HP Hewlett Packard HP Quality Center Synchronizer 12 User Manual |
HP Quality Center Synchronizer
Software Version: 1.20
User’s Guide
Document Release Date: June 2008
Software Release Date: June 2008
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4
Using This Guide...................................................................................7
System Configurations ........................................................................12
Installing the Quality Center Synchronizer Server.............................15
Installing the Quality Center Synchronizer Client.............................24
Starting and Stopping the Quality Center Synchronizer Service........25
Starting the Quality Center Synchronizer Client ...............................26
Uninstalling Quality Center Synchronizer .........................................29
About Synchronizing at a Glance .......................................................33
The Quality Center Synchronizer Client Window .............................34
Synchronization Links ........................................................................35
Integrity Checks ..................................................................................37
Incremental Synchronizations............................................................41
Full Synchronizations..........................................................................42
Setting Filter Options ..........................................................................56
Creating Requirement Type Mappings ...............................................59
Setting Event Options .........................................................................61
Creating Field Mappings .....................................................................66
Setting Mail Notifications ...................................................................81
Setting Adapter Parameters .................................................................82
5
Table of Contents
Resetting a Link.................................................................................100
Deleting Synchronization Links........................................................103
Automatic Backup of the Quality Center Synchronizer Database....104
Exporting and Importing Link Definitions.......................................104
Exporting and Importing Link Data .................................................105
Changing the Quality Center Synchronizer Password .....................110
Guidelines for Working with Rational ClearQuest...........................111
Quality Center Synchronizer Settings for ClearQuest ......................115
Migrating Links from the Mercury Quality Center
Defects Synchronizer for Rational ClearQuest .............................117
Appendix B: Working with Rational RequisitePro............................121
Guidelines for Working with Rational RequisitePro.........................121
RequisitePro Connection Properties .................................................122
Migrating to the Quality Center Synchronizer.................................123
6
Welcome to This Guide
Welcome to HP Quality Center Synchronizer. Quality Center Synchronizer
enables you to synchronize Quality Center data with data in another
application. For example, you can synchronize defects with Rational
ClearQuest and synchronize requirements with Rational RequisitePro.
This guide describes how to install and configure Quality Center
Synchronizer, how to create and manage synchronization links, and how to
run tasks on these links.
Note: The usage of HP Quality Center Synchronizer or HP Quality Center
Synchronizer Adapter SPI to develop an adapter for Quality Center or to
synchronize Quality Center data with Quality Center data is not supported.
Using This Guide
This guide contains the following chapters:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Installing Quality Center Synchronizer
Describes how to install and configure the Quality Center Synchronizer,
how to start Quality Center Synchronizer, and how to uninstall
Quality Center Synchronizer.
Synchronizing at a Glance
Provides an overview of working with the Quality Center Synchronizer.
7
Welcome to This Guide
Chapter 3
Creating Synchronization Links
Describes how to create synchronization links for synchronizing data
between Quality Center and other applications.
Chapter 4
Working with Quality Center Synchronizer
Describes how to run tasks on synchronization links, manage
synchronization links, and configure Quality Center Synchronizer.
Appendix A Working with Rational ClearQuest
Describes notes and limitations specific to syncing defects with
Quality Center Synchronizer and Rational ClearQuest.
Appendix B Working with Rational RequisitePro
Describes notes and limitations specific to syncing requirements with
Quality Center Synchronizer and Rational RequisitePro.
8
1
Installing Quality Center Synchronizer
This chapter describes how to install Quality Center Synchronizer.
This chapter includes:
➤ Installing the Quality Center Synchronizer Client on page 24
➤ Starting and Stopping the Quality Center Synchronizer Service on page 25
➤ Starting the Quality Center Synchronizer Client on page 26
➤ Uninstalling Quality Center Synchronizer on page 29
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Chapter 1 • Installing Quality Center Synchronizer
The Installation Process
Installing and starting Quality Center Synchronizer involves the following
steps:
network. For more information, see “The Quality Center Synchronizer
System” on page 11.
information on the minimum requirements for the Synchronizer server and
client machines, and the supported endpoint versions, see “System
Configurations” on page 12.
Add-ins page. For more information, see “Installing the Quality Center
4 Install the Synchronizer client on the client machine from the
Quality Center Synchronizer Client” on page 24.
5 Start the Synchronizer server. For more information, see “Starting and
Stopping the Quality Center Synchronizer Service” on page 25.
6 Start the Synchronizer client and log in. For more information, see “Starting
the Quality Center Synchronizer Client” on page 26.
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Chapter 1 • Installing Quality Center Synchronizer
The Quality Center Synchronizer System
This section describes how the Synchronizer system is structured, and how
synchronization link data is stored.
The following diagram illustrates the Quality Center Synchronizer network
configuration:
Endpoint 1
(Quality Center)
Quality Center
Synchronizer Client
SOAP/HTTP
Quality Center
Synchronizer Server
Endpoint 2
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Chapter 1 • Installing Quality Center Synchronizer
The Synchronizer contains the following components:
➤ Quality Center Synchronizer Client. Displays current links, and provides a
user interface for the user to create and manage links, and run link tasks.
Sends requests from the user to the Synchronizer server. Communicates
with the Quality Center Synchronizer server using the SOAP protocol over
HTTP.
➤ Quality Center Synchronizer Server. Synchronizes data between
Quality Center and other applications. Manages synchronization and
communication between endpoints, and retrieves and stores information in
an integrated database. In addition, the server manages connections to link
endpoints using the endpoints’ application programming interface (API),
which must be installed on the server machine.
The client and server components can reside on the same machine or on
separate machines.
When you install the Synchronizer server, the PostgreSQL 8.3 database
management system is also installed. Link data is stored in a database that is
created in PostgreSQL during the installation process. For example, the
database stores identity mappings between records in each endpoint of a
link by storing the unique IDs of corresponding records in a database table.
System Configurations
endpoints.
This section includes:
➤ “Server System Configurations” on page 13
➤ “Client System Configurations” on page 14
➤ “Supported Endpoints” on page 14
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Chapter 1 • Installing Quality Center Synchronizer
Server System Configurations
You must install the Quality Center Synchronizer server on a dedicated
server machine that meets the following requirements:
➤ The Quality Center Synchronizer server machine must not be used as
Quality Center, Quality Center Dashboard, or other endpoint server.
➤ The Quality Center Synchronizer server cannot be installed on a machine
that already has a separate PostgreSQL installation. The Quality Center
Synchronizer server works only with the PostgreSQL instance that is
installed with the Synchronizer server.
Following are the minimum server system configurations for the
Quality Center Synchronizer.
Pentium IV or equivalent x86 compatible processor minimum
CPU
1 GB minimum
Memory (RAM)
Free Disk Space
500 MB minimum
➤ Microsoft Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4
➤ Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2
➤ Microsoft Windows 2003 Server with Service Pack 2
Operating
System
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Chapter 1 • Installing Quality Center Synchronizer
Client System Configurations
Following are the system requirements for the Quality Center Synchronizer
client.
Pentium III or equivalent x86 compatible processor minimum
CPU
512 MB minimum
4 MB minimum
Memory (RAM)
Free Disk Space
➤ Microsoft Windows 2000 with Service Pack 4
➤ Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2
➤ Microsoft Windows 2003 Server with Service Pack 2
➤ Microsoft Windows Vista
Operating
System
Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 or later
Client Software
Supported Endpoints
The following applications are supported as endpoints:
Type of Entity
Endpoint Type
Synchronized
Defects
➤ Quality Center version 9.0 and later
➤ Rational ClearQuest 2003.06.15; 2003.06.16; 7.0; and 7.0.1
Requirements
➤ Quality Center version 9.2 and later
➤ Rational RequisitePro 2003.06.15; 2003.06.16; 7.0; and 7.0.1
Note: For the most up-to-date list of supported Rational ClearQuest and
Rational RequisitePro versions, see the HP Quality Center Add-ins page
(available from the Quality Center Help menu).
