What's new in IBM Rational ClearCase and ClearCase MultiSite, Version 7.1

Summary of key advancements

Here is a quick summary of what's new in Rational ClearCase 7.1:

* Completely redesigned Rational ClearCase Remote Client
* Agile Development support in Rational ClearCase Remote Client
* New IBM® WebSphere® Application Server-based server infrastructure: CM Server -- change management server -- for the Rational ClearCase Remote Client and for IBM® Rational® ClearQuest® Web
* CM API, a Java™ API suitable for infrastructure support or third-party development
* Rational ClearCase MultiSite Global Monitor with embedded IBM® Tivoli® Monitoring
* Cross-platform, Eclipse™-based installation technology: IBM® Installation Manager

Rational ClearCase 7.1 represents the richest release of the product since Rational ClearCase 4.0. The Rational ClearCase Remote Client has been substantially rewritten to enhance usability and now supports almost all Rational ClearCase developer use cases. It also supports agile development process teams that are interested in continuous integration and other agile practices. Behind the remote client is the new CM Server, a scalable, WebSphere Application Server-based backend for both Rational ClearCase Remote Client (written as CCRC in illustrations) and the new Rational ClearQuest Web. CM server exposes the new Java CM API, which will be suitable as a basis for customizing Rational ClearCase infrastructure, as well as for integrations with third-party tools.

The IBM Rational ClearCase and Rational ClearQuest 7.1 releases introduce the Change Management (CM) Server, which provides server-side support for Wide Area Network (WAN) interfaces to Rational ClearCase and Rational ClearQuest. CM server is a unified application server for both Rational ClearCase Remote Client and Rational ClearQuest Web. It leverages the performance, security and scalability of WebSphere Application Server (Version 6.1.0.15). For detailed information regarding CM server architecture, deployment and administration, please refer to the Rational ClearCase 7.1 Information Center, listed in the Resources section.

Rational ClearCase MultiSite administrators will get a major enhancement with MultiSite Global Monitor, an administrative tool expressly for management of globally distributed development environments that use Rational ClearCase MultiSite. IBM Installation Manager consolidates all IBM platforms in a single installation technology that provides better install and uninstall performance, reduces the downtime required to bring new servers online, and includes backout capabilities if updates need to be rolled back.

Improved usability for Rational ClearCase Remote Client

The Eclipse-based remote client has been substantially rewritten to provide significant improvements in usability. Among the features now available are advanced filtering, which enables you to create custom filters in the navigator to reduce large object trees to manageable sizes with content of your choosing. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. Rational ClearCase Remote Client advanced filtering
image of workspace

Increased productivity from enhanced tools

This release implements more than 170 Rational ClearCase Remote Client user enhancement requests, including these additional usability and productivity enhancements:

* Complete preference control for common operations
* Rational ClearQuest WAN forms integrated into the Rational ClearCase Remote Client
* Integrated core Rational ClearQuest and Rational ClearCase developer functions
* Support for Eclipse diff and merge tools

More support for agile development processes. Agile software development support is another major addition to Rational ClearCase Remote Client 7.1. These enhancements include a Pending Changes view (Figure 2) that combines many operations to display differences between a developer's view and the integration view in either a base Rational ClearCase or Unified Change Management (UCM) context.

Figure 2. Rational ClearCase Remote Client Pending Changes view
image of workspace

Agile development support now also includes these enhancements:

* Streamlined delivery and rebase (re-establish baseline)
* Change Set view
* Recursive Checkout
* Recursive Add to Source Control

Furthermore, it is now possible to work with Rational ClearQuest completely within the remote client, making it easier than ever to work in a Rational ClearQuest-enabled UCM environment. The integration uses native Eclipse WAN components (Figure 3), provides Activity Lists, and enables you to take advantage of Rational ClearQuest Query results as Work On items.


Figure 3. Rational ClearQuest WAN forms in the Rational ClearCase Remote Client
image of workspace

CM server

CM server provides the new infrastructure for Rational ClearCase Remote Client 7.1 and Rational ClearQuest Web 7.1. CM server is a single server for both Rational ClearCase Remote Client and Rational ClearQuest Web that simplifies deployment for administrators and connections for teams. Built on the industry enterprise standard WebSphere Application Server, CM server (Figure 4) provides a high-performing server-based deployment model that is easily managed, administered, and upgraded.

Figure 4. CM server architecture
diagram of server architecture

CM server provides several advantages:

* Single technology stack for Rational ClearCase and Rational ClearQuest servers
* Infrastructure for WAN-based clients: Rational ClearCase Remote Client and Rational ClearQuest Web
* Industry-standard WebSphere Application Server-based application servers
* Horizontal and vertical scalability
* 30-50% performance improvements over Version 7.0.1

CM API

CM API is a cross-platform, Java interface built on industry standards (WVCM) that is suitable both for framing infrastructure and for writing real integrations. It offers the following benefits::

* Unified, client-side Java API for Rational ClearCase and Rational ClearQuest access
* Based on JSR-147, Workspace Versioning and Configuration Management (WVCM) specification
* Common Rational ClearCase and Rational ClearQuest data model with domain-specific services
* Supports customer and partner ecosystems

Easier administration with Rational ClearCase MultiSite Global Monitor

Rational ClearCase MultiSite is one of the key parts of the Rational ClearCase global development approach. Version 7.1 introduces the MultiSite Global Monitor console (Figure 5) to make administration easier. Because it leverages IBM Tivoli Monitoring, it offers a centralized view (Eclipse or Web client) of a global working environment.

This tool monitors vital server processes in addition to a broad and extensible array of Rational ClearCase MultiSite jobs and situations. It alerts administrators about problems, provides expert advice on issue remediation, and is capable of scaling to the largest global networks. For most common Rational ClearCase MultiSite issues, the MultiSite Global Monitor can greatly reduce resolution time by reducing the number of people required for diagnosis, including the need to consult IBM Support. In many cases, problems that previously consumed high-level administrator cycles can now be referred to Level 1 internal support teams.

Figure 5. Rational ClearCase MultiSite Global Monitor administrator's view
image of workspace

This administration tool give you several new capabilities:

* Administer global deployments any time, anywhere
* Monitor View and VOB (versioned object base) servers
* Customize Event settings (user-specified thresholds and severity)
* Get Expert advice
* Use data warehousing for Rational ClearCase data
* Eliminate the need for home-grown administrative tools

Other new features and enhancements

* Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) support
o Supports customers that must comply with U.S. Government standards
* Enhanced Rational ClearCase support for IBM® z/OS®
o Build script generation
o Improved ISPF client (Interactive System Productivity Facility -- provides an interface to IBM mainframes running z/OS)
o Build dependency analysis
* New Unicode type manager
* IBM Installation Manager
o Cross-platform installer
o Eclipse-based

The 7.1 release of Rational ClearCase also responds to more than 300 user Requests for Enhancement (RFEs), which were selected for their contribution to these core business values:

* Time to return on investment (ROI)
* Reduced total cost of ownership (TCO)
* Governance, compliance, life cycle management

The chart in Figure 6 illustrates how these Rational ClearCase improvements map to those business values.

Figure 6. Responses to RFEs according to business values
image of pie chart