Determine whether to use feature level 5, 6, or 7 for IBM Rational® ClearQuest® user
databases and schema repositories. The feature level determines the
ClearQuest features available after deployment. For ClearQuest upgrades,
you can raise existing schema repositories and user databases from
feature level 5 to 6, or from 6 to 7. Changing the feature level
might require that you upgrade the ClearQuest client version to a version
that supports the selected feature level.
The feature level and metaschema version define the structure of
the data that are stored in Rational ClearQuest schema
repositories and user databases. For information about features available
at the different feature levels, see Features in the feature levels.
Changing the feature level when you upgrade Rational
ClearQuest
Feature levels are associated with specific metaschema
versions. The following table lists the supported feature levels and
metaschema versions for every release of
Rational ClearQuest.
Table 1. Supported feature levels and metaschema versions| Version |
Metaschema version |
Feature level |
|---|
| 2003/7.0.0.0 |
22 |
5 |
| 7.0.1.0 |
22 |
5 and 6 |
| 7.1.x |
22 |
5, 6, and 7 |
| 8.0 |
22 |
5, 6, and 7 |
New feature levels and metaschema versions typically add
new columns to tables and new tables to databases to support new features.
As a result, changes to the feature level require upgrading the ClearQuest databases and
schema repositories. You must also ensure that the ClearQuest client version supports the
selected feature level.
Only clients that are upgraded to Version
7.1.x or later can access user databases that are at feature level
7 and below. Clients at 7.0.1 can access only user databases at feature
level 6 and below, and clients at 7.0.0 and below 2003.06.xx can
access only user databases at feature level 5. These product versions
and feature level compatibility requirements also apply to the other Rational ClearQuest components
such as the ClearQuest Designer and Maintenance Tool. These factors
must be considered when you determine whether to upgrade in phases,
or at one time.
If you upgrade user databases to a particular
feature level, you must upgrade all ClearQuest clients that access
the user database to a version that supports the feature level of
the schema repository. For example, if the schema repository is at
feature level 7 and the user database is at feature level 6, you must
upgrade ClearQuest client to version 8.x or later to access the user
database.
When you raise the feature level,
you can simplify the upgrade process for user databases by using the
ClearQuest Maintenance Tool to complete an in-place upgrade. An in-place
supports upgrading a user database to a higher feature level without
having to create a database and copy data to it.
Your Rational ClearQuest databases
must be at feature level 5 and metaschema 22 or higher before you
install Version 8.0. If your databases were created with version 2001A.04.20
or later, then these databases are at level 5.
The process for
upgrading feature levels depends on the upgrade strategy you choose:
- Upgrading everything at one time
For information about when to upgrade your feature levels when
you upgrade the entire environment at one time, see Upgrading the environment at one time.
- Upgrading in phases
If you are upgrading your environment in phases, review the
following information to determine when to raise the feature level
during the upgrade process.
- Before you upgrade the feature level for a user database and schema
repository, upgrade all ClearQuest clients to a product version supported
by that feature level. This upgrade process ensures that the client
can access the user database after you change the feature level.
- Before you upgrade, all servers and databases must be at a version
that is supported by the feature level's corresponding release. For
more information, see Identify prerequisite hardware and software requirements.
- User databases and schema repositories can be at different feature
levels which supports upgrading your user databases and Rational ClearQuest clients
to higher feature levels in phases. For example, you can upgrade an
existing schema repository to feature level 6 and leave the associated
user databases on feature level 5. Or, you can upgrade an existing
schema repository to feature level 7 and leave the associated user
databases on feature level 5 or 6. However, all ClearQuest clients
must be upgraded to a software version that supports the feature level
of the user database.
- In ClearQuest MultiSite deployments, you can upgrade MultiSite
synchronization servers and shipping servers in phases only if you
can accept unidirectional replication. Unidirectional replication
means that packets sent from a user database with a lower feature
level are accepted by user databases with a higher feature level.
However, packets from a user database with a higher feature level
are not accepted by a user database with a lower feature level.
- Because user databases are not required to have the same feature
level as their associated schema repositories, you can raise the feature
level of schema repositories first and raise the feature level of
the associated user databases later.
- Schema repositories must be at compatible feature levels to support
unidirectional replication. For example, if a feature level 5 user
database has a feature level 7 schema repository, the packets that
are sent from client are not accepted by a feature level 6 user database
that has a feature level 6 schema repository.
Table 2 shows the
packet versions that a site can create and accept based on the schema
repository and user database feature level.
Table 2. Packet versions associated with schema repository and user
database feature levels| Schema Repository feature level |
User database feature level |
Created Packet Version |
Accepted Packet Version |
|---|
| 7 |
7 |
11 |
6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 |
| 7 |
6 |
10 |
6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
| 7 |
5 |
9 |
6, 7, 8, 9 |
| 6 |
6 |
8 |
6, 7, 8 |
| 6 |
5 |
7 |
6, 7 |
| 5 |
5 |
6 |
6 |