Tool Mentor: Using ClearCase to Baseline the Product

Purpose

This Tool Mentor describes how to ensure that project assets are safeguarded and can be re-created, as required, through appropriate baselining, labeling and archiving practices.

Related Rational Unified Process concepts and activities:

• Concepts: Baselining,
• Step: Define Archiving, Baselining and Archiving Practices in the Activity: Define Status Reporting and Baselining Requirements
• Activity: Baseline the Product

Overview

This Tool Mentor is applicable when running Windows NT 4.0.

To ensure that essential artifacts are captured according to the defined labeling convention at the required times during the course of the project lifecycle, use ClearCase to establish the baseline:

1. Create the label type that defines the baseline.
2. Label the artifacts required for the baseline.

Tool Steps

1. Create the label type that defines the baseline. For each VOB containing files you wish to label:
1. In the ClearCase Home Base, select the Administration tab, then select the Type Explorer icon.
2. Select the VOB containing the artifacts you wish to label and choose OK.
3. Open the label type folder.
4. Choose Create from the Type menu.
5. In the Create dialog box, enter the name for the new label type. You can also enter a description.
6. Choose OK.

The properties of the new label type are displayed.

7. Choose OK to close the properties dialog box.
2. Label the artifacts required for the baseline.
1. In the ClearCase Home Base, select the Elements and Versions tab, then select the Apply Label icon.
2. Select the view in which you want to apply the label and click Next.
3. For each VOB in the project, select the VOB and click Add.
4. Click Next.
5. Enter the name of the label that defines the baseline. Enter a description for the label in the Comment box. (Do not change the defaults for the radio buttons above the Comment box.)
6. Click Finish.
7. Review the parameters displayed in the Confirm box. To apply the label, click OK.

For more information, see Creating a Baseline for a Subsystem and the System in Organizing and Managing Software Projects Using ClearCase on Windows.