Rational Team Concert and Rational ClearCase integration cookbook

Authors: Masa Koinuma
Build basis: Rational Team Concert 3.0.1.x, 4.0.x, 5.0, Rational ClearCase 7.1.2.x, 8.0.0.x, 8.0.1.x

Summary

This page provides guidance for deploying Rational Team Concert into an existing Rational ClearCase environment. Rational Team Concert provides various types of integration capabilities: the synchronizer, the importer, and the bridge. The goal of this document is to help you decide which integration capability best suits your current deployment or your future deployment plan. After reading this page, you will have a better understanding about the technologies that are available to you, as well as some of the deployment considerations.

The integration of Rational ClearCase and Rational Team Concert is not a one-size-fits-all integration. Each user can have a unique integration deployment. It is beyond the scope of this document to discuss every possible type; therefore, this document also provides detailed information resources and videos on extended topics.

Rational ClearCase Bridge

The Rational ClearCase Bridge provides a traceability link from Rational ClearCase artifacts to work items in Rational Team Concert. This is primarily for a customer who wants to continue to use Rational ClearCase as a source control system, but also wants to take advantage of Rational Team Concert features such as agile planning, dashboards, etc. You do not have to change your current usage of Rational ClearCase, but you can enhance your Rational ClearCase deployment by using Rational Team Concert in a complementary fashion.

Rational ClearCase

Lifecycle integration link

Planning Transparency Work Item Build SCM Jazz Team Server Rational Team Concert

Developers can associate UCM activities or base Rational ClearCase versions to Rational Team Concert's work items. You can then navigate from one to the other in the developer IDE. Because a Rational Team Concert work item is used as the "glue" for all development lifecycle artifacts, it provides end-to-end traceability throughout the development life-cycle, from project planning to source code changes.

Quick Tours

Using Rational Team Concert 4.0 with Rational ClearTeam Explorer: how Rational ClearCase users can take advantage of Rational Team Concert 4.0 while using Rational ClearTeam Explorer to manage their source-controlled artifacts with the ClearCase UCM.

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Using Rational Team Concert with Rational ClearTeam Explorer: how to use Rational Team Concert with Rational ClearTeam Explorer.

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Using Rational ClearCase with Rational Team Concert 3.0: how Rational ClearCase users can take advantage of the Build, Work Items, and Planning features in Rational Team Concert 3.0, while using Rational ClearCase to manage their source-controlled artifacts. In addition, this video demonstrates how to link Rational ClearCase artifacts to Rational Team Concert work items using the Rational ClearCase Bridge.

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Getting Started

The ClearCase Bridge supports various client types, and the deployment step varies by the client.

Eclipse Client

The deployment of the ClearCase Bridge to the Eclipse client is straight-forward. There are no pre-configurations for administrators. The setup requires that you only need to install the Rational ClearCase Eclipse client (Rational ClearTeam Explorer, CCRC, or SCM Adapter) into the Rational Team Concert Eclipse client. The following articles provide step-by-step instructions of how to set them up:

• Tip: Installing the ClearTeam Explorer to Rational Team Concert (new in Rational Team Concert 3.0.1.1 and Rational ClearCase 8.0)
• Tip: Installing the ClearCase SCM adapter to Rational Team Concert (new in Rational Team Concert 3.0)
• Tip: Installing the Rational ClearCase Bridge to Rational Team Concert (CCRC) (UCM Rational ClearCase is supported since Rational Team Concert 2.0. Base Rational ClearCase is supported since Rational Team Concert 3.0)

In addition to the developer setup, administrators can configure UCM streams for integration and can enforce the linkage of UCM activities with work items. Refer to the "Cleartool Command-Line Client" section below for configuring a UCM stream. When you configure a UCM stream, the link enforcement is applicable to any client types.

Visual Studio Client

The ClearCase Bridge integration is now available to Visual Studio users. The minimum supported version is Rational ClearCase 8.0.0.7. You first need to set up the Eclipse client integration and select the eclipse instance from the Visual Studio IDE options page. This technote provides step-by-step instruction:

• Leverage ClearTeam Explorer and Rational Team Concert integration from within Visual Studio (new in Rational ClearCase 8.0.0.7)

Cleartool Command-Line Client

You can associate UCM activities or file versions to work items while you work cleartool commands. The administrator or the project lead needs to configure the UCM stream or the branch-type for integration, and developer's makeactivity, checkout, or checkin operations associate Rational ClearCase artifacts with work items automatically. These technotes provide the setup instruction for administrators and also describes end-user new commands:

• Configure the ClearCase UCM-RTC integration to use the Change Management Integration (new in Rational ClearCase 8.0.0.7)
• Configure the base ClearCase-RTC integration to use the Change Management Integration (new in Rational ClearCase 8.0.0.7)

ClearCase Native GUI Client

(new in Rational ClearCase 8.0.0.9 / 8.0.1.2)
Follow the set-up instruction above for the Cleartool Command-Line Client.