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Chapter 1 • Installing Quality Center Synchronizer
This section explains how to install and configure the Synchronizer server.
This section includes the following topics:
➤ “Server Installation Notes and Guidelines” on page 15
➤ “Installing the Synchronizer Server” on page 16
➤ “Verifying User Permissions for Service Logon” on page 22
➤ “Troubleshooting the Server Configuration” on page 23
Server Installation Notes and Guidelines
Synchronizer server:
➤ When upgrading from a previous version of the Synchronizer, you can
choose to upgrade the existing database, or delete it and create a new
database. For more information, see “Installing the Synchronizer
Server”(step 15 on page 21).
Additionally, the PostgreSQL database version is upgraded from
PostgreSQL 8.1 to PostgreSQL 8.3.
➤ You must remove any applications that use ports 1098 or 1099.
➤ By default, the Synchronizer uses port 7064. You must remove any
applications that use this port or change the port used by the Synchronizer.
For information on changing the Quality Center Synchronizer port, refer to
(http://h20230.www2.hp.com/selfsolve/document/KM306335).
➤ To enable synchronization between Rational ClearQuest and
Quality Center, you must install a ClearQuest client on the Synchronizer
server machine.
➤ To enable synchronization between Rational RequisitePro and
Quality Center, you must install a RequisitePro client on the Synchronizer
server machine.
➤ To enable use of the Quality Center API, you must install a Quality Center
client on the Synchronizer server machine.
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Chapter 1 • Installing Quality Center Synchronizer
This section explains how to install the Synchronizer server.
To install the Synchronizer server:
1 Uninstall any previous versions of the Synchronizer server. For more
information, see “Uninstalling Quality Center Synchronizer” on page 29.
2 Open your Web browser and type your HP Quality Center URL:
http://<Quality Center server name>[<:port number>]/qcbin. The
HP Quality Center Options window opens.
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Chapter 1 • Installing Quality Center Synchronizer
3 Click the Add-ins Page link. The HP Quality Center Add-ins page opens.
4 Click the More HP Quality Center Add-ins link. The More HP Quality Center
Add-ins page opens.
5 Under Quality Center Administrator Add-ins, under Synchronization Tool
Add-ins, click the Quality Center Synchronizer link. The Quality Center
Synchronizer page opens.
6 Right-click the Download Quality Center Synchronizer Server link and click
Save Target As. The Save As dialog box opens.
7 In the Save As dialog box, select a location on your Synchronizer server
machine to save the installation file and click Save.
8 Unzip the saved file to a location on your Synchronizer server machine and
run the setup.exe file. The installation wizard opens.
9 In the Welcome dialog box of the installation wizard, click Next. The
License Agreement dialog box opens.
To accept the terms of the license agreement, select I accept the terms of the
license agreement.
Click Next.
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Chapter 1 • Installing Quality Center Synchronizer
10 The Installation Location dialog box opens.
In the Directory Name box, specify the location where you want to install
the Synchronizer. You can click the Browse button, select a location, and
click Open.
Click Next.
11 The Summary Information dialog box opens. Click Next to start the
installation process.
12 When the installation process completes, the Installation Complete dialog
box opens. Click Finish to proceed to the server configuration process.
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Chapter 1 • Installing Quality Center Synchronizer
13 The Synchronizer Server Configuration wizard opens.
The configuration wizard installs and configures the PostgreSQL database
management system, and creates a service on the Synchronizer server
machine.
Click Next.
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Chapter 1 • Installing Quality Center Synchronizer
14 The Service Configuration dialog box opens.
Enter the User Name, Password, and Domain for a user with administrator
permissions. The user must have permissions to log on as a service. This user
must also have the required settings to use endpoint connectivity.
For more information about permissions to log on as a service, see
“Verifying User Permissions for Service Logon” on page 22.
For more information on endpoint connectivity, refer to the appropriate
appendix in this guide:
➤ For Rational RequisitePro: “RequisitePro Connection Properties” on
page 122
➤ For Rational ClearQuest: “ClearQuest Connection Properties” on
page 116
Click Next.
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Chapter 1 • Installing Quality Center Synchronizer
15 If you have been working with a previous version of the Synchronizer, a
message box opens asking you if you want to upgrade to the latest database
server version. Click Yes.
16 The Synchronizer Database Found dialog box opens.
Select a database option:
➤ Upgrade Existing Database. Upgrades the existing database. When you
upgrade, the database is first backed up, and the file
SAVEDBACKUP.backup is created in the C:\postgres directory.
➤ Delete Existing Database. Deletes the existing database and creates a new
database.
Important: Deleting the database permanently deletes all Quality Center
Synchronizer link data.
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Chapter 1 • Installing Quality Center Synchronizer
Click Next. If you selected to delete the existing database, click OK in the
confirmation box.
17 The Synchronizer Configuration Information dialog box opens. Click Next
to start the configuration.
18 When the configuration completes, the configuration results dialog box
opens. Click Finish.
19 A message box opens asking if you want to start the Synchronizer service.
Verifying User Permissions for Service Logon
The user account you enter during server configuration must have
permissions to log on as a service. For more information, see “Installing the
Quality Center Synchronizer Server” on page 15.
To verify user permissions for service logon:
1 From the Start menu, select Run and type secpol.msc.
2 Click OK. The Local Security Settings dialog box opens.
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Chapter 1 • Installing Quality Center Synchronizer
3 Under Security Settings, expand Local Policies and select User Rights
Assignments. In the right pane, double-click Log on as a service. The Log on
as a service Properties dialog box opens.
4 Verify that your user is listed, or click Add User or Group to add it to the list.
Troubleshooting the Server Configuration
If a problem is encountered during server configuration, an error message
displays in the configuration results dialog box. This section lists problems
that may occur and suggestions for handling them.
Problem
Suggested Solution
Installation of PostgreSQL
does not complete
successfully.
If you uninstalled a previous installation of
PostgreSQL, verify that it was removed completely,
and rerun the server configuration.
For more information on uninstalling PostgreSQL,
see “Uninstalling PostgreSQL” on page 30.
To rerun the server configuration, navigate to
<Quality Center Synchronizer installation
directory>\bin and run the run_config_tool.bat
file.
If the above steps do not resolve the problem, run
install_postgre.bat located in the <Quality Center
Synchronizer installation directory>\bin directory.
Then rerun the server configuration.
Unable to create the
Quality Center
Verify that PostgreSQL access is not locked by
another user, and rerun the server configuration.
Synchronizer schema on
the PostgreSQL database
management system.
To rerun the server configuration, navigate to the
<Quality Center Synchronizer installation
directory>\bin and run the run_config_tool.bat
file.
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Chapter 1 • Installing Quality Center Synchronizer
Problem
Suggested Solution
Installation of the
Quality Center
Synchronizer service does
not complete successfully.
Run the following files located in the
<Quality Center Synchronizer installation
directory>\bin directory:
1 To uninstall any previous version of the service,
run stop_and_remove_synchronizer_service.bat.
2 To install the service, run
sync_service_install.bat.
Upgrade of the
Quality Center
Synchronizer database does
not complete successfully.
Resolve any problem that caused the upgrade to
fail. Then run the following files located in the
<Quality Center Synchronizer installation
directory>\bin directory:
1 To restore the Quality Center Synchronizer
database to it’s previous state, run
run_recovery_tool.bat.
2 To rerun the server configuration, run
run_config_tool.bat.
Installing the Quality Center Synchronizer Client
After you install the Synchronizer server, you can install the Synchronizer
client.
Note: If you have been working with a previous version of the
Quality Center Synchronizer client, it is detected and uninstalled as part of
the installation process.
To install the Quality Center Synchronizer client:
1 Open the Quality Center Synchronizer Add-in page. For more information
on opening the Quality Center Synchronizer Add-in page, see “Installing
the Synchronizer Server” on page 16.
