Tool Mentor: Baselining Requirements Using Rational RequisitePro«

Purpose

This tool mentor describes how to baseline requirements using Rational RequisitePro archiving commands.

Related Rational Unified Process Activities:

In the Configuration & Change Management Workflow:

• Establish Project CM Policies

Overview

This Tool Mentor is applicable when running Microsoft Windows 95/NT 4.0.

As a project goes through milestones, it is a good idea to capture the requirements' state at each milestone. RequisitePro allows you to take a snapshot of your requirements project and store it in Rational ClearCase or simply as a RequisitePro archive, which makes a copy of the project into a directory.

You can use a variety of configuration management tools, such as Intersolv PVCS or Microsoft« Visual SourceSafe, to archive your RequisitePro projects. If your project uses a Microsoft Access database, first use the RequisitePro Archive command to create an archive file; then archive this file using your configuration management tool. Be sure to include all project documents in your archive. When archiving a project that uses cross-project traceability, be sure to archive the other projects at the same time so that you can re-create a complete set of projects when you restore the archive.

A RequisitePro project consists of a requirements repository and a set of documents containing requirements. Requirements can be created either directly in the repository, or in a Microsoft« WordÖ document. All documents containing requirements are referenced in the associated RequisitePro project maintaining these requirements. A RequisitePro project archive contains all components of the project: the requirements repository, as well as all documents containing requirements.

To baseline the project requirements using RequisitePro, choose one of the following options:

1. Archive a RequisitePro project as a RequisitePro archive
2. Archive a RequisitePro project in Rational ClearCase
3. Archive a RequisitePro project using an enterprise database

1. Archive a RequisitePro project as a RequisitePro archive

Archiving a RequisitePro project as a RequisitePro archive simply makes a copy of all project files in a user-defined directory. This option can be used to archive a RequisitePro project to configuration management systems not directly supported by RequisitePro. In that case, various configuration management systems can be used to check the archived directory content in and out.

To baseline a RequisitePro project in a RequisitePro archive, follow these steps:

1. On the RequisitePro Tool Palette, select Project > Archive > RequisitePro Archive. The Archive Project dialog box appears.
2. Select the directory where you want the backup copy stored. Click Browse to open the Browse for Folder dialog box. Navigate to a directory, select a folder, and click OK. You return to the Archive Project dialog box.
3. To add a new subdirectory to an existing directory path, click at the end of the Directory field and type a forward slash (/) and a new subdirectory name.
4. If desired, enter a new revision number for the project.
5. To apply the revision number to the requirement documents, select the Propagate to all documents check box.
   Note: If security is enabled, you must have project structure permission to propagate the revision number. You must also have the project opened exclusively.
6. If desired, enter a name for the archived version in the Version Label text box and a description for it in the Change Description text box.
7. Click OK.

To access this archive later, simply add the archived project to the RequisitePro project list:

1. Select Project > Open from the Tool Palette. The Open Project and Documents dialog box appears.
2. Click Add. Browse to and select the archived project in the specified archive directory.
3. Click Open and OK. The archived project is now available in RequisitePro.

For More Information

Refer to the following help topic in the RequisitePro online help:

• Archiving projects with the RequisitePro Archive command (Index: archiving>using the Archive command)

2. Archive a RequisitePro project in Rational ClearCase

To archive a RequisitePro project in Rational ClearCase, follow these steps:

1. On the Tool Palette, click Tools > Options.
2. Type a view the ClearCase View field. Fill in the ClearCase View field with the target Versioned Object Base (VOB) location (drive, viewname, vobname, directory). The path must start from a drive letter. Use UNC naming conventions for a shared drive. This step defines the view to which the RequisitePro database and documents will be copied during the archive functions.
3. Click OK to save your entry and close the Options dialog box.
4. On the RequisitePro Tool Palette, select Project > Archive > Rational ClearCase. The Archive with ClearCase dialog box appears.
5. Select the directory where you want the backup copy stored. Click Browse to open the Browse for Folder dialog box. Navigate to a directory, select a folder, and click OK. You return to the Archive Project dialog box.
6. To add a new subdirectory to an existing directory path, click at the end of the Directory field and type a forward slash (/) and a new subdirectory name.
7. If desired, enter a new revision number for the project.
8. To apply the revision number to the requirement documents, select the Propagate to all documents check box.
   Note: If security is enabled, you must have project structure permission to propagate the revision number. You must also have the project opened exclusively.
9. If desired, enter a name for the archived version in the Version Label text box and a description for it in the Change Description text box.

For More Information

Refer to the following help topic in the RequisitePro online help:

• Archiving projects with Rational ClearCase (Index: archiving>using ClearCase)

3. Archive a RequisitePro project using an enterprise database

For extensive guidelines on archiving RequisitePro projects that use an Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server database, refer to the following help topic in the RequisitePro online help:

• Archiving and backing up enterprise database projects (Index: archiving>enterprise databases)

Rational Unified Process