Learn More

• Using the ClearCase Bridge: The Rational solution for Collaborative Lifecycle Management 5.0 Information Center.
• Workaround: Opening ClearCase Bridge Links on Rational Team Concert Web Client: This document describes how to set up your web browser to navigate the ClearCase Bridge links from Rational Team Concert web client.
• Using ClearCase triggers to implement ClearCase Bridge capabilities in Rational Team Concert: This document describes how to create traceability links in various Rational ClearCase clients, other than the Eclipse shell (ClearTeam Explorer, or CCRC), using Rational ClearCase triggers.
• Migrating from a ClearCase-ClearQuest integration to a ClearCase-Rational Team Concert integration: This document provides guidance on how to migrate Rational ClearQuest-enabled UCM to a Rational ClearCase-Rational Team Concert integration.
• Utilizing Jazz Builds with ClearCase SCM: This video demonstrates how to run an out-of-the-box Jazz build, using a Rational ClearCase dynamic view.

You can also browse discussions on future releases. The Rational ClearCase Bridge enhancement items are tracked by ClearCase Bridge Open Stories and Enhancements.

Rational ClearCase Version Importer

The Rational ClearCase Version Importer (new in Rational Team Concert 4.0.5) is a one-way data replication tool from Rational ClearCase to Rational Team Concert source control. You can migrate all the versions in any branches in Rational ClearCase in a single operation, and the version branching is also replicated in Rational Team Concert source control. The importer also preserves the checked-in user information.

Rational ClearCase

one-way data migration

Planning Transparency SCM Work Item Build Jazz Team Server Rational Team Concert

It can also import Rational ClearCase view configurations as Rational Team Concert baselines since the version 4.0.6.

You can use the version importer for both Base ClearCase and UCM ClearCase, but it does not import UCM metadata.

Quick Tour

ClearCase Version Importer features for Rational Team Concert 5.0: demonstrates enhanced migration capability in the 5.0 release such as filtering options and migration of CC/CQ UCM integration.

ClearCase Version Importer features for Rational Team Concert 4.0.6: demonstrates enhanced migration capability in the 4.0.6 release such as multiple configurations import, and incremental migration.

ClearCase Version Importer in Rational Team Concert: demonstrates how Rational ClearCase users can migrate the ClearCase version data to Rational Team Concert 4.0.5.

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Getting Started

It is important that an administrator experienced with both the Jazz SCM system and the Rational ClearCase system performs the setup tasks for the synchronization or the import. The following article helps Rational ClearCase administrators to understand the Jazz SCM system:

• Comparing concepts between ClearCase UCM and RTC

The recording/slides of the webinar session is available at ALM community :

• Webinar: Import Version History into RTC

Reading the following help topic is recommended before beginning setup:

• Migrating data with the ClearCase Version Importer: The Rational solution for Collaborative Lifecycle Management 5.0 Information Center.

If you are interested in large-scale migration and performance consideration, read the following document:

• ClearCase Version Importer performance report in Rational Team Concert 4.0.6 release
• ClearCase Version Importer Performance Report in Rational Team Concert 4.0.5
• Planning to migrate data incrementally

Learn more

• Workaround: The ClearCase Version Importer fails to import multiple views and displays the error "Component has outstanding conflicts in workspace": This document provides detailed information about a known issue of version 5.0.
• Workaround: The ClearCase Version Importer Fails to Export When Merge Hyperlinks Create Cyclic Dependencies: This document provides detailed information about a known issue of version 4.0.6.
• Limitation: ClearCase Version Importer fails to import versions with long branch names or long version extension names: This document provides detailed information about a known issue of version 4.0.5.