2 Click the Download Quality Center Synchronizer Client link.
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Chapter 1 • Installing Quality Center Synchronizer
3 Follow the instructions on your screen to complete the installation of the
Synchronizer client.
4 To access this user’s guide in PDF format after the installation is complete,
choose Start > Programs > HP Quality Center Synchronizer Client > User’s
Guide.
Starting and Stopping the Quality Center Synchronizer
Service
This section describes how to start and stop the Synchronizer service.
Starting the Quality Center Synchronizer Service
You start the Synchronizer service from the Synchronizer server machine.
The Synchronizer service must be running to work with the Synchronizer
client.
To start the Quality Center Synchronizer service:
On the Synchronizer server machine, choose Start > Programs > HP
Quality Center Synchronizer > Start Synchronizer.
Note: The Synchronizer service is started in the background. It may take a
few minutes before the Synchronizer client can connect to the server.
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Chapter 1 • Installing Quality Center Synchronizer
Stopping the Quality Center Synchronizer Service
To stop the Quality Center Synchronizer service:
1 Make sure that no tasks are running for any link. You can check whether
link tasks are currently running from the Running field in the Links Grid.
For more information on the Links Grid, see “Viewing Link Details” on
page 84.
Tip: To ensure that no tasks can run on any link, disable all links before you
stop the Quality Center Synchronizer service. For more information on
disabling links, see “Enabling and Disabling Synchronization Links” on
page 102.
2 On the Synchronizer server machine, choose Start > Programs > HP
Quality Center Synchronizer > Stop Synchronizer.
Starting the Quality Center Synchronizer Client
After you have installed the Synchronizer server and client, and started the
server, you can start the Synchronizer client and connect to the server.
Notes:
➤ You can work with more than one client connected to the server at the
same time. To avoid unexpected results, if you work with more than one
client at the same time.
➤ The Synchronizer client is automatically disconnected from the
Synchronizer server after an extended period of inactivity. For
information on reconnecting, see “Disconnecting from and
Reconnecting to the Quality Center Synchronizer Server” on page 28.
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Chapter 1 • Installing Quality Center Synchronizer
To start the Quality Center Synchronizer client:
1 On the Synchronizer client machine, choose Start > Programs > HP
Quality Center Synchronizer Client > Quality Center Synchronizer Client.
The Connect to Server dialog box opens.
2 In the Server name box, type the machine name of the Synchronizer server
to which you want to connect.
3 In the Password box, type the password for the Synchronizer server. The
initial password is blank.
Note: To increase the security of your Quality Center Synchronizer data,
change the password from the default blank password as soon as possible.
For more information on changing the server password, see “Changing the
Quality Center Synchronizer Password” on page 110.
4 Click Connect. The Synchronizer connects to the server you specified and
the Synchronizer client opens.
Tip: To close the Synchronizer client, choose Connection > Exit.
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Chapter 1 • Installing Quality Center Synchronizer
Disconnecting from and Reconnecting to the
Quality Center Synchronizer Server
You can disconnect from the Synchronizer server manually when needed.
For example, you may want to connect to a different server. Additionally, if
you receive a warning that the Synchronizer client is not connected to the
server, you need to manually disconnect from the Synchronizer server. This
can occur, for example, after an extended period of inactivity.
After you disconnect from a server, you must connect to another server or
reconnect to the same server to continue working with the Synchronizer.
To disconnect from and reconnect to a Quality Center Synchronizer server:
1 Select Connection > Disconnect, or click the Disconnect button. The
Connect to Server dialog box opens.
2 Click the Disconnect button. The Server name and Password boxes become
editable.
3 Enter the logon credentials as described in step 2 in “Starting the
Quality Center Synchronizer Client” on page 27.
4 Click the Connect button. The Synchronizer connects to the server you
specified and the Synchronizer client opens.
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Chapter 1 • Installing Quality Center Synchronizer
Uninstalling Quality Center Synchronizer
This section describes how to uninstall the Synchronizer server and client. It
also describes how to uninstall the PostgreSQL database management
system.
This section describes how to uninstall the Synchronizer server.
To uninstall the Quality Center Synchronizer server:
1 Stop the Synchronizer service. For more information, see “Stopping the
Quality Center Synchronizer Service” on page 26.
2 On the Synchronizer server machine, choose Start > Settings > Control
Panel > Add or Remove Programs.
3 In the Currently installed programs list, select HP Quality Center
Synchronizer.
4 Click Remove and follow the instructions on your screen.
5 If you have no other applications that use PostgreSQL, uninstall PostgreSQL.
Important: Do not uninstall PostgreSQL if you are uninstalling the
Synchronizer server as part of the upgrade process. During the server
installation you can choose to upgrade the existing database or delete it and
create a new database.
For more information, see “Uninstalling PostgreSQL” on page 30.
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Chapter 1 • Installing Quality Center Synchronizer
Uninstalling the Quality Center Synchronizer Client
This section describes how to uninstall the Synchronizer client.
To uninstall the Quality Center Synchronizer client:
1 On the Synchronizer client machine, choose Start > Settings > Control
Panel > Add or Remove Programs.
2 In the Currently installed programs list, select HP Quality Center
Synchronizer Client.
3 Click Remove and follow the instructions on your screen.
Uninstalling PostgreSQL
This section describes how to uninstall the PostgreSQL database
management system and delete the PostgreSQL user.
Important:
➤ Uninstalling the PostgreSQL database deletes all Quality Center
Synchronizer link data.
➤ You should only uninstall PostgreSQL if there are no other applications
that are dependent on it.
To uninstall PostgreSQL:
1 On the Synchronizer server machine, choose Start > Settings > Control
Panel > Add or Remove Programs.
2 In the Currently installed programs list, select the appropriate PostgreSQL
version.
3 Click Remove and follow the instructions on your screen.
4 Delete the PostgreSQL installation directory. By default, this is C:\postgres.
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Chapter 1 • Installing Quality Center Synchronizer
To delete the PostgreSQL user:
1 On the Synchronizer server machine, right-click My Computer and choose
Manage. The Computer Management utility opens.
2 In the Computer Management utility, under System Tools, under Local
Users and Groups, select Users.
3 In the users list in the right pane, select the postgres user.
4 Choose Action > Delete. Click Yes to confirm.
31
Chapter 1 • Installing Quality Center Synchronizer
32
2
Synchronizing at a Glance
Quality Center Synchronizer infrastructure.
This chapter includes:
➤ Synchronization Links on page 35
➤ Integrity Checks on page 37
➤ Incremental Synchronizations on page 41
➤ Full Synchronizations on page 42
About Synchronizing at a Glance
The Synchronizer enables you to synchronize data between Quality Center
and other applications.
You create synchronization links between Quality Center and another
application to manage the synchronization between them. Synchronization
links define which data is synchronized and how it is synchronized. For
more information on synchronization links, see “Synchronization Links” on
page 35.
After you create a synchronization link, you run an integrity check to
validate the link and to highlight problems that may occur during
synchronization. For more information on integrity checks, see “Integrity
Checks” on page 37.
33
You can run two types of synchronization: incremental synchronizations
and full synchronizations. For more information on these synchronization
types, see “Incremental Synchronizations” on page 41 and “Full
Synchronizations” on page 42.
The Quality Center Synchronizer Client Window
The Synchronizer client enables you to manage the synchronization links
stored in the Synchronizer database. For more information on starting the
Synchronizer client, see “Starting the Quality Center Synchronizer Client”
on page 26.
The Synchronizer client window contains the following key elements:
➤ Quality Center Synchronizer menu bar. Contains drop-down menus of the
Synchronizer commands.
➤ Quality Center Synchronizer toolbar. Contains buttons of commands
commonly used when managing synchronization links.
