Arcad Pack for Rational uses it's impact analysis to enhance the functionality of the RTC build. In the build template currently used, the IBM i continuous integration template, the changed source is passed to Arcad. Arcad then analyzes the dependencies for an optimized build. For copy books only those objects that use the changed source are recompiled, for ILE only the programs that actually use the changed procedure are recompiled (not all that bind the module/service program). The goal is to reduce the overhead of the change to only those compiled objects that are impacted. Much easier to review the scope of a source change during deployment when everything hasn't been compiled. Additionally Arcad can be configured to determine if CHGPF or ALTER TABLE can be used instead of a compile and again reduce the number of objects to be deployed.

Speaking of TABLEs Arcad treats SQL members as 'compileable' source during the build (and in the iProject), uses RUNSQLSTM to execute them during the build, generates a compile listing and manages the existing objects that may be replaced without needing to alter your source to say CREATE OR REPLACE, a big help when you have many indexes and/or views over a table that is being changed dramatically since Arcad will manage those automatically.

The other significant difference is the Arcad enhanced build can use as a target an Arcad deployment package called a Version (think of it as a changes with all dependencies) that Arcad uses it's impact analysis to automatically validate each time it's deployed, down to ILE signatures.

For example if you have a large project that goes to QA for in depth testing and meanwhile there is a quick change to a module that is dependent (and so included in the large project) when you go to deploy that large project we will tell you it does not include the latest version of the module. 

Sorry for the long answer but Arcad has adapted over 25 years of CM expertise to the excellent project management and source control tools of RTC so there is much more it does I'm not mentioning.

Thanks

Jeff Tickner

Arcad Software