File controls upon server deliveries

If you are an administrator, you can use the Rational Team Concert™ control features to ensure that the files that are delivered to the server do not cause errors.

About this task

The following controls, which correspond to preconditions, can be selected:
  • RPP - Prevent Data Element override, RPP - Prevent Meta Entity override, and RPP - Prevent design artifact override.

    These preconditions control that the Data Elements, Meta Entities, or all the design artifacts (except the Data Structures) that are about to be delivered, and that have been created, do not override artifacts in the same projects hierarchy. These controls do not apply to the overridden and modified artifacts. They are not active upon the Pacbase migration and do not apply to the migrated instances that were overridden in Pacbase.

  • RPP - Prevent unresolved design references.

    This precondition controls that all the references of the design files that are about to be delivered are resolved.

    References are not resolved in the following cases:
    • Local modifications are delivered partially. References are not resolved, for example, if a new Data Element is called in a new Segment but if only the Segment is delivered.
    • An instance that is used by other instances is deleted. References are not resolved, for example, if a Data Element that is called in a Segment is deleted but if only this deletion is delivered.
    Note: This precondition is a first way to control that the references between design files are resolved. However, to detect the unresolved references in the delivered change sets automatically and globally, it is advised to create nightly builds on the Rational Team Concert server. You can then use all the tools to go back in the changes history and to correct the origin of an error.
  • RPP - Prevent generated file inconsistency.
    This precondition controls that the generated files that are about to be delivered are consistent. It completes the following integrity checks:
    • A change set cannot contain more than one generated file.
    • The generated files and their corresponding pdp files must be delivered simultaneously. For example, a cbl file must be delivered with its corresponding cblpdp file.
    • The generated files must be synchronized with the design files that were involved in their local generation.
    • The generated files cannot be modified if the pattern forbids it. For the Pacbase pattern, only the cbl files of Programs, Screens, or Servers can be modified to insert specific code. The other generated files (.bms, .cpy, or .ddl for example) are in read-only mode.
    Note: This precondition is based on the content of the Pending changes view. So, if design files that are involved in a generation were loaded into the workspace with Load required artifacts and if they have not been shared, they are not recognized by the precondition.
  • RPP - Prohibit generated files delivery if design files contributors are missing.
    This precondition controls that all the design files involved in the generation of a file to be delivered have already been delivered or are delivered at the same time as the generated file.
    Note: This precondition is based on the content of the Pending changes view. So, if design files that are involved in a generation were loaded into the workspace with Load required artifacts and if they have not been shared, they are not recognized by the precondition.
  • RPP - Prohibit generated files delivery if incoming changes contain design files contributors.
    This precondition controls that the incoming change sets do not contain files that might impact the generated files to be delivered.
    Note: This precondition is based on the content of the Pending changes view. So, if design files that are involved in a generation were loaded into the workspace with Load required artifacts and if they have not been shared, they are not recognized by the precondition.
  • RPP - Team deliver quality control advisor client.

    This precondition controls that the COBOL and design files that are about to be delivered do not contain serious Rational® Programming Patterns quality control errors.

    Quality control is implemented with Rational Software Analyzer. To know how to use it, see Quality Control Rules.

All these controls apply to the contents of the change sets that are about to be delivered, and to the indexed content of the server. This content might be desynchronized with the actual content of the server. Before you deliver your modifications, you must then synchronize the indexed content of the server with its actual content. You must also deliver all the related changes simultaneously, or, if not, you must ensure that the server content is indexed again before you deliver your remaining changes. To do so, open the Work Items perspective and the Team Artifacts view. Expand the project area that contains the change sets to be delivered and expand Enterprise Extensions. Right-click Source code data and select Update source code data.

Procedure

  1. From the Team Artifacts view of the Rational Team Concert Work Items perspective, right-click a project area. Select Open.
  2. Open the Process Configuration tab.
  3. In the Configuration part, expand the Team Configuration line and select Operation Behavior.
  4. In the Operations table, locate the Deliver (client) line under Source Control. On this line, click the Everyone column. This column contains an icon that indicates that preconditions are available for this operation.
    Note: Preconditions can be applied according to the roles that are defined in Rational Team Concert. For more information, see the Rational Team Concert documentation.

    The line Preconditions and follow-up actions are configured for this operation becomes available and is selected.

  5. Click the Add button that is associated with the Preconditions table.
  6. In the selection box that appears, select one or more preconditions, depending on the controls that you want to implement.
  7. Click OK.

    The precondition name is displayed in the Name field and a brief description appears in the Description field.

  8. If you check the Fail if not installed box, only the developers who installed the plug-in that contains the precondition will be able to deliver files to the server. This plug-in is automatically installed upon the standard installation of the Rational Programming Patterns client.
  9. If you check the User may override box, the developers will be able to ignore an error that is related to a failure to respect a precondition. They will then be able to deliver all their files, even if these files do not meet the precondition.
  10. You can limit the preconditions RPP - Prevent generated file inconsistency, RPP - Team deliver quality control advisor client, and RPP - Team deliver source code synchronization advisor client to one or more components. To do so, click the Add button that is associated with the Scope table. Select components and click OK.
  11. Save.

Results

If developers try to deliver a file that does not meet the selected preconditions, they cannot get through and an error is displayed in the Team Advisor view. The error indicates the failed precondition and includes an active link to the erroneous file.

If you checked the User may override box, the developers will be able to right-click the error in the Team Advisor view and ignore it. They will then be able to deliver their updates.

If you did not check the User may override box, the developers must correct the error before they can deliver.
  • To correct a synchronization error, the COBOL code must be generated again.
  • To correct a quality control error, a solution can be, for example, to restore the generated code from the Generated Structure Code view.

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