Configuration Management with ClearCase

Confidential L&T Infotech

2nd July 2007 | 1 | Sanjay Mishra

What is meant by Software Configuration Management (SCM)?

Managing the changings to the Software

Its covers the tools and processes used to control, co-ordinate and track code, requirements, documentation problems, change requests, design, tools, compilers, libraries, patches, changes made to them and who makes the changes.

Confidential L&T Infotech

SCM Tools
Clearcase PVCS (Perforce Version Control System) CVS (Concurrent Version Control System) VSS (Visual Source Safe) CM Synergy Subversion

Confidential L&T Infotech

What is ClearCase?

Confidential L&T Infotech

ClearCase is
Version management tool for all types of files and directories - records all actions - reports history - accurate reproduction of every release Available both in Unix and Windows NT environments Two user interfaces - command line: cleartool - graphical: xclearcase
Confidential L&T Infotech

Comparing Clearcase with VSS

Attributes Visual Source Safe Clearcase
Platform Independent Platform Works over network shares, dependencies thereby slowing response times. Limited to Microsoft platforms only Scalability and performance Installation Microsoft recommends that VSS databases not exceed 3 to 5 GB, for performance and stability reasons Inbuilt with Microsoft Visual Studio

Underlying architecture and MVFS can slow response times. Requires preinstall planning & investment in hardware and infrastructure.

Confidential L&T Infotech

Contd..

Attributes
Distributed development

Visual Source Safe

Clearcase

Doesnt offer a scalable Achieved through distributed development Multisite solution Clearcase branching automatically tracks the history of all branching operations

Branching and Limited support for branching and related merging operations. Branching relationships arent maintained. Cost of ownership Available through Microsoft.

Can be high, due to licensing, infrastructure, and administration costs

Confidential L&T Infotech

History of Clearcase
ClearCase was developed by Atria Software and

first released in 1992 on Unix and later on Windows. Atria later merged with Rational Software, which was purchased by IBM . IBM continues to develop and market ClearCase.

Confidential L&T Infotech

Different Phases of Clearcase

1. Version Control 2. Workspace Management 3. Build Management 4. Process Control 5. Multisite Environment

Confidential L&T Infotech

ClearCase Servers
ClearCase is a Client/Server style package. For example, all VOB information is kept on a Server called a VOB Server. The user's ClearCase client system requests information from the server which is sent to the user's machine The following are the various types of servers that a ClearCase site might have.

Confidential L&T Infotech

VOB Server
The machine that contains the VOB storage area is the VOB server. Therein maybe one or more VOB servers depending upon the speed of the system, the number of users, and most important of all, your budget. The ClearCase Administrator's Manual has some important information on setting up the size and number of your VOBs, and the power of your VOB server.

Confidential L&T Infotech

View Server
The Set of views (Workspace for developers) stored in one particular server is called as View server

License Server
If your site has a dedicated license server machine that serves licenses for a variety of software, then this system could serve as the License Server Since the License Server is a very low CPU intensive server which is usually placed upon the same machine that serves as the VOB server. Clearcase uses the floating type license

Confidential L&T Infotech

Registry Server
The Registry can be thought of as the "Table of Contents" to ClearCase's Vobs and Views. The ClearCase VOB Registry links the VOB Tags (the mount points of the VOBs on the ClearCase user's machine) to the directories where the VOBs are actually stored. The ClearCase View Registry links the View Tags (the name of the view) to the directories where the View is actually stored. It is recommended that a single Registry be used.

Confidential L&T Infotech

Advantages of ClearCase
Can handle projects that: a) Consists from a lot of developers. b) Go on for a very long time. Security Versatile (multi-purpose) lots of possibilities and capabilities. Traceability
Confidential L&T Infotech

Advantages cont.
Supported by multiple OS Windows, Unix (Solaris, AIX, ), Linux. Can be accessed from client on one OS to a server on another OS. Enables real parallel development - work on multiple versions of the same source file concurrently.

Confidential L&T Infotech

Disadvantages
High price Too versatile one can never learn all capabilities. Complex support must have very good - full time - administrator.

Confidential L&T Infotech

Basic Concepts

VOB
 Versioned Object Base  A Permanent read only data repository that stores the files, directories and metadata under the version controlled data  The whole database consists of several VOBs


Confidential L&T Infotech

VIEW
     A working area for an individual developer to access the VOB Used to select the version of an element Used to access for one or more VOBs without interfering others Temporary storage area Allows multiple views for each user

Confidential L&T Infotech

Basic Concepts (cont.)

