Introduction

Ideal users for ClearCase Remote Client are part-time remote users (for example, users that want to work in the same ClearCase view at home that they were using at the office) or full-time remote users (for example, users working out of small satellite offices ). This article will cover the base ClearCase development model.

About the ClearCase Remote Client

ClearCase Remote Client is an Eclipse-powered user interface optimized for use by developers who connect to a ClearCase Web server over a wide area network. It includes many of the features provided by the native ClearCase client, regardless of whether ClearCase is installed on the client machine.

ClearCase Remote Client allows you to access resources in remote ClearCase repositories and load them into local ClearCase views as files and directories under ClearCase control. It also allows you to add files and directories to ClearCase, committing them to repositories and making them available to other team members.

ClearCase Remote Client is available in two forms:

• The ClearCase Remote Client (designed for use outside of the Eclipse integrated development environment)
• The ClearCase Remote Client for Eclipse (integrates ClearCase Remote Client with Eclipse-based applications)

When you install ClearCase Remote Client for Eclipse into an Eclipse environment (like Software Architect), ClearCase Remote Client viewers (for instance, ClearCase Navigator or ClearCase Details views) are available in the ClearCase perspective.

ClearCase Remote Client viewers can be added to other Eclipse (respective Software Architect) perspectives as well. These Viewers provide access to resources loaded into ClearCase views, and also allow you to browse the contents of remote ClearCase.

Dialog boxes and wizards are accessible from ClearCase toolbars (which can be added to any Eclipse perspective that supports a team provider) and also from the Eclipse Team context.

In general, ClearCase supports two development models:

• Unified Change Management (UCM), which is a preconfigured, activity-based change management process
• Base ClearCase, which is a set of tools that you can use to create a configuration management process tailored to your specific needs

Both ClearCase Remote Client and ClearCase Remote Client for Eclipse support UCM and base ClearCase.

Procedure

This scenario simulates two users editing the same source-controlled Model file in Software Architect using ClearCase Remote Client for Eclipse. When two contributors have changes to the same UML Model, the graphical merge session allows partial acceptance of either side of the UML Model Elements, as well as elements from UML diagrams.

During this scenario, User1 will create a new Web view (baseccrc_view1) and load the Base ClearCase VOB (basevob_ccrctest) located on the ClearCase Web server. User1 will share a modeling project, so that other team members can also work on it. User1 and User2 both work on the same model. The two users make some conflicting changes to the same model elements and diagrams. When the second user tries to check in, the user must perform a merge to resolve the differences. Software Architect's Compare/Merge function allows you to compare and track different model elements and diagrams, identify the differences between them, and merge models.

Prerequisites

The following software must be installed on client workstations for User1 and User2:

• Software Architect 6.0.1.1 or latest
• ClearCase Remote Client Plug-in for Eclipse is installed in Software Architect (see the Install and update ClearCase Remote Client for Eclipse immediately following)
• There is no need to have a standard ClearCase client installed and enabled on the client side. Only ClearCase Remote Client for Eclipse is required on the client side.

ClearCase Remote Client for Eclipse requires the support of a ClearCase Web Server, which provides the client with both access to remote ClearCase repositories and support for local ClearCase views. ClearCase Remote Client works over HTTP protocol.

Install and update ClearCase Remote Client for Eclipse

Follow these steps to install ClearCase Remote Client plugins for Eclipse.

1. Go to Software Architect's main menu and select Help > Software Updates > Find and Install.
2. Select the Search For new Features to Install radio button and click Next.
3. Select the New Remote Site button.
4. Enter the update site in the URL field as shown in Figure 1 (for example, http://www3.software.ibm.com/ibmdl/pub/software/rationalsdp/clearcase/ccrc/614/update/).

5. Select the new update site (here ccrc) in the Sites to include in search list and then click Finish.
6. On the Search Results page, select Rational ClearCase Remote Client for Eclipse (as shown in Figure 2) and click Next.
7. Accept the Agreement when asked and click Install.
8. Restart the workbench when installation is finished.

If ClearCase Remote Client is already installed, check for Updates (the latest version is 6.14.9).

1. To do so, manually run the Update Manager by clicking Help > Software Updates > Find and install.
2. Select Search for updates of the currently installed features. The resulting screen should resemble that in Figure 3.

The following software must be installed on ClearCase Web server side:

• ClearCase 6.0 Web Server This is the shared server where your team stores the source code control repositories.
• ClearCase Remote Client is bundled with ClearCase Web Server on the ClearCase v 2003.06.14 (SR4 patch download) product media
• A Base ClearCase VOB (basevob_ccrctest) has been created on ClearCase Web Server. Please see the article Working in a team development environment using Software Architect and Base ClearCase, which describes how to create the initial Base VOB and Views.

