Software configuration management

You can integrateRational® Functional Tester with the software configuration management systems to maintain an auditable and repeatable history of your organization's test assets.

Benefits of software configuration management

Every time a test script is created, whether through recording or coding, a file is generated that contains code. When created, developed, or edited, that code is a valuable test asset.

A team environment presents the risk of losing functioning code or breaking test scripts by overwriting files. A software configuration management system offers a way to overcome this risk. Every time a file changes, a new version is created and the original file is preserved.

A test script is a collection of files. The complexity of treating several files as a single entity is hidden because all actions in the product user interface are performed on the script. You do not see some of the related files anywhere in the user interface. In addition, some software configuration management operations, such as merging, are very complex. There is built-in logic to determine the order in which files are merged, and then different utilities are employed as needed to complete the merge.

For the team that is new to software configuration management, all of the essential features for versioning test scripts are available through the Rational® Functional Tester interface. This integration simplifies the use and adoption of software configuration management.

Note: Use a software configuration management like IBM® Engineering Workflow Management if multiple users must access functional test assets in a test team environment.

Software configuration management products

IBM® Engineering Workflow Management

You can use Jazz source control to manage source code, documents, and other artifacts that you want to place under version control and share with a team. Jazz source control is closely integrated with the other application development lifecycle tools included in Rational Team Concert.

  • You can create a project in your workspace, share the project to place the project under Jazz source control.
  • Check-in your changes to the repository workspace.
  • Deliver the changes to the stream from the repository workspace so that the changes are available to all members of the team.
  • You can accept a team invitation, or create a new repository workspace from one of the streams of the team.

For more information, see Testing with IBM Engineering Workflow Management and Testing with IBM Engineering Workflow Management.

EGit

You can store your test assets in the remote Git repository and use EGit for version control operations. EGit is an Eclipse plugin for the Git version control system.

For more information, see Testing with EGit.