34
Chapter 2 • Synchronizing at a Glance
➤ Links list. Contains a list of the synchronization links available on the
Synchronizer server. Located on the left of the Synchronizer client window.
➤ Link Details pane. Contains information about your synchronization links.
Located on the upper right of the Synchronizer client window.
➤ Execution pane. Contains information about link task execution. Located
on the bottom right of the Synchronizer client window.
Synchronization Links
You create synchronization links between two endpoints. An endpoint is an
application containing data that is synchronized by the Synchronizer. The
first endpoint is always an instance of Quality Center, while the second
endpoint is another application such as Rational ClearQuest or Rational
RequisitePro.
A synchronization link or link defines which entities are included in the
synchronization, and how the synchronization is performed. For example,
you can define whether the Synchronizer synchronizes only new records
that were added since the last synchronization, or also synchronizes existing
records that were updated. You also define which fields and field values in
one endpoint are mapped to corresponding fields and field values in the
other endpoint.
For a mapping between fields or field values, the source endpoint refers to
the endpoint from which data is synchronized. Data in the source endpoint
for the mapping remains unchanged. The destination endpoint refers to the
settings.
Each link contains information to determine which data to synchronize and
how to perform the synchronization. For more details on the information
contained in links, see “Time Stamp, Identity Mappings, and Record
Versions” on page 36 and “Cycle Redundancy Checks” on page 36.
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Chapter 2 • Synchronizing at a Glance
Time Stamp, Identity Mappings, and Record Versions
The Synchronizer stores various data during the synchronization process.
During subsequent synchronization runs, the Synchronizer uses this data to
determine if a record needs to be synchronized. The stored data includes:
➤ Time stamp. Indicates when the last synchronization task started running
on a specific link.
➤ Identity mappings. For each link, the Synchronizer stores a table of identity
mappings between records in each endpoint. Each record in each endpoint
is identified by a unique ID, and this table records the correspondence
between each pair of records.
➤ Record versions. Indicates the version of each synchronized record in each
endpoint. During synchronization, each synchronized record receives a
unique version.
Cycle Redundancy Checks
After the Synchronizer has determined that a mapping is a candidate for
synchronization, a cycle redundancy check (CRC) is performed to determine
whether to synchronize the records in the mapping. A cycle redundancy
check is a mathematical operation used to indicate whether data in an
endpoint has changed.
The Synchronizer performs a cycle redundancy check for each endpoint on
the mapped fields only. This enables the Synchronizer to determine whether
the modifications made to the records in the mapping necessitate
synchronizing the records.
For example, suppose you are mapping defects in Quality Center with
defects in ClearQuest, and the only field mapping for the link is between the
Status field in Quality Center and the State field in ClearQuest. Suppose the
Priority field is updated for a defect in Quality Center. As the defect was
modified, the mapping that includes the defect is a candidate for
synchronization, based on the link time stamp. However, as the mapped
fields were not modified, the records should not be synchronized, even
though there were other modifications to the records. During
synchronization, the Synchronizer performs a cycle redundancy check on
the mapping. The check indicates that the mapped fields were not modified,
and therefore the records are not synchronized.
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Chapter 2 • Synchronizing at a Glance
Integrity Checks
An integrity check identifies possible problems that can occur during the
synchronization process. You must run an integrity check on a link before
you can run a synchronization task on that link. When an integrity check
passes successfully, you can enable the link and run synchronization tasks
on it.
You run an integrity check to validate a link when you:
➤ Create a new link
➤ Modify an existing link
➤ Modify the XML schema file for one of the link’s endpoints
An integrity check verifies both general settings for the link, and the field
mappings defined for the link. Each individual check within the integrity
check can pass or fail. The integrity check passes only if none of the
individual checks within it fail.
If you do not run an integrity check, or if the integrity check does not pass,
the link remains unvalidated and cannot be enabled for synchronization.
The Synchronizer generates a report for each run, which you can open by
clicking the View Report button in Execution pane (in the lower part of the
Synchronizer window). After an unsuccessful integrity check run, you can
again.
This section includes the following topics:
➤ “Checks Performed on General Link Settings” on page 38
➤ “Checks Performed on Link Field Mappings” on page 39
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Chapter 2 • Synchronizing at a Glance
Checks Performed on General Link Settings
The following table displays which checks the Synchronizer performs for
each endpoint when you run an integrity check. Depending on the entity
type synchronized in the link, not all of these checks are performed for
every link.
Check Name
Check Description
Endpoint
Connection
Checks that the Synchronizer can successfully connect to
the endpoint using the settings defined.
User permission
check
Checks that the user used to connect to the endpoint has
sufficient permissions to perform the required tasks.
Endpoint
parameters check
Checks and validates additional parameters that may be
defined for the endpoint.
For example, if an alternate root folder is defined for
requirements synchronization, checks that the folder
exists in Quality Center.
Fetching endpoint
schema
Checks that the Synchronizer can obtain the database
schema for the endpoint.
Specified filter
exists
If a filter is defined for the endpoint in the link, checks
that the filter exists in the endpoint.
Subtype exists
check
Checks that the mapped requirement type exists in the
endpoint.
Endpoint events
check
Checks the following;
➤ If the endpoint is set to handle record creation in the
other endpoint, it is also set to update the other
endpoint.
➤ If the endpoint is set to recreate records, the other
endpoint is set to handle record creation.
➤ One endpoint only is set to handle record creation for
the mapped requirement type.
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Chapter 2 • Synchronizing at a Glance
Check Name
Check Description
Fields mapping
defined
Checks that a field mapping is defined between the
endpoints and that it can be obtained by the
Synchronizer.
Consistency of
mapping and
endpoint events
Checks that if a field mapping is defined from the
endpoint, the link is set to handle record creation or
updates in the other endpoint. Also checks that if the link
is set to handle record creation or updates in the
endpoint, a field mapping is defined to the endpoint.
Checks Performed on Link Field Mappings
An integrity check performs the following checks on the field mappings you
define for the link. The Synchronizer also performs these checks when you
check the field mappings when you create or configure a link. Depending
on the type of field mapped, not all of these checks are performed for every
identity mapping.
Check Name
Check Description
Required fields
check
Checks that required fields in the destination endpoint
are mapped to a field in the source endpoint, or are
assigned a constant value. If this is not the case, the check
fails.
In addition, checks that recommended fields in the
destination endpoint are mapped to a field in the source
endpoint, or are assigned a constant value. If this is not
the case, the check passes with a warning.
Field existence
check
Checks that the field exists in the endpoint.
Field types match
check
Checks that if a mapping exists between fields of different
types, the values can be converted between the types.
Fields length match
check
For string type fields (String, Multi value list, Single value
list, User list), checks that the maximum length for values
for each of the fields in a mapping is the same. If the
maximum length is different, the check passes with a
warning that some values may be truncated.
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Chapter 2 • Synchronizing at a Glance
Check Name
Check Description
Fixed list mapping
check
Checks whether the source field of a mapping is not a
verified list field, whereas the destination field is a verified
list field. In such a case, the check passes with a warning
as it is possible that values will be mapped to the
destination that are not in its list.
User list check
Checks whether the source field of a mapping is not a user
list field, whereas the destination field is a user list field.
In such a case, the check passes with a warning as it is
possible that values will be mapped to the destination
that are not in its user list.
Value mapping
types check
Checks that it is possible to convert between the type of
the value mapped to a field and the type of the field.
Values length match
check
For string type fields (String, Multi value list, Single value
list, User list), checks that the length of values mapped to
the field in a field value mapping is not greater that the
maximum length for the field. If a value is mapped that is
longer that the maximum length, the check passes with a
warning that the value will be truncated.
Values mapping in
mandatory field
check
Checks that no field value mapping maps an empty string
to a mandatory field.
Fixed list values
mapping check
Checks that no field value mapping exists that maps
values to a verified list field that are not in the list
associated with the destination field.
