on port 9443
  • No proxy settings in Jenkins are blocking the callback

6. Validation Steps: After making these changes:

  1. Restart the ELM connector service
  2. Test the webhook manually: `curl -X POST https://elm.company.com:9443/qm/service/com.ibm.rqm.integration.service.IIntegrationService/webhook/test
  3. Run a simple Jenkins pipeline with just one test case
  4. Check ELM’s qm.log for webhook receipt confirmation

This should resolve your timeout issue. The combination of updated callback URLs, proper permissions, and environment status validation is critical for ELM 7.0.3 CI-CD integration post-Jenkins upgrades.

4

Good catch on the callback URLs. I checked and our Jenkins URL did change slightly (added a context path during upgrade). However, I’m still not clear on the service account permissions side. What specific ELM permissions does the connector service account need beyond basic test execution rights? We have JazzAdmins role but wondering if there’s something more granular required for webhook callbacks.

5

The connection refused error is the key here. This typically means the connector can’t establish the initial handshake. Beyond the callback URL whitelist, verify your firewall rules haven’t changed. Some Jenkins upgrades reset security settings including allowed webhook origins. Also check if ELM’s connector service is actually listening - you can test this with a simple curl command to the webhook endpoint.

6

The timeout suggests the webhook isn’t reaching ELM at all. In ELM 7.0.3, webhook registration requires explicit callback URL patterns. Navigate to Admin > Integrations > CI-CD Connectors and check if your Jenkins callback URL is still whitelisted. After Jenkins upgrades, the host/port might have changed which would cause the connection refused error you’re seeing.