Guide to seting up external traceability between ReqPro projects

Answer

This technote provides you with a how to setup external traceability and a description of the resulting changes in the database tables that are affected. The database table description is based on use of either Oracle® or Microsoft® SQL Server as the database.

Setting up external traceability between projects in RequisitePro is a two step process. First the projects must be connected externally and second the desired requirement types must be enabled for external traceability. These two steps are detailed below. This description is based on the database being Oracle or SQL server.

1. Connecting an external project:
1. Select from the menu File > Project Administration > External Projects.
2. In the External Projects dialogue box select the Add button and browse to the .RQS file of the project you want to connect to.
3. In the External Projects dialogue box select the OK button. The two projects are now externally connected. Notice that each project now has an entry in its External Projects dialogue box.
• One Record is written to the RqProjectExternalProjects table for each externally connected project. The RqProjectExternalProjects table contains the Project Id for the externally connected project.
• One record is written to the RqExternalProjects table for each externally connected project. The RqExternalProjects table contains the path to the external project’s .RQS file.
4. This step is optional. Select File > Project Administration > Properties. Select the General tab. Fill in the Prefix field. A project’s requirements, when viewed from another project, will be pre-pended with this prefix. The Prefix field makes it easier to identify external requirements.
• The prefix is written to the RqProjects table.
• A record is written to the RqProjectHistory table.
2. Enabling external traceability for a requirement type:
1. Select from the menu File > Properties. Select a requirement type and press the Edit button. Check the Allow External Traceability box.
• The RqRequirmentTypes table is updated.
• A record is written to the RqProjectHistory table.
2. Repeat the above steps in each database that you want to allow external traceability.
• Note: External traceability can only occur between requirements if both have the Allow External Traceability box selected.
3. Externally tracing requirements:
1. Right click on a requirement whose requirement type has external traceability enabled. Display the requirement’s properties. Select the Traceability tab. In either the From or To section press the Add button.
2. Select the Requirement Types drop down box and scroll to the bottom. Below the dashed line are the requirements of externally connected projects that have external traceability enabled.
3. Select the requirement and press OK.
• Two records are written to the RqToRelationships table.
4. External traceability is now established.

• Note: A user will not be prompted to log into the external project if the user's name and password exist in the external project.