Read only check
Checks that there is no mapping to read-only fields.
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Chapter 2 • Synchronizing at a Glance
Incremental Synchronizations
You run an incremental synchronization on a link to determine which
records in the endpoints were created or modified since the previous
synchronization task, and then synchronize data between the two
endpoints according to the mapping and settings you defined for the link.
➤ In an incremental synchronization, the Synchronizer first sends a request to
each endpoint to supply a list of records created or modified since the time
indicated by the time stamp for the link. The time stamp for a link is the
time the last synchronization task started running. The endpoint supplies
this list by comparing the time stamp for the link with the time each record
was last modified as recorded by the endpoint. If a record was modified after
the time indicated by the time stamp for the link, it is included in the list.
➤ If a record that is included in the list for one of the endpoints is not
previously known to the Synchronizer, and therefore does not appear in the
identity map table for the link, the Synchronizer infers that the record was
created after the last synchronization. If you enabled record creation in the
other endpoint, the Synchronizer creates a corresponding record in that
endpoint and updates the identity map table to include this
correspondence.
➤ If a record in the list already appears in the identity map table for the link,
and the record’s version is different from the version in the identity
mapping record, the Synchronizer infers that the record has been updated
since the last synchronization. The Synchronizer then performs a cycle
redundancy check to determine if fields included in the mapping were
modified and require synchronization. If synchronization is necessary, the
Synchronizer updates the corresponding record in the other endpoint,
depending on the settings for the link.
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Chapter 2 • Synchronizing at a Glance
➤ An incremental synchronization does not handle deleted records. In
addition, it can cause data consistency issues. For example, consistency
issues could arise if the Synchronizer tries to update a record but is unable to
do so for some reason, such as the record being locked in the endpoint. In
such a case, the Synchronizer updates the time stamp for the link even
though the records have not been synchronized. In future synchronizations,
the Synchronizer will not detect that these records still need to be
synchronized. To handle deleted records and data consistency issues, you
can run a full synchronization. For more information, see “Full
Synchronizations” on page 42.
Full Synchronizations
You can run a full synchronization to perform a full comparison of the
records in each endpoint. This is useful if you want to handle records that
were deleted from one of the endpoints, or if you want to synchronize
records that were not synchronized in an incremental synchronization.
In a full synchronization, the Synchronizer requests from each endpoint a
list of all the records in that endpoint, not just those created or modified
since the previous synchronization task. It then compares this list of records
with the list of records included in the identity mapping table. If a record
appears in the identity mapping table but no longer appears in the
endpoint, the Synchronizer infers that the record was deleted from the
endpoint and deals with this case according to the options specified in the
link’s configuration.
If a record appears in both the endpoint and the identity mapping table for
the link, the Synchronizer synchronizes the record based on the link’s time
stamp, the record’s version, and the cycle redundancy checks, as it would in
an incremental synchronization. However, some records may be
synchronized that would not otherwise be synchronized in an incremental
synchronization. This is because in a full synchronization, all records are
requested from each endpoint, and not just those modified since the
previous synchronization task.
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3
Creating Synchronization Links
Quality Center and another endpoint.
This chapter includes:
➤ Setting Event Options on page 61
➤ Creating Field Mappings on page 66
➤ Setting Mail Notifications on page 81
➤ Setting Adapter Parameters on page 82
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Chapter 3 • Creating Synchronization Links
About Creating Synchronization Links
You create synchronization links from the Synchronizer client. The link
and another endpoint.
Creating synchronization links involves the following stages:
information, see “Creating Links” on page 45.
2 Confirm the basic settings and define additional general settings. For more
information, see “Setting Link Properties” on page 50.
3 Define whether synchronizations will be run manually, or automatically at
regular time intervals. For more information, see “Setting Scheduling
4 Define which records created in an endpoint are synchronized. For more
information, see “Setting Filter Options” on page 56.
5 If you are synchronizing requirements, create mappings between
requirement types in the endpoints. For more information, see “Creating
6 Define which types of changes to data in an endpoint are synchronized. You
can synchronize records added since the previous synchronization, records
updated since the previous synchronization, or records deleted since the
previous full synchronization. For more information, see “Setting Event
Options” on page 61.
specific field values in one endpoint to fields values in the other endpoint.
For more information, see “Creating Field Mappings” on page 66.
8 Run an integrity check to verify the settings and mappings for the link. For
information on integrity checks, see “Integrity Checks” on page 37. For
information on running an integrity check, see “Running Link Tasks
Manually” on page 91.
9 Save the link by clicking the Save button. Click Yes to confirm. This saves
the link and converts it to read-only mode. To edit the link configuration
again, click the Edit button.
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Chapter 3 • Creating Synchronization Links
After you have defined a synchronization link, you can run tasks on it to
synchronize data between Quality Center and another endpoint. For more
information on running synchronization link tasks, see “Running Link
Tasks” on page 89.
Creating Links
The Quality Center Synchronizer provides a wizard that enables you to
create a link. For each link, you assign a name and description, and define
its two endpoints. One endpoint is always a Quality Center instance. The
other endpoint is the project in the application you want to synchronize.
You also define which type of entity to synchronize in each endpoint, such
as defects or requirements. Each link can synchronize only one entity type
in each endpoint. The entity types you choose determine which fields are
available for synchronization in each endpoint, based on the database
schema for the types in their endpoints.
You can create only one synchronization link between the same entity types
in the same two endpoints, and each synchronization link must be unique.
The uniqueness of a link is defined by its connection data. This means that
you can create as many links as needed to one Quality Center project, as
long as the other endpoints are all unique. For example:
Quality Center/MyProject <---> RequisitePro/Project_A
Quality Center/MyProject <---> RequisitePro/Project_B
In this example, the pair of endpoints for each link are unique, so you can
create these synchronization links.
If you then try to create another synchronization link using
Quality Center/MyProject <---> RequisitePro/Project_B as endpoints, the
link creation fails because the projects in both endpoints are already paired
in an existing link.
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Chapter 3 • Creating Synchronization Links
To create a link:
Select Link > Create or click the Create Link button. The Create Link wizard
opens to the General Properties screen.
1 Define the general link properties:
➤ In the Link name box, type a name for the link.
➤ In the Description box, type a description for the link.
➤ In the Endpoint 2 type box, select the application you want to
synchronize with Quality Center.
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Chapter 3 • Creating Synchronization Links
2 Click Next. The Quality Center Endpoint screen opens.
3 Enter the connection settings for the Quality Center project:
➤ User name. The user name for a Quality Center user. This user must have
create, modify, and delete permissions for the entity being synchronized
(defect or requirement) in the Quality Center project.
➤ Password. The password for the user you specified.
➤ ServerURL. The URL of the Quality Center server. For example,
http://MyServer:8080/qcbin.
➤ Domain. The domain containing the project whose data you want to
synchronize.
➤ Project. The name of the project whose data you want to synchronize.
For more details on Quality Center servers, domains, and projects, refer to
the HP Quality Center Administrator’s Guide.
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Chapter 3 • Creating Synchronization Links
4 (Optional) Click the Check Connectivity button if you want to verify the
connection to the Quality Center project. For example, you may want to
test the connectivity to several projects before finalizing a project for this
link. If the Synchronizer is able to connect to the project, a confirmation
message displays.
5 Click Next. The Synchronizer tries to connect to the Quality Center project
and retrieve the available entity types. If successful, the <Endpoint
Application> Endpoint screen opens.
with Quality Center. The settings available depend on which type of
endpoint you are working with. For details on the settings available for a
particular endpoint, see:
➤ “RequisitePro Connection Properties” on page 122.
➤ “ClearQuest Connection Properties” on page 116
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Chapter 3 • Creating Synchronization Links
7 (Optional) Click the Check Connectivity button if you want to verify the
connection to the project in the application you are synchronizing with the
Quality Center entities. For example, you may want to test the connectivity
to several projects before finalizing a project for this link. If the
Synchronizer can connect to the project, a confirmation message displays.