The ClearCase Web server is a computer on which ClearCase has been installed, and that has access to one or more ClearCase repositories (VOBs). Every ClearCase Web server supports two client interfaces: ClearCase Remote Client and the ClearCase Web interface, usually at the same URL.

Resources controlled by ClearCase are stored on a ClearCase server in repositories called Versioned Object Bases, or VOBs. To access a VOB, you must connect to a ClearCase Web server and work in a ClearCase view.

Note: To create a VOB, you must have access to the ClearCase administrative tools that run on the ClearCase Web server. You cannot use ClearCase Remote Client to create a VOB.

Starting Software Architect on the client machine

In this section, User1 will launch Software Architect, import a modeling project and share the project (using ClearCase Remote Client for Eclipse) for other team members to use. Start Software Architect and create an initial workspace.

1. Click Start > Programs > IBM Rational > IBM Rational Software Architect V6.0 > Rational Software Architect.
2. In the Workspace Launcher window, in the Workspace field, select a workspace and click OK.
3. If you are prompted to change the auto launch configuration to your workspace path, click Yes.

Note: Your Clearcase view location and your workspace location should always be separate.

Enabling ClearCase Remote Client within Software Architect

In this section, User1 will enable the ClearCase Remote Client Capabilities on the Software Architect Client machine

1. Click Window > Preferences.
2. In the Preferences window, expand Workbench\Capabilities.
3. In the right pane, expand Team and select ClearCase Remote Client as shown in Figure 4.

4. Click OK in the Preferences Window.

Open ClearCase perspective within Software Architect

In this section, User1 will open a ClearCase Perspective in the Software Architect Client Machine:

1. Click Window > Open Perspective.
2. In the Select Perspective window, select the Show All checkbox.
3. Select ClearCase (as shown in Figure 5).
4. Click OK in the Select Perspective dialog

Set ClearCase Remote Client preferences within Software Architect

In this section, User1 will set the ClearCase Remote Client Preferences on the Software Architect Client Machine:

1. Click Window > Preferences.
2. In the Preferences window, expand Team and expand ClearCase Remote Client.
3. Click the Editors/Workspace preference.
4. Select the Decorate workspace project names with viewtags check box as shown in Figure 6.

Note: By setting this preference, if a project is associated with a ClearCase web view, it will be shown next to the project name in the Software Architect Explorer Views. This will help prevent making changes to files in the wrong view.

Because we are working in a shared development environment (Base ClearCase), set ClearCase Remote Client so that checkouts will be unreserved by default.

5. Go to the Team > ClearCase Remote Client preference page and select Set default to checkout files as Unreserved, as shown in Figure 7.

Note: You can clear this option to reduce merging, but for the purpose of this test, you will run a merge scenario with model files, so enable this option. This will also prevent bottlenecks if someone else wants to check out the same file.

6. Click OK to exit the Preferences dialog.

Create a ClearCase Web view within Software Architect and load the Base ClearCase VOB artifacts

ClearCase Remote Client includes two view creation wizards: one that creates a base ClearCase view, and one that enables you to join a UCM project and then create one or more UCM ClearCase views in which to work on activities in that project.

In this scenario we will work with Base ClearCase.

ClearCase Remote Client accesses the ClearCase Web server through a URL.To connect to a ClearCase Web server, you must authenticate yourself with a user name and password that are valid on that server.

1. In Software Architect Client Machine, from the ClearCase Perspective, navigate to ClearCase > Create ClearCase View, as shown in Figure 8.

2. Type the URL for the ClearCase Web server that will support the view (Figure 9 shows an example).

Note: ClearCase Remote Client accesses the ClearCase Web server through a URL.

Type the URL of the ClearCase Web server that will support the view (for example, http://<CC Webserver IP address>:<port#>/ccrc. Use port# = 81.)

To connect to a ClearCase Web server, you must authenticate yourself with a user name and password that are valid on that server. If the ClearCase Web server is running Windows, the user name must include the Windows domain in which the account was created. For example, DOMAIN\user.

If you are already connected to a ClearCase Web server and want that server to support the view you create, you can reuse that server connection as shown in Figure 10. You can also choose a different ClearCase Web server to support the view.

3. Enter the required user information. Type the password that is valid for the user name you supplied.
4. Click Next.
5. Select a location for your Web view (name it baseccrc_view1 as shown in Figure 11) and click Next.

6. Click Finish to create the view.
7. Click Yes in the Create Base ClearCase View dialog that appears (shown in Figure 12). This allows you to load the view.

