Comparing configurations

You can compare a snapshot or workspace with a previous version, and you can compare up to three snapshots and workspaces that have the same base snapshot. For example, at the end of a project milestone, you might compare a previous snapshot with the existing workspace.

Before you begin

  • You should be familiar with project areas, configuration spaces, snapshots, workspaces, and change sets, which are described in Management of shared resources.
  • You must be logged in to a project, and you must be in a workspace that is associated with the current configuration space.

About this task

Comparing configurations determines whether configurations contain different resources (identified by the URI or the name of a resource), or different versions of the same resources. You cannot compare the actual contents of the resources.

Procedure

  1. Open the Configuration Explorer view. On the toolbar of a lifecycle management product, click Configuration Management > Explore.
  2. Complete one of the following steps:
    Option Description
    Compare a configuration with the previous version In the Actions column, from the Actions menu beside a configuration name, select the Compare with Previous icon. The previous version of a configuration varies depending on the type of configuration that you select:
    • If you select a workspace, the versions of resources in the workspace are compared with the versions of resources in the base snapshot of that workspace.
      Tip: In the Configuration Editor, on the Overview tab for the selected workspace, see the value in the Base snapshot field.
    • If you select a snapshot, the versions of resources in the selected snapshot are compared to the contents of the snapshot whose Time Order dimension most closely precedes that of the selected snapshot.
      Tip: In the Configuration Editor, on the Dimensions tab for the selected snapshot, see the value of the Timer Order dimension.
    Compare multiple configurations In the Actions column, beside the name of the two or three configurations to compare, select the check box; then click the Compare icon near the upper-right corner of the Configuration Explorer view.
  3. Follow the instructions in the Compare Configurations wizard. Use the navigation icons near the upper-right corner of the wizard pages to explore the differences in the configurations.

What to do next

To return to the Configuration Explorer view, click Finish.

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