understand the .view file

When a view is created, a .view file is created in the view storage directory and contains the basic information about the view as defined by the options that can be used to create the view.

The file contains the following data:

• The Host the view was created from.
• Host the view is stored and its path.
• The view UUID (Universally Unique ID)
• View kind:
• UCM view: -sumview
• Snapshot view: -snapshot
  Note: No -snapshot line item means the view is a dynamic view.
• Web view: -webview
• No Share DO: -nshareable_dos
  Note: No -nshareable_dos line item means the view will share DOs
• Text Mode: -textmode strip_cr & -textmode msdos (msdos = insert_cr).
  Note: No -textmode line item means the view mode is transparent.
• Cache size: -cache

Example: A UCM webview not sharing DOs configured with 5000 bytes view cache as a strip_cr mode view.

host2:c:\ClearCase_Storage\views\DOM1\user1\test.vws
bc4e0eb4.4211442e.a6f1.6e:58:c9:ed:89:3c
host1
-sumview
-webview
-cache 4096
-nshareable_dos
-textmode strip_cr

Problems associated with missing a .view file

In Microsoft® Windows® Explorer, when you right click on a dynamic view the following error pops up:

*******************************************
ClearCase View Profiles
Cannot determine if the view is associated
Error getting view handle.
*******************************************

First try to stop the view and the server process at the command prompt:

cleartool endview -server

Then try to start the view from command prompt:

cleartool startview

The following error should appear:

view_contact call failed: RPC: Unable to receive; errno = [WINSOCK] Connection reset by peer
cleartool: Error: Error trying to contact view_server for view host1:C:\views\test_view.vws: No such file or directory
cleartool: Error: Couldn't set view tag test_view: No such file or directory

Try to remove the view from command line:

cleartool rmview

ClearCase will complain that the object is not a view.

cleartool: Error: \\host1\views\test_view.vws isn't a view: No such file or directory
cleartool: Error: Unable to remove view "\\host1\views\test_view.vws".

These symptoms can be associated to a missing .view file. This file stores the view's Universal Unique identifier (UUID) and some attributes about the view in the view storage directory.

You must manually remove the view from the ClearCase registry as well as the file system.

1. Remove the view tag from command line using cleartool rmtag -view

2. Remove the view object from the ClearCase Administration Console.

a. Open the ClearCase Administration Console with the rights of a ClearCase administrator

b. Expand ClearCase Registry

c. Click View Objects

d. Find the view object to remove by looking in the Local Path column

e. Right click on the name and select All Tasks > Remove View object

Note: cleartool unregister -view WILL NOT WORK.

3. Delete the View storage (.vws) directory on the file system.

Moving a view and the .view file

Moving a view from one host to another host does not modify the .view file in the view storage directory to reflect the new location information.

This is expected behavior.
The information stored in the .view file always describes the view's first incarnation.