8 Click Next. The Synchronizer tries to connect to the endpoint project and
retrieve the available record entity types. If successful, the Entity Types
screen opens.
9 In the Available entity type pairs box, select the entity type pair you want to
synchronize.
10 Click Finish. A message box asks you if you want to edit the new link.
➤ Click Yes to begin configuring the link. For more information, see
“Setting Link Properties” on page 50.
➤ Click No to open the link in read-only mode.
Tip: If you choose to open the link in read-only mode, you can edit the
link later by clicking the Edit button.
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Chapter 3 • Creating Synchronization Links
Setting Link Properties
After you have defined the link name, description, and endpoints, you
define the basic properties for the link.
To set properties for a link:
1 Create the link and define its connection settings as described in “Creating
Links” on page 45.
2 In the Links list, select the link you created. The General tab is displayed.
3 Review the link details. To edit or set additional link properties, click the
Edit button. For more information on editing links, see “Editing
Synchronization Link Settings” on page 99.
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Chapter 3 • Creating Synchronization Links
You can edit the following fields:
➤ In the Link name box, edit the name of the link.
➤ In the Link description box, edit the description of the link.
4 Click the Connectivity tab.
5 (Optional) You can edit the settings used to connect to each endpoint. This
is useful, for example, if the logon credentials change, or if you want to
modify the link to synchronize a different project. For more information on
these settings, see “Creating Links” on page 45.
6 (Optional) To check the connection to an endpoint, click the Check
Connectivity button for the endpoint. If the Synchronizer can connect to
the endpoint, a confirmation message displays.
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Chapter 3 • Creating Synchronization Links
7 (Optional) If you are synchronizing requirements, you can specify an
alternate root folder for synchronization under the Quality Center
root folder you want to synchronize.
Important: Specifying an alternate root folder can cause unexpected
behavior. Review “Guidelines for Defining an Alternate Root Folder in
Quality Center” on page 53 before specifying an alternate root folder.
8 You can now define the scheduling options for the link, including how and
when you want to run tasks for the link. For more information, see “Setting
Scheduling Options” on page 54.
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Chapter 3 • Creating Synchronization Links
Guidelines for Defining an Alternate Root Folder in
Quality Center
By default, the Synchronizer synchronizes all requirements in the
Quality Center Requirements root folder.
You can specify an alternate root folder if you want to synchronize only a
subset of the requirements in your Quality Center project. For example, you
may want to synchronize multiple projects from the RequisitePro endpoint
to different folders in one Quality Center project, as shown in the following
illustration.
RequisitePro Projects
Quality Center
Project1
Requirements
RP_Project1
Folder1
Req1
Folder1
Req1
Req2
...
Req2
...
RP_Project2
Folder1
Req1
Project2
Folder
Req1
Req2
...
Req2
...
In the example above, the requirements in the RequisitePro endpoint’s
Project 2 are synchronized with the requirements in the Quality Center
RP_Project 2 folder instead of the Requirements folder.
Consider the following when specifying an alternate root folder.
➤ The path you specify must replicate the exact hierarchy in Quality Center.
For example: Requirements\MyProject (Note that Requirements is already
defined for you in the dialog box.)
Tip: You can copy/paste each folder name to ensure exact spelling.
➤ The path of the alternate root folder must be completely different from the
path of any other link. For example, if you specify an alternate folder for one
link, you can specify a sibling folder for a different link.
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Chapter 3 • Creating Synchronization Links
➤ If you want to reorganize the requirements in the Requirements module
after one or more synchronization tasks are performed, carefully move
requirements while retaining the same hierarchy, instead of deleting
requirements and creating new ones. The Synchronizer synchronizes
Quality Center requirements according to their Quality Center ID. Moving
the requirements maintains the requirement ID and helps prevent
requirements from being added or deleted during a synchronization task.
Setting Scheduling Options
After you define the general properties for a link, you determine its
scheduling options. If you do not determine scheduling options for a link,
from the Synchronizer client.
To set scheduling options for a link:
1 Verify that you are working in edit mode. For more information, see
“Editing Synchronization Link Settings” on page 99.
2 Click the Scheduling tab.
54
3 Select Enable scheduling to enable scheduling of link tasks.
4 Select Run incremental synchronization task to run incremental
synchronization tasks automatically for the link. For more information on
incremental synchronization tasks, see “Incremental Synchronizations” on
page 41. The following options are available:
➤ Schedule every. Runs incremental synchronization tasks for the link at
the specified time interval. The time interval can be specified in minutes
or hours. The first time interval starts when you start the Synchronizer
server. By default, the time interval is set to 30 minutes for defects
synchronization, and 8 hours for requirements synchronization.
Note: You cannot schedule an incremental synchronization to run more
frequently than five minutes.
➤ Run task at. Runs incremental synchronization tasks on the link at the
specified time each day. By default, tasks run every day.
Click the browse button to open the Days of Week dialog box, and select
specific days of the week to run the task. On these days, the tasks will run
at the time you specified in the Run task at option.
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Chapter 3 • Creating Synchronization Links
5 Select Run full synchronization task to run full synchronization tasks
automatically for the link. For more information on full synchronization
tasks, see “Full Synchronizations” on page 42. The following options are
available:
➤ Schedule every. Runs full synchronization tasks for the link at the
specified time interval. The time interval can be specified in hours or
days. The first time interval starts when you start the Synchronizer server.
Note: You cannot schedule a full synchronization to run more frequently
than every hour.
time each day. By default, tasks run every day.
Click the browse button to open the Days of Week dialog box, and select
specific days of the week to run the task. On these days, the tasks will run
at the time you specified in the Run task at option. For an illustration of
the Days of Week dialog box, see step 4 above.
6 You can now define the filters for the link. For more information, see
“Setting Filter Options” on page 56.
Setting Filter Options
After you define the general properties for a link and its scheduling options,
you can define filters to be used during synchronization. When the
Synchronizer looks for new records that have been created in the endpoints
since the last synchronization, it includes only records that match the
selected filters.
Records that have already been mapped are always synchronized, even if the
filter for the endpoint changes or if they no longer match the filter.
To set filters for a defects synchronization link:
1 Verify that you are working in edit mode. For more information, see
“Editing Synchronization Link Settings” on page 99.
2 Click the Filters tab. The filter options are displayed, according to the entity
type you are synchronizing.
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Chapter 3 • Creating Synchronization Links
3 For defects synchronization, the Filters tab displays the following filter
options.
For each endpoint, select one of the following options:
➤ Use filter (for creation events). Select a filter from the list. Only records
that match the selected filter are considered for synchronization.
4 You can now define which types of changes to data in the endpoints are
page 61.
To set filters for a requirements synchronization link:
1 Verify that you are working in edit mode. For more information, see
“Editing Synchronization Link Settings” on page 99.
2 Click the Filters tab. The filter options are displayed, according to the entity
type you are synchronizing.
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Chapter 3 • Creating Synchronization Links
3 For requirements synchronization, the Filters tab displays the following
filter options.
For each endpoint, select one of the following options:
➤ No filters. All records are considered for synchronization.
➤ Use filters (for creation events). Records that match any of the selected
filters are considered for synchronization. Note that selected filters apply
only to the requirement type with which they are associated.
➤ To add a filter, click the Add button. In the Add Filter dialog box, select
➤ To remove a filter, select the filter from the list and click the Remove
button.
4 You can now define mappings between requirement types in the endpoints.
For more information, see “Creating Requirement Type Mappings” on
page 59.
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Chapter 3 • Creating Synchronization Links
Creating Requirement Type Mappings
When synchronizing requirements, you create mappings between
requirement types in each endpoint. For example, you might map the
Functional requirement type in Quality Center to the Functional requirement
type in RequisitePro.