CONFIG SPEC Configuration Specification - A set of ordered rules used to select at most one version of each element and determines which version of an element are visible in view. ELEMENT - A file or directory under the source control , stored in a clearcase VOB such as files, directories, binary file objects, libraries, etc

Confidential L&T Infotech

Basic Concepts (cont.)

META-DATA Types: 1. Label type 2. Attribute type 3. Hyperlink type 4. Branch type 5. Eltype type 6. Trigger type - can be connected to a specific version of an element, or to a branch, or to the entire element
Confidential L&T Infotech

Basic Concepts (cont.)

VOBs

vob1

vob2

vob 3

CONFIG SPECs

VIEWs
Kalles view Annas view Test groups view Peters view

elements

Confidential L&T Infotech

Default Config Spec:

element * CHECKEDOUT element * /main/LATEST

- a rule per line - rules are processed from top to bottom; if no matching version of an element was not found for the first rule, the system tries to find a version that matches the second rule etc.
Confidential L&T Infotech

Files in Version Tree Browser Window

/main x.cc 0 1 2 3
CHECKEDOUT

/main y.cc 0 1 2 3 z.cc

/main 0 1 2 3 4 5

/main w.cc 0 1 2 3 4

Confidential L&T Infotech

Versions that match with Default Config Spec

/main 0 1 2 3 4

/main 0 1 2 3

/main 0 1 2 3 4 5

/main 0 1 2 3 4

x.cc
Confidential L&T Infotech

y.cc

z.cc

w.c c

Labelling

/main x.cc 0 1 2 REL1 3 4 y.cc

/main 0 1 2 REL1 3 z.cc

/main 0 1 2 3 4 REL1 5

/main w.cc 0 1 REL1 2 3 4

Confidential L&T Infotech

Example of Config Spec for Label REL1:

element * REL1 element * /main/LATEST

Confidential L&T Infotech

Versions that match using the Config Spec for REL1

/main 0 1 2 REL1 3 4 /main 0 1 2 REL1 3 /main 0 1 2 3 4 REL1 5 x.cc
Confidential L&T Infotech

/main 0 1 REL1 2 3 4

y.cc

z.cc

w.c c

Branching

/main x.cc 0 1 2 REL1 3 rel1_corr 4 0 1 y.cc

/main z.cc 0 1 2 REL1 3

/main 0 1 2 3 4 REL1 5 REL1 w.cc

/main 0 1 2 rel1_corr 3 4 0 1

Confidential L&T Infotech

Example of Branch Config Spec

element * CHECKEDOUT element * /main/rel1_corr/LATEST element * REL1 -mkbranch rel1_corr element * /main/LATEST

Confidential L&T Infotech

Versions that match using the Branch Config Spec

/main x.cc 0 1 2 REL1 3 rel1_cor 4 r 0 1 x.cc
Confidential L&T Infotech

/main y.cc 0 1 2 REL1 3 z.cc

/main 0 1 2 3 4 REL1 5 REL1 w.cc

/main 0 1 2 rel1_corr 3 4 0 1

y.cc

z.c c

w.c c

Basic Actions for an Element

Checkout - a new editable version is created - only one person can edit the file at the same time Checkin - the version that was created by checkout command is saved to the VOB and is then visible to the other views - the element changes to write-protected mode Uncheckout - undo operation for checkout Example click here
Confidential L&T Infotech

Types of VOBS
Private Vob
It will create by default

Public Vob
We have to mention the keyword public in the tag Registry password required

Password not required

Need to create directory to mount (Access point) Only owner/root can mount the Vob
Confidential L&T Infotech

Automatically mount

Anyone can mount the vob

Types of Views
Dynamic Works based on clearcase network MVFS (Multi Version File System) Slow Fast immediate updates Snapshot Works without CCase network also. CCFS Support (Clearcase File System) Fast Periodic (manual) updates are required to see file updates Derived objects sharing No such facility
Confidential L&T Infotech

Other Utilities
Clearmake - ClearCase variant of the Unix make utility MultiSite - same VOB is used concurrently at several different locations

Confidential L&T Infotech

Thats about basics in ClearCase!

Lets try how it works in practise

Confidential L&T Infotech

Thank You!!