- ClearQuest Fundamentals
- Change Request Lifecycle
- ClearQuest Components
- Installation
- Moving Around in ClearQuest
- Administering and Customizing ClearQuest
- Coming Up for Air
- developerWorks Links
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Administering and Customizing ClearQuest
For complete information about administering ClearQuest, including a description of how to get your users up and running, see Administering IBM Rational ClearQuest, which you should have received with your software. (You can also pull the manual from the IBM website.) Either way, you've got a lot of reading to do. The following subsections provide a summary of the tasks ahead of you.
ClearQuest Databases and Schemas
[A.4.2] Now we're starting to get into the nuts and bolts of your change management system. A ClearQuest schema contains the metadata that defines the process for how users work with records in ClearQuest. The schema includes the following:
- Record type definitions
- Forms used to submit and modify a record
- Field definitions and behavior
- States a record can be in
- Actions used to modify or change the state of a record
- Hooks written in VBScript or Perl that further customize fields and actions
ClearQuest includes several predefined schemas that you can use as provided or customize to fit your workflow; you can also create and implement your own schemas. What you do depends on your development processes and your comfort level with the system. If you're relatively new to the system, your best bet is to implement the standard ClearQuest configuration out of the box and then slowly modify the system as your users and administrator grow more comfortable with the system.
ClearQuest stores schemas in a schema repository. A ClearQuest installation usually consists of one schema repository and one or more user databases, depending on how you segment your user population. You can have separate user databases for each project or group several projects together in one database. Something important to consider, however, is that if you want to generate reports and charts across several projects, you will want to put the projects in the same database.
Another important note: Projects that share a database must use the same schema; once a database is associated with a schema, it can be upgraded only with a newer version of that same schema. In other words, the database cannot use an older version of the schema or a completely different schema—so plan accordingly.
Starting ClearQuest Designer
A ClearQuest schema defines the process of working with a record, along with the Record form and relevant fields. Records have a variety of different states. The defect record begins in the Submitted state; from there you can change the state of the record to Closed, or you can modify the record without changing its state. However, to further automate your system, the administrator will use ClearQuest Designer to make targeted changes to the overall schema. Again, you can start with the standard schema and make changes after everyone feels more comfortable with the application.
At this point, you will want to do some customizations. Here are some of the steps and activities.
- Check out the schema. To customize a schema, you must first check it out of the schema repository.
- Add a new state. The ClearQuest Designer State Transition Matrix shows the various states that a record can be in and the actions that move the record from one state to another.
- Add a new action. The Actions grid shows all of the actions that can be performed on a record. To add a new action, you first add the action to the Actions grid and then associate it with the appropriate states.
- Create a new field. To create a new field, open the Fields grid. This grid shows all of the fields on the Record form, their types, and their default values.
- Define the behavior of the new field. The Behaviors grid shows how fields behave when the associated record is in each state. You can define whether a field is read-only, mandatory, or optional in each state, or define default behavior for all states. You can also create a user behavior that restricts user access to the field. Open the Behaviors grid, then right-click on the field and use the popup menu to define the behavior of the field.
- Add a new field to the Record form. After creating a field, you must add it to the Record form.
Create an action hook. A hook is a trigger for pieces of code that ClearQuest executes at specified times to more fully implement your workflow. ClearQuest provides many predefined hooks that you can easily modify to suit your needs. You can also use the ClearQuest API to write hook code in Microsoft VBScript or Perl.
ClearQuest supports four types of hook code.
- Field hooks provide a way to validate the contents of a field or to assign field values.
- Action hooks implement tasks at key points in the lifecycle of a record.
- Record scripts allow you to associate a hook with a control, such as a pushbutton or a shortcut menu option, on a single record.
- Global scripts allow you to reuse hook code within other hooks.
Use the ClearQuest Script Editor to edit the hook so that it initializes the value of the associated field.
Check in the schema. At any time while working on a schema, you can test your work in progress. This upgrades the test database with your latest changes, which provides a quick way to test your changes in the ClearQuest client without affecting your production user database.
When you're satisfied that your schema changes are working correctly, check the schema into the schema repository. Once the schema is checked in, you can use it to upgrade your user database. ClearQuest prompts you to back up the schema repository and the database before upgrading.
- Select a ClearQuest schema. Table 4-2 shows a list of the predefined schemas included in ClearQuest (see Introducing Rational ClearQuest). ClearQuest schemas consist of various packages that provide specific functionality. You can add individual packages to an existing ClearQuest schema or to your own customized schema. For a full list of schemas and descriptions, see Administering Rational ClearQuest.
Table 4-2. Predefined Schemas
|
Schema |
Description |
|
AnalystStudio |
Is compatible with Rational Suite AnalystStudio. Contains customization for use with Rational RequisitePro. |
|
Blank |
Contains only system fields. Use this schema to create a schema from scratch. |
|
Common |
Contains metadata that is common to all of the ClearQuest schemas. |
|
DefectTracking |
Contains the fields necessary to start using ClearQuest to track defects in a software development environment. |
|
DevelopmentStudio |
Is compatible with Rational Suite DevelopmentStudio. Contains fields and rules that work with Rational Purify, Quantify, and PureCoverage. |
|
Enterprise |
Is used with Rational Suite EnterpriseStudio. Contains fields and hooks that work with all Rational products. |
|
TestStudio |
Is compatible with Rational Suite TestStudio. Contains fields and rules that work with Rational TeamTest, RequisitePro, Purify, Quantify, and PureCoverage. |
|
UnifiedChangeManagement |
Supports the UCM process by providing integration with Rational ClearCase. |