Consider the following points when creating requirement type mappings:
requirement type in the other endpoint. Records for requirement types that
are not mapped are not synchronized.
➤ For each requirement type mapping, new requirements created in one
endpoint only are synchronized. For more information, see “Setting Event
Options for Requirements Synchronization” on page 63.
➤ Folders are automatically mapped if they contain a requirement type that is
mapped. They cannot be configured.
For more information on synchronizing requirements between
that endpoint.
To create requirement type mappings for a link:
1 Verify that you are working in edit mode. For more information, see
“Editing Synchronization Link Settings” on page 99.
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Chapter 3 • Creating Synchronization Links
2 Click the Subtype Mapping tab.
that you want to map. In the example above, Functional and Functional are
selected.
4 Click Add Mapping to create the requirement type mapping between the
endpoints. The new mapping is displayed in the Mapped Subtypes box.
5 To create additional requirement type mappings, repeat steps 3 to 4.
6 To delete a requirement type mapping, under Mapped Subtypes, select the
Note: Deleting a requirement type mapping deletes all associated link data
for the requirement type’s records in both endpoints. For more information,
see “Deleting Synchronization Links” on page 103 for important
information.
7 You can now define which types of changes to data are synchronized in the
endpoints. For more information, see “Setting Event Options” on page 61.
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Chapter 3 • Creating Synchronization Links
You set event options to direct the Synchronizer how to handle the creation,
update, and deletion of records in the endpoints. This section includes:
➤ “Setting Event Options for Defects Synchronization” on page 61
➤ “Setting Event Options for Requirements Synchronization” on page 63
Setting Event Options for Defects Synchronization
After you define basic properties for the link, and set scheduling and filter
endpoint.
To set event options for defects synchronization:
1 Verify that you are working in edit mode. For more information, see
“Editing Synchronization Link Settings” on page 99.
2 Click the Events tab.
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Chapter 3 • Creating Synchronization Links
3 For each endpoint, under Creation, select how to handle records created in
the endpoint. The following options are available:
➤ Create a corresponding record in the other endpoint. If a record is
created in the endpoint, a corresponding record is created in the other
endpoint.
➤ Do nothing. No action is taken in the other endpoint in response to
records created in the endpoint.
4 For each endpoint, under Update, select how to handle records updated in
the endpoint. The following options are available:
➤ Update its corresponding record in the other endpoint. If a record that
was previously synchronized is updated in the endpoint, the
corresponding record is updated in the other endpoint.
You must select this option if the Create a corresponding record in the
other endpoint option is selected for the endpoint.
➤ Do nothing. No action is taken in the other endpoint in response to
records updated in the endpoint.
5 For each endpoint, under Deletion (Full Synchronization Only), specify how
to handle records deleted in the endpoint. The following options are
available:
➤ Do nothing. No action is taken in the other endpoint in response to
records deleted in the endpoint.
➤ Delete its corresponding record in the other endpoint. If a record that
was previously synchronized is deleted in the endpoint, the Synchronizer
deletes the corresponding record in the other endpoint.
➤ Recreate based on its corresponding record in the other endpoint. If a
record that was previously synchronized is deleted in one endpoint, the
Synchronizer recreates the record based on the data for the
corresponding record in the other endpoint.
This option is available only if Create a corresponding record in the
other endpoint is selected in the other endpoint.
Note that the Synchronizer handles deleted records only during full
synchronization tasks, and not during incremental synchronization tasks.
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Chapter 3 • Creating Synchronization Links
6 You can now define how data fields and field values are mapped between
the endpoints. For more information, see “Creating Field Mappings” on
page 66.
Setting Event Options for Requirements Synchronization
After you define basic properties for the link, set scheduling and filter
options, and create requirement type mappings, you define which type of
synchronization is performed on each endpoint.
For each requirement type mapping, one endpoint is selected as master for
the synchronization of records.
The event options for the master and non-master endpoints are summarized
in the following table:
Event Options for
Master Endpoint
Event Options for the
Non-master Endpoint
Event
Creation
When a record is created in the
master endpoint, a
corresponding record is created
in the other endpoint.
When a record is created in this
endpoint, no action is taken in
the other endpoint.
Update
When a record is updated in the
master endpoint, its
corresponding record in the
other endpoint is updated.
When a record is updated in this
endpoint, the following options
are available:
➤ No action is taken in the
other endpoint.
➤ The corresponding record in
the other endpoint is
updated.
Deletion
When a record is deleted in the
master endpoint, the following
options are available:
When a record is deleted in this
endpoint, the following options
are available:
➤ No action is taken in the
➤ No action is taken in the
other endpoint.
other endpoint.
➤ The corresponding record in
➤ The record is recreated based
on its corresponding record
in the other endpoint.
the other endpoint is deleted.
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Chapter 3 • Creating Synchronization Links
The Synchronizer maintains the hierarchical requirements tree structure
during synchronization, based on the master endpoint. Consider the
following ways in which the Synchronizer handles the parent/child
relationship between requirements during synchronization:
➤ When a new requirement is created in the master endpoint, and the
requirement is the child of requirements that were not previously
synchronized, the parent requirements are also created in the other
endpoint. If a filter is defined, the parent requirements are synchronized
even if they do not match the filter.
➤ If a requirement is moved within the requirements tree of the master
endpoint, it is moved accordingly in the other endpoint.
➤ If you selected an alternate root folder for requirements synchronization in
the Filters tab, a requirement that you move out of the specified root folder
is handled as a deleted requirement.
➤ If a parent requirement is deleted in the master endpoint, and the option to
delete corresponding records in the other endpoint is selected, the parent
requirement and all child requirements are deleted in the other endpoint.
requirements are also recreated.
To set event options for requirements synchronization:
1 Verify that you are working in edit mode. For more information, see
“Editing Synchronization Link Settings” on page 99.
2 Under Mapped Subtypes, select the mapping you want to configure and
click Configure.
Alternatively, in the Links list, expand a requirement link, select the
requirement type mapping, and click the Events tab.
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Chapter 3 • Creating Synchronization Links
The event options are displayed.
3 Under Endpoint 1 Events or Endpoint 2 Events, click Master (controls
record creation and deletion) to select a master endpoint. Event options
associated with the selection of the master endpoint are set.
4 For the master endpoint, under Deletion, select how to handle records
deleted in the endpoint. The following options are available:
➤ Do nothing. No action is taken in the other endpoint in response to
records deleted in the endpoint.
➤ Delete its corresponding record in the other endpoint. If a record that
was previously synchronized is deleted in the endpoint, the Synchronizer
deletes the corresponding record in the other endpoint.
5 For the non-master endpoint, under Update, select how to handle records
updated in the endpoint. The following options are available:
➤ Update its corresponding record in the other endpoint. If a record that
was previously synchronized is updated in the endpoint, the
corresponding record is updated in the other endpoint.
➤ Do nothing. No action is taken in the other endpoint in response to
records updated in the endpoint.
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6 For the non-master endpoint, under Deletion, select how to handle records
deleted in the endpoint. The following options are available:
➤ Do nothing. No action is taken in the other endpoint in response to
records deleted in the endpoint.
➤ Recreate based on its corresponding record in the other endpoint. This
option is available only if Create a corresponding record in the other
endpoint is selected in the other endpoint. When a record that was
previously synchronized is deleted in one endpoint, the Synchronizer
recreates the record based on the data for the corresponding record in the
7 If your link contains additional requirement type mappings, repeat steps 1
to 6 to configure each mapping.
8 You can now define how data fields and field values are mapped between
the endpoints. For more information, see “Creating Field Mappings” on
page 66.
Creating Field Mappings
After you define which changes to endpoint data are synchronized, you
specify which fields are mapped and in which direction they are mapped.
For example, you might map a field named Priority in one endpoint to a field
named Criticality in the other endpoint.
Field mappings must be defined for each defects link, and for each
requirement type mapping of a requirements link.
of a field in the other endpoint.
This section includes the following topics:
➤ “Mapping Endpoint Fields” on page 67
➤ “Mapping Field Values” on page 76
➤ “Mapping Constant Values” on page 79
➤ “Mapping Attachment Fields” on page 80
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You map fields between the two endpoints in a synchronization link.
To map endpoint fields for a link:
1 Verify that you are working in edit mode. For more information, see
“Editing Synchronization Link Settings” on page 99.
2 Navigate to the Field Mapping tab.
➤ For a defects link, in the Links list, select the link and click the Field
Mapping tab.
➤ For a requirements link, in the Links list, expand the link, select a
requirement type mapping, and click the Field Mapping tab.
Alternatively, from the Subtypes Mapping tab, under Mapped Subtypes,
select a requirement type mapping and click Configure.
The field mapping configuration options are displayed.
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The top part of the tab lists the fields for the entities being synchronized.
Mapped entities are displayed in italics, as shown in the Headline field in
this example.
The following columns are displayed for each field:
Column
Description
Name
Type
The name of the field in the endpoint.
The field type. The following types are available:
➤ Attachment. The field contains attachments associated with
the record. For more information on synchronizing record
attachments, see “Mapping Attachment Fields” on page 80.
➤ Date. The field contains a date value.
➤ Multi value list. The field contains values from a predefined
list. The field can contain more than one value from this list.
➤ Number. The field contains a numerical value.
➤ Single value list. The field contains a single value from a
predefined list.
➤ String. The field contains string values.
➤ User list. The field contains a value from a list of users.
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Column
Description
Attributes
Indicates whether the field is read-only. You cannot create a
mapping to a field that is read-only. The following attribute
values are available:
➤ R. The field can be read but cannot be written to.
➤ RW. The field can be both read and written to.
Mapped
Indicates whether the field is currently included in a mapping to
a field in the other endpoint or a constant value is mapped to the
field.
In addition, an icon indicating whether the field is required is displayed
adjacent to each field name in the Name column. The following table lists
the possible options and details on how the level is determined for each
field in Quality Center.
Icon Level
Mandatory
Description
The field is mandatory for the endpoint. You must map
this field as the destination of a mapping from a field in
the other endpoint or map a constant value to the field.
A mandatory field that is unmapped causes an error
during an integrity check if entity creation is enabled
for the endpoint.
For a Quality Center endpoint, a field is Mandatory in
the Synchronizer if it is a required field in
Quality Center but not given a default value in
Quality Center when a record is created.
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Icon Level
Description
Recommended It is strongly recommended that you map this field as
the destination of a mapping from a field in the other
endpoint, but you are able to run synchronization tasks
on the link if you do not create the mapping. A
recommended field that is unmapped causes a warning
during an integrity check if entity creation is enabled
for the endpoint.
For a Quality Center endpoint, a field is Recommended
in the Synchronizer if it is required in Quality Center
and is given a default value in Quality Center when a
record is created.
Optional
You do not need to map this field as the destination of a
mapping from a field in the other endpoint, but can
optionally do so.
For a Quality Center endpoint, a field is Optional in the
Synchronizer if it is not required in Quality Center and
is not given a default value in Quality Center when a
new record is created.
3 To sort the fields by the data in a particular column, click the column
header. Click the column header again to switch between sorting the data in
ascending order and sorting the data in descending order.
4 You can filter the fields displayed in the fields list using the filter buttons
located above the list of fields:
➤ To switch between showing and hiding Mandatory fields, click the Filter
mandatory fields button.
➤ To switch between showing and hiding Recommended fields, click the
Filter recommended fields button.
➤ To switch between showing and hiding Optional fields, click the Filter
optional fields button.
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5 To view the properties for a field, double-click a field, or select a field and
click the View Field Properties button. The Field Properties dialog box opens
listing the names, values, and descriptions of the field’s properties.
Select an item to view its description.
Note: Most of these fields can also be viewed in the Field Properties tab
described in step 11 on page 75.
6 To import a set of field mappings from an exported XML link configuration
file, click the Import button. In the Open dialog box, select the XML file
from which you want to import the field mappings and click Open. The
field mappings defined in the XML files are imported. For more information
on exporting link configuration files, see “Exporting and Importing Link
Definitions” on page 104.
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You can also import field mappings from a sample file. Navigate to
<Quality Center Synchronizer Client directory>\samples directory, and
select the file for the type of endpoint that you are synchronizing with
Quality Center.
7 To export a set of field mappings to an XML file, click the Export button. In
the Save As dialog box, type a file name for the XML file to which you want
to export the field mappings and click Save.
8 To add a mapping between fields in each endpoint, select the field in each
endpoint that you want to map and click the Map Selected Fields down arrow.
Choose the direction of the mapping using one of the following options:
Option
Description
Create bidirectional
mapping
Changes made to data in each endpoint are updated
in the other endpoint. If you select this option, you
must select which endpoint is the dominant
endpoint. For more information on selecting the
dominant endpoint, see step 10 on page 74.
Map QC field to
<Destination
Application> field
Changes made to data in Quality Center are updated
in the destination application during
synchronization, but changes made to data in the
destination application are not updated in
Quality Center.
Note: Changes to a record in the destination
application may be overridden by changes to the
corresponding record in Quality Center, even if the
changes in the destination application were made
after those in Quality Center.
Map <Source
Application> field
to QC field
Changes made to data in the source application are
updated in Quality Center during synchronization,
but changes made to data in Quality Center are not
updated in the source application.
Note: Changes to a record in Quality Center may be
overridden by changes to the corresponding record
in the source application, even if the changes in
Quality Center were made after those in the source
application.
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The mapping between the fields is added to the Mapped Fields list and the
value of the Mapped column for the fields changes to Yes.
Notes:
➤ A field in one endpoint can be mapped to only one field in the other
endpoint.
➤ If you map string fields with different maximum lengths, during
as necessary if it exceeds the maximum length of the corresponding field
in the destination endpoint.
➤ Instead of mapping fields in each endpoint, you can assign a constant
value to a field during the creation of new records. For more information,
see “Mapping Constant Values” on page 79.
➤ You can map attachment fields between the endpoints. For more
information, see “Mapping Attachment Fields” on page 80.
9 For fields of type String, Single value list, Multi value list, or User list, you
can map specific field values between the endpoints. For more information,
see “Mapping Field Values” on page 76.
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10 To edit a field mapping’s properties, in the Mapped Fields list, select the
mapping and click the Mapping Properties tab. Select the property you
want to edit, click the down arrow, and select the new value. You can edit
the following options:
Option
Description
Direction
The direction in which the synchronization can be
performed. The options include:
➤ <----> Bidirectional
➤ ----> From Endpoint 1 (Quality Center)
to Endpoint 2 (the synchronized application)
➤ <---- From Endpoint 2 (the synchronized application)
to Endpoint 1 (Quality Center)
Dominant side
Relevant for a bidirectional mapping. If changes are made
to the same record in both endpoints since the last
synchronization, the change made in the dominant
endpoint is updated in the other endpoint. By default,
Endpoint 1 (Quality Center) is the dominant endpoint.
For example, suppose that since the last synchronization
the value for a field in Endpoint 2 was changed to 20 and
that the value for the corresponding field in Endpoint 1
was changed to 10. Suppose also that Endpoint 2 is the
dominant endpoint. During the next synchronization, the
Synchronizer will change the value of the field in
Endpoint 1 to 20.
Synchronize back
on create
Relevant for a single directional mapping. If, during
synchronization, the destination endpoint creates a value
that does not exist in the source endpoint, the new value is
sent to source endpoint. This helps to ensure that both
endpoints contain exactly the same data.
For example, suppose that you created a new record in
Quality Center. During synchronization, that record is
added as a new record in the endpoint application, which
subsequently generates an ID