Creating a ClearCase Synchronized Stream

The New ClearCase Synchronized Stream wizard creates a Rational Team Concert™ source control stream that it associates with an existing Rational® ClearCase® stream. It also creates a repository workspace, called the merge workspace, that is used to resolve any conflicts that occur during synchronization, and then starts the synchronization engine process.

About this task

A merge workspace is an ordinary repository workspace into which you accept changes from a ClearCase Synchronized Stream. The Rational ClearCase stream can be defined by a UCM stream name or a branch type and (optional) label type. A synchronized stream can be treated like any other Rational Team Concert source control stream, even though it contains changes that have been imported from Rational ClearCase.

After you create a ClearCase Synchronized Stream, you specify files and folders from Rational ClearCase, Rational Team Concert source control, or both, to synchronize between the two systems.

To create a ClearCase Synchronized Stream:

Procedure

  1. Log on to the synchronization host as a Rational ClearCase user that has permission to lock the Rational ClearCase stream or branch type that is to be synchronized. The wizard creates a Rational ClearCase dynamic view owned by the user ID that you use for this log-on. Use the Rational ClearCase Administration Console to display available VOBs. Verify that, when logged on as this user, VOBs with which you want to synchronize are mounted and accessible. Mount VOBs if necessary.
  2. Use the Rational Team Concert client to connect to the Jazz™ repository in which you want to create the synchronized stream. Connect to the project area that you want to own the synchronized stream or that includes the team area that you want to own the synchronized stream. The synchronization process account that you created must be a member of this project and/or team area (see Adding the synchronization process account to your team area). Do not connect using the synchronization process account.
  3. On the Jazz Source Control main menu, click File > New > Other, then expand Jazz Source Control and click ClearCase Synchronized Stream to start the New ClearCase Synchronized Stream wizard. (Another way to start the wizard is to click File > Import, then expand Jazz Source Control and select ClearCase Stream or Branch.)
  4. In the ClearCase Stream Information page, specify a configuration for the Rational ClearCase dynamic view that the wizard creates to support synchronization:
    • To configure the view from a UCM stream, select Import from a UCM stream and enter the name of an existing stream in the form stream-name@PVOB-tag. For example, to specify a stream named my_stream in a PVOB with the tag \projects, enter my_stream@\projects. Use the cleartool lsstream command or the Rational ClearCase Project Explorer to search for stream names.
    • To configure the view from a branch type and (optional) label type, select Import from a Base ClearCase branch and enter the selector for an existing branch type in the form branch-type-name@VOB-tag and the label type selector in the form label-type-name@VOB-tag, for example, to specify a branch type named my_branch in a VOB with the tag \sources, type my_branch@\sources.
    Important: If you configure the view using a UCM stream, the stream will be locked for the duration of each synchronization. If you configure the view using a branch type and (optional) label type, the label type is permanently locked, and the branch type is locked for the duration of each synchronization. It is generally impractical to use the MAIN branch type because the synchronization process locks it regularly, often for an extended period. You cannot use the LATEST pseudo-label, because it cannot be locked. For more information, see Configuration specification details for base ClearCase.
    Important: Do not select Import with history from ClearCase unless you do not need to synchronize changes made in Rational Team Concert source control back to Rational ClearCase. Bi-directional synchronization is not possible when importing with version history.
  5. The wizard validates the syntax (but not the existence) of the stream name or branch type and label type, and then enables the Next button. Click Next.
  6. In the ClearCase Storage Information page, specify the network path to a directory where the wizard can create view storage for a Rational ClearCase dynamic view to enable synchronization between Jazz and Rational ClearCase. The wizard seeds this entry with a network path consisting of the local host name and the string \VIEWSTORAGE. If this directory exists on the local host and is a valid location for view storage (it must be shared on Windows® or exported on the UNIX® system or Linux®), you can use it. Otherwise, specify the network path to another local or remote directory where the view storage can be created. The wizard creates a dynamic view with storage in this directory and a distinctive view tag (the prefix DO_NOT_USE and a UUID suffix). This view should be considered off limits by Rational ClearCase users.

    If applicable, check Enter additional option set information for creating ClearCase views and enter the appropriate values for Host, Host Path, and Global Path: the hostname, host-local path, and global storage path, respectively, of the ClearCase server storage location.

  7. Click Next. The wizard validates the view storage path and, if provided, the global storage path.
  8. On the Select Project or Team Area page, expand the repository entry and select the project or team area to which you added the synchronization process account (see Adding the synchronization process account to your team area). If there are no entries under the repository, verify that you are connected to the project area, then try again. Click Next.
  9. The Jazz Source Control Information page displays the name of a merge workspace that the wizard will create. You can choose another name if you want. If the repository contains a workspace with the name you chose, the wizard extends it with a string that makes it unique. (A merge workspace is a repository workspace where you resolve conflicts that occur when a file or folder has been modified in parallel in Rational ClearCase and Rational Team Concert source control).
  10. A default Synchronization user ID is displayed in this field. (The default ID is ccsync.) If you are using a synchronization user ID other than the default, replace the ID with the correct value. Enter the password for the Synchronization user ID. For more information, see Creating a synchronization process account.
  11. Type the path name where the ClearCase Connector is installed on this host in the Connector install location field, or click Browse to browse for it. The ClearCase Connector is typically installed in the Rational Team Concert installation directory.
  12. By default, the synchronization process checks the repository for new synchronization requests every two minutes. If you want, you can change this interval by editing the Sleep time interval (seconds) field.
  13. Click Finish to create the ClearCase Synchronized Stream. Unless you have cleared the Start a Jazz Synchronization engine process after the wizard finishes check box, the wizard starts the synchronization engine process. If you decide not to start the synchronization engine process now, you can start it later, as described in Starting the synchronization process. You can monitor the status of this process in the ClearCase Synchronized Streams view.

    Unless you clear the Start the Select Files wizard after this wizard finishes check box, the Select Files wizard opens after the ClearCase Synchronized Stream has been created. Use the Select Files wizard to specify files and folders to synchronize.

Results

When the new ClearCase Synchronized Stream has been created, the wizard opens the ClearCase Synchronized Streams view, which lists the new stream.

What to do next

Note: When you create a ClearCase Synchronized Stream, the wizard creates a text file named account.cred.txt (for example, ccsync.cred.txt) that contains the user ID and an obfuscated password for that account. The file is created in the ClearCaseConnector subdirectory of your home directory. It should be protected so that it cannot be read by unauthorized users.

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