Limitations of linking work items to versioned artifacts

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You can link work items to versioned artifacts that belong to configurations in Configuration Management-enabled project areas in applications such as Requirements Management and Quality Management.

The following limitations apply:

  • If you are using EWM 7.0.2 or later version, you must use the web client, the 7.0.2 or later version of the EWM client for Eclipse IDE, or the 7.0.2 or later version of the EWM client for Microsoft Visual Studio IDE. For example, you cannot navigate to versioned artifacts by using 7.0.1 version of the Eclipse client combined with 7.0.2 version of the EWM server.
  • To associate releases with global configurations, you must use the web client. Release association with global configurations is now managed in Global Configuration Management (GCM) application. For more information, see Associating Releases with global configurations.
  • To see the global configuration picker in the banner, you must opt in by using the OSLC Link/Attribute Mapping page. The opt-in is not reversible. Note, the existing projects that use the OSLC Link/Attribute Mapping page are automatically opted in. For more information about how to opt in and set up global configuration for Eclipse and Visual Studio clients, see Enabling linking of work items to versioned artifacts.
  • To specify the mapping of OSLC link types to attributes you must use the OSLC Link/Attribute Mapping page in the web client.
  • In general, linking EWM plans to versioned artifacts is not supported. You can create a link from a versioned artifact to a plan. However, when you navigate the link from within the plan, EWM uses the user-selected Configuration Context to determine the configuration of the link. The user-selected configuration might not be the same configuration from which the link to the plan was created.
  • If the user-selected Configuration Context is not compatible with the Configuration Context in the work item settings, then a warning is displayed when you click Save. If you still go ahead and click Save, the link is created but the work item link is not displayed in any global configuration.
    GC not compatible warning
  • As earlier, the work item links are not updated by changing the value of the release (deliverable attribute type) field. To update links, you need to change the selected Configuration Context and then refresh the content.
  • You can link work items to versioned artifacts only if the configurations that contain those versioned artifacts belong to global configurations.
  • The global configuration for versioned artifacts in the work item editor, query results view, and plan editor is always determined by the user-selected Configuration Context. For example, the user-selected configuration is SGC Production stream. The linked test case is resolved in the same configuration and hence, is displayed as a link.

    example configuration

  • In IBM® Engineering Test Management or IBM Engineering Requirements Management DOORS® Next, you cannot create a link from a baseline to a work item. The workaround is to create the link from within the work item.
  • The IBM Engineering Lifecycle Management includes a set of predefined lifecycle work item queries, which retrieve work items based on their links to artifacts in other applications, such as Requirements Management (RM) and Quality Management (QM). The queries for remote artifacts are run by using the user-selected Configuration Context. The result displays work items with links to the artifacts. To view the complete list of queries, see Using lifecycle queries.
  • Data warehouse reporting is not supported for links to versioned artifacts.
  • If you change the user-selected Configuration Context, the validity of the links from plans or work items to versioned artifacts might change. The valid links can become invalid if the versioned artifact does not exist in the selected Configuration Context. Also, the invalid links can become valid if the versioned artifact now belongs to the selected Configuration Context.
  • Links to versioned artifacts where a user-selected Configuration Context cannot be determined does not include a Configuration Context. The statement is true for feeds, emails, dashboard widgets that are outside the application dashboards, and n-1 clients.
  • Any of the following actions can cause links from versioned artifacts to plans or work items to become invalid:
    • The association between the configuration and the global configuration changes.
    • The mappings specified on the Configuration Management > OSLC Link/Attribute Mapping page of the project area editor change.
    • The value of the work item attribute, such as Found In or Planned For, that is used to determine the global configuration changes.
    • The association between the release and the global configuration changes.
    • The association between the release and the iteration changes.
    • A user ignores the effective global configuration when creating a link from the Quality Management or Requirements Management project area.
    Note: If you use an n-1 EWM client with the 7.0.2 or later version of the EWM server, Configuration Contexts for navigation are not displayed in the client. When you click a work item, the default context in the receiving application is used.