Rational ClearCase Synchronizer and Baseline Importer

The Rational ClearCase Synchronizer is a two-way data replication between Rational ClearCase and Rational Team Concert source control. You can choose a UCM stream or a Rational ClearCase branch to set up synchronization with a stream of Rational Team Concert source control. It leverages the Jazz Team Build, and you can run the synchronization on a scheduled basis or by request. This provides flexibility to enterprise customers by allowing a subset of teams to choose SCM tools to work with, while letting you manage all of the latest source code through a single SCM repository.

The Rational ClearCase Baseline Importer is a one-way data replication from Rational ClearCase to Rational Team Concert source control. Like the synchronizer, you can choose a UCM stream where all baselines or only selected baselines are imported, or you can choose to import label types for base Rational ClearCase. It also leverages the Jazz Team Build, so you can run the import of new baselines/label types on a scheduled basis or by request.

Rational ClearCase

Two-way synchronization or one-way data migration

Planning Transparency SCM Work Item Build Jazz Team Server Rational Team Concert

Version Importer or Baseline Importer ?

There are two migration tools available - the Version Importer and the Baseline Importer. You can choose either of the technology that fits to your requirements to migrate the data from Rational ClearCase to Rational Team Concert source control.

• The Version Importer is a new tool to allow you to import all the version histories from Rational ClearCase. You can import versions in all branches by a single operation and can import ClearCase view configurations as Rational Team Concert baselines. It has been available since Rational Team Concert 4.0.5.
• The Baseline Importer migrates only the interested version ( versions selected by label types or UCM Baselines ). You have to set up the synchronized stream for branch-by-branch or stream-by-stream because it is based on the synchronizer technology. It has been available since Rational Team Concert 2.0.

Getting Started

It is important that an experienced administrator for both the Jazz SCM system and the Rational ClearCase system performs the setup tasks for the synchronization or the import. The following page will help a Rational ClearCase administrator to understand the Jazz SCM system:

• Comparing concepts between ClearCase UCM and RTC

A variety of documents are available to help you prepare the synchronizer or the baseline importer deployment. Reading the following documents is recommended before beginning setup:

• Planning to synchronize and import: The Rational solution for Collaborative Lifecycle Management 5.0 Information Center.
• Deploying Rational Team Concert into a ClearCase/ClearQuest Environment

The following documents also provide step-by-step instruction to deploy the Rational ClearCase Synchronizer and Baseline Importer:

• Tutorial: Get started with the ClearCase Synchronizer
• Importing ClearCase/ClearQuest Unified Change Management into Rational Team Concert 3.x: Step-by-step instruction to deploy both Rational ClearCase Synchronizer and Rational ClearQuest Synchronizer into a UCM environment.
• Using the ClearCase Importer to Import ClearCase History: Step-by-step instruction to deploy the Rational ClearCase Baseline Importer with history into a UCM enviroment or a base Rational ClearCase environment.

If you are interested in large-scale deployment and performance consideration, read the following documents. While this is not a benchmark, because the performance largely depends on both the Rational ClearCase deployment and the Rational Team Concert deployment, it gives you an idea of what to expect when using the synchronizer or the baseline importer.

• Deploying Rational Team Concert into a ClearCase/ClearQuest Environment (Appendix: Synchronization Performance Data of ClearCase Synchronizer 3.0.1): The synchronizer performance.
• Using the ClearCase Importer to Import ClearCase History (Appendix 1: Performance Data in Rational Team Concert 3.0.1): The baseline importer performance.

Learn more

• Using the ClearCase Synchronizer and Baseline Importer: Rational solution for Collaborative Lifecycle Management 5.0 Information Center.
• Workaround: Conversion of source control provider in synchronized Visual Studio projects and solutions: Reference this document when you synchronize or import a Microsoft Visual Studio project or a solution. You can configure it to convert the source control provider automatically.
• Workaround: Create a lock-free Rational ClearCase synchronization for UCM streams by running custom scripts
• Workaround: Synchronizing base ClearCase MultiSite replicated VOBs with Rational Team Concert: This document outlines a few points to consider when you synchronize MultiSite replicated VOBs.
• How to switch Rational ClearCase streams and continue synchronizing with Rational Team Concert: This document outlines how to continue synchronizing when switching between Rational ClearCase streams or branch types.
• Tip: Requesting ClearCase synchronization from a host without ClearCase installed
• Running the ClearCase Synchronization Engine as a service in Windows
• ClearCase Synchronizer and History Importer scalability improvements for initial import of large numbers of files