Tool Mentor: Linking Configuration Management and Change Request Management Using Rational ClearQuest and Rational ClearCase
This tool mentor describes how to enable the use of Rational ClearQuest with Rational ClearCase Unified Change Management (UCM) projects.
Tool: Rational ClearCase
Relationships
Main Description

Overview

ClearCase UCM projects can be integrated with ClearQuest, a change request management tool. Using ClearQuest, you can submit change requests, view and modify existing change requests, and create and run user or site-specific queries and reports. The UCM-ClearQuest integration adds significant project management and activity management capabilities to UCM projects. For example, ClearQuest records can be linked with ClearCase activities and policies that can be set to govern when you can deliver an activity in ClearCase and when you can close an activity in ClearQuest.

This tool mentor is applicable when running Microsoft Windows.

 helpbook icon For additional information, see the manual IBM Rational ClearCase Guide to Managing Software Projects.

Tool Steps

To set up the UCM-ClearQuest integration:

  1. Enable a ClearQuest schema to work with UCM or use the predefined UCM-enabled schema
  2. Create or upgrade a change request database to use the schema
  3. Enable your UCM project to work with ClearQuest

1. Enable a ClearQuest schema to work with UCM or use the predefined UCM-enabled schema To Tool Steps

The following steps tell you how to use predefined UCM-enabled schemas to set up a change request database to work with UCM. The predefined UCM schemas, named UnifiedChangeManagement and Enterprise, include the record type, field, form, state, and other definitions necessary to work with a UCM project.

To set up a change request database to work with UCM:

  1. Create a user database that is associated with one of the predefined UCM-enabled schemas.
  2. In the ClearQuest Designer, click Database > New Database to start the New Database Wizard.
  3. Complete the steps in the wizard; number 4 prompts you to select a schema to associate with the new database. Scroll the list of schema names and select the new schema.
  4. Click Finish.

 book icon For information on how to enable a ClearQuest schema for use with the UCM-ClearQuest integration, see the chapter "Setting up a Rational ClearQuest user database for UCM" in the manual IBM Rational ClearCase Guide to Managing Software Projects.

2. Create or upgrade a change request database to use the schema To Tool Steps

The predefined UCM schemas let you use the UCM-ClearQuest integration right away, but you may prefer to design a custom schema to track your project's activities and change requests. You may even prefer to use a different, predefined schema. There are several ways to do this, depending on your project's needs.

We recommend you become familiar with information in the chapter "Setting up a Rational ClearQuest user database for UCM" in the manual IBM Rational ClearCase Guide to Managing Software Projects before proceeding. Detailed information on procedures for this task are also presented in this section of the ClearCase documentation set.

 book icon  For detailed information on this procedure, see "Planning how to use the UCM integration with Rational ClearQuest" in the manual IBM Rational ClearCase Guide to Managing Software Projects.

3. Enable your UCM project to work with ClearQuest To Tool Steps

  • In the left pane of the ClearCase Project Explorer, right-click the project to display its shortcut menu. Click Properties to display its property sheet.
  • Click the ClearQuest tab and then select the Project is ClearQuest-enabled check box. On Windows systems, Link to the ClearQuest User Database is seeded with a name. The Rational ClearQuest Schema Repository dialog appears with the connection corresponding to that user database selected.
  • Select the user database from the "Link to this Change Request Database" list.
  • The first time you enable a project, ClearQuest opens its Login dialog box. Enter your user name, password, and the name of the database to which you are linking the project.
  • Click OK.

 book icon  Advanced feature: You can also set development policies for projects that use the UCM-ClearQuest integration. See "Policies for the UCM integration with Rational ClearQuest" in the manual IBM Rational ClearCase Guide to Managing Software Projects for more information.