8. Select the Base VOB (Figure 13) located on ClearCase Web Server to load.

9. Press OK in the ClearCase View Configuration dialog.

The ClearCase Perspective should show the ClearCase View Configuration view with the Base VOB artifacts loaded in your Web view, as shown in Figure 14.

Importing an existing modeling project

In this section, User1 will import an existing modeling project called Piggy Bank.

The Piggy Bank sample is divided into three UML models that each describe a different aspect of the system: the use-case model, analysis model, and design model.

To import the Piggy Bank modeling project:

1. Click Help > Samples Gallery.
2. In the Contents pane, navigate to Application Samples\Piggy Bank Application\Piggy Bank Models.
3. In the right pane, click Import the sample.
4. In the Sample Banking Models wizard, on the Piggy Bank Models page, accept the default project name and click Finish.
5. Close the Samples Gallery.

Figure 15 illustrates how the Piggy Bank modeling project is displayed in the Model Explorer view.

Sharing the UML project using ClearCase Remote Client as a team provider

User1 will share the project to allow other team members to access it.

To share the project:

1. In the Model Explorer view, right-click on Piggy Bank Models Project, then click Team > Share Project.
2. In the Share Project wizard, on the Share Project page, click ClearCase Remote Client as shown in Figure 16, and then click Next.

3. Select the Web view you just created (baseccrc_view1, shown in Figure 17) and click Next.

4. Select the Base ClearCase VOB to Load, as shown in Figure 18.

5. Click Finish to add the Project to source control.

You should see the ClearCase Add Resources To Source Control dialog with all of the Modeling Project artifacts selected, as shown in Figure 19.

6. Make sure you clear the Checkout resources after adding to source control checkbox (shown selected in Figure 19).
7. Click Apply to add all modeling project artifacts to source control.

Figure 20 illustrates how a shared project is displayed in the Model Explorer view.

Note that the UML Project gets decorated with a ClearCase Remote Client Web view tag (since we set the ClearCase Remote Client preferences in Software Architect to decorate project names with viewtags).

Setting up work area for User2 to access models shared by User1

In this section, User2 will set up his individual work areas by creating a web view and importing the Piggy Bank UML project in his workspace. To create a view and import the shared Piggy Bank modeling project, follow the steps below:

1. Launch Software Architect on User2’s client machine.
2. When prompted, select your workspace or create a new one.
3. This enables ClearCase Remote Client in Software Architect. For more information, see the previous Enabling ClearCase Remote Client within Software Architect section (performed by User1).
4. Create a new ClearCase Web View (named baseccrc_view2) from the ClearCase Perspective in Software Architect. For more information, see the Create a ClearCase Web view within Software Architect and load the Base ClearCase VOB artifacts
5. In the ClearCase Navigator View in Software Architect (ClearCase Perspective), right-click the baseccrc_view2 and choose Update Resource (as shown in Figure 21) to get the UML Project Artifacts into your local Web view (baseccrc_view2).

6. Click Apply in the Update Resources dialog shown in Figure 22.

The UML Project Artifacts should get loaded in User2's Web view location (baseccrc_view2) and will show in the ClearCase View Configuration pane (ClearCase Perspective), as shown in Figure 23.

To Import the Piggy Bank Project from baseccrc_view2 in User2's Software Architect workspace, follow the steps below:

7. Click File > Import.
8. In the Import wizard, click Existing Project into Workspace and then click Next.
9. On the Import Project From File System page, in the Project contents field, specify the location of the Piggy Bank model in User2's view (for example C:\CCRC\ccrcviews\baseccrc_view2\base_vob_ccrctest\Piggy Bank Models, as shown in Figure 24).

10. Click OK, then click Finish in the Import dialog.

Figure 25 illustrates how the UML project is displayed in the Model Explorer view in User2's workspace.

Note: To have the UML Project decorated with the ClearCase Remote Client Web view tag, you will have to set the ClearCase Remote Client preferences in Software Architect for User2 as well (similar with what User1 set to decorate project names with viewtags – see Set ClearCase Remote Client Preferences within Software Architect).

Parallel development: Comparing and merging models

In this section, you'll perform parallel development. A merge typically starts when you check in a model to a repository, and a newer version of the same model already exists in the repository. If there are only non-conflicting differences, then the merge is trivial and you have a silent merge (the differences are automatically resolved and merged). If you have conflicting changes, you must then manually resolve the remaining conflicts by selecting a version of a model from which to accept changes. After you resolve the remaining conflicts, you can save the merged model and close the merge editor.

The following steps describe the workflow in this section:

• User1 checks out a file, makes changes (for example, User1 will arrange the shapes in Diagram and delete two UML operations from a class), and keeps the file checked out.
• User2 checks out the same file, makes a conflicting change (for example, User2 will rename the same UML operations that User1 deleted), and makes some non conflicting changes (for example, show the operation signature of a class shape in the same Diagram that User1 changed). User2 also keeps the file checked out.
• User1 checks in the file.
• User2 tries to check in the file, but needs to perform a merge before the changes are checked in.

To make a change as User1:

1. Launch Software Architect in User1's workspace.
2. In the Model Explorer view in Software Architect, double-click Design Model.emx to open the model.
3. Navigate to PiggyBank Design Model\PiggyBank Viewpoints\Architectural Layers and double-click Common Elements Diagram to open the diagram.
4. Right-click the diagram editor and choose the Arange All option.
5. You should see the Checkout Resources window. Make sure that the Reserved checkbox is not selected (as shown in Figure 26). Click Apply.

6. Select the first warn() operation in LogHelper Shape and choose Navigate > Show in > Model Explorer (as shown in Figure 27).

7. The operation should get selected in Model Explorer under PiggyBank Design Model\PiggyBank Implementation Designs\itso.ad.common\Logging\LogHelper.
8. Right-click the first warn () operation in Model Explorer and choose Delete from Model.
9. Right-click the second warn () operation in Model Explorer and choose Delete from Model. Your view should now resemble that in Figure 28.

10. Click File > Save All.
11. Do not check in the Design Model.emx model file in User1's workspace.

To make a conflicting change as User2:

12. Launch Software Architect in User2’s workspace.
13. In the Model Explorer view, double-click Design Model.emx.
14. Check out the Design Model.emx (right-click Design Model.emx and select Team > Check-out).
15. Make sure that the Reserved checkbox is not selected in the Checkout Resources dialog (see Figure 29), then click Apply. This completes the checkout of Design Model.emx.

16. Navigate to PiggyBank Design Model\PiggyBank Implementation Designs\itso.ad.common\logging\LogHelper.
17. Right-click the first warn() operation in Model Explorer and choose Refactor > Rename.
18. In the Rename Element dialog, type warning in the New name field and click OK.
19. Repeat for the second warn() operation.
20. Navigate to PiggyBank Design Model\PiggyBank Viewpoints\Architectural Layers and double-click the Common Elements Diagram to open the diagram.
21. In the diagram editor, right-click the LogHelper class shape and choose Filters > Show Signature.

The Operations signature should show in the LogHelper class shape, as shown in Figure 30.

22. Click File > Save All.
23. Do not check in the Design Model.emx model file in User2's workspace

To check in the model file as User1:

24. Launch Software Architect in User1's workspace.
25. In the Model Explorer view in Software Architect, right-click Design Model.emx and select Team > Check-in to check in the model.
26. In the Check In Resources window, click Apply.
27. Exit Software Architect.

At this point, User1 and User2 have both made changes to the same file. User1 has checked in his changes. User2 has not yet checked in her changes. When User2 tries to check in her changes, ClearCase prompts her to perform a merge, so that User2 can resolve the conflicting change.

To resolve the conflict as User2:

28. Launch Software Architect in User2's workspace.
29. In the Model Explorer view in Software Architect, right-click Design Model.emx and select Team > Check-in.
30. In the Check In Resources window, click Apply.
31. The Merge Needed for Checkin dialog box opens, as shown in Figure 31. Click the Merge button.

32. The Software Architect Compare Merge Tool should launch.

You can view the differences and conflicts between contributor and ancestor files in the Left, Right, and Ancestor views. You can also view details about each difference and conflict in the Structural Differences view. The Merged result view displays the merged model.

33. Select the Conflicts tab in the Structural Differences pane.

You should see the two conflicts with the model elements: two operations deleted by the Right Contributor (from User1 web view), and the same operations renamed by the Left Contributor (from User2 web view), as shown in Figure 32.

34. Select the Left Differences tab in the Structural Differences pane

You should see the two conflicting changes with model operations, and the differences in the Common Elements Diagram -- the operations signature showing in Left Contributor (from User2 Web view ) -- as shown in Figure 33.

35. Select the Right Differences Tab in Structural Differences View.

You should see the two conflicting changes with model operations, and the differences in the Common Elements Diagram – shapes moved in Right Contributor (from User1 web view) -- as shown in Figure 34.

36. To accept the change that User2 made, click the Conflicts tab again in the Structural Differences view, right-click Conflicts root node, then click Resolve All with Left Contributor, as shown in Figure 35.

37. Check the Merged result view (Figure 36) and make sure that all changes made from User2 are correctly displayed in Merged Model (the two operations renamed to warning in Explorer view and Diagram view, and the operation signature show up in LogHelper Shape in Diagram view. Non-conflicting changes from User1 will also show in the merged diagram (in this example, shapes arranged and moved).

38. In the Merged Result view, click the Save button (see the highlighted button in Figure 37).

39. Close the Merge window.
40. The merge is now complete and User2 can Check in her changes under ClearCase source control (see Figure 38).

Updating ClearCase Web views

As User1, start Software Architect and update your view, so that you can see the latest changes that User2 checked in.

To update a view as User1:

1. Start Software Architect in User1's workspace.
2. Open ClearCase Perspective (see Open ClearCase Perspective within Software Architect).
3. On ClearCase Navigator View in ClearCase Perspective, right-click baseccrc_view1 and choose Update Resource (Figure 39) to get the latest changes of the UML Models checked in by user2 in User1's local web view (baseccrc_view1).

4. Click Apply in the Update Resources dialog shown in Figure 40.

5. After the ClearCase Web View is Updated, open the Modeling Prespective to see the changes in your model (click Windows > Open Perspective > Modeling).
6. In the Model Explorer view, double-click Design Model.emx to open the model.
7. Navigate to PiggyBank Design Model\PiggyBank Implementation Designs\itso.ad.common\logging-\LogHelper and verify that both warn() operations will now have changes from User2 -- they are renamed to warning().
8. Navigate to PiggyBank Design Model\PiggyBank Viewpoints\Architectural Layers and double click the Common Elements Diagram to open the diagram.
9. Verify that non-conflicting changes from both contributors (User1 and User2) will show up in the diagram: shapes moved (changes from User1), and the operations signature will show up for LogHelper class Shape (changes from User2). Also, you will see the changes made by User2 to the renamed operations reflected in the Diagram Editor (two warning operations are displayed in LogHelper Class Shape).

Updating User2's ClearCase Web view will also reflect the latest changes made to the final merged Design Model.emx model, and checked into the ClearCase VOB. As this example has shown, multiple contributors can conveniently update shared resources using ClearCase Remote Client and Software Architect.

Resources

Learn

• Scenarios of working in a team development environment: Using IBM Rational Software Architect and base ClearCase: This first scenario describes how to work in a team development environment using Rational Software Architect and base ClearCase.
  
  
• Scenarios of working in a team development environment: Using IBM Rational Software Architect and UCM: This second scenario describes how to work in a team development environment using Rational Software Architect and UCM.
  
  
• Scenarios of working in a team development environment: Using IBM Rational Software Architect and CVS: This third scenario describes how to work in a team development environment using Rational Software Architect and CVS.
  
  
• Comparing and merging UML models in IBM Rational Software Architect: Part 3: This article is part of a series of articles that discuss how to compare and merge UML models in Rational Software Architect.
  
  
• Introducing IBM Rational Software Architect: Improved usability makes software development easier: This article is a basic introduction to the Rational Software Architect product.
  
  
• IBM Rational Software Architect product page: Find technical documentation, how-to articles, education, downloads, and product information about Rational Software Architect.
  
  
• IBM Rational ClearCase product page: Find technical documentation, how-to articles, education, downloads, and product information about ClearCase.
  
  

Get products and technologies

• IBM Rational Software Architect: Download a trial version from developerWorks.
  
  

Discuss

• Participate in the discussion forum.
  
  
• Rational Software Architect, Software Modeler, Application Developer and Web Developer forum: Ask questions about Rational Software Architect.
  
  
• developerWorks blogs: Participate in the developerWorks community.
  
  

About the author

Magda is part of the System Verification Test team with IBM Rational Software Group. Since joining Rational in 2000, she has developed scenarios for testing different areas for Rational Modeling products, being involved for more than four years with testing integration of Rational Modeling Applications with configuration management tools (ClearCase, ClearCase Remote Client, CVS, Visual SourceSafe).

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Table of contents

• Introduction
• Starting Software Architect on the client machine
• Enabling ClearCase Remote Client within Software Architect
• Open ClearCase perspective within Software Architect
• Set ClearCase Remote Client preferences within Software Architect
• Create a ClearCase Web view within Software Architect and load the Base ClearCase VOB artifacts
• Importing an existing modeling project
• Sharing the UML project using ClearCase Remote Client as a team provider
• Setting up work area for User2 to access models shared by User1
• Parallel development: Comparing and merging models
• Updating ClearCase Web views
• Resources
• About the author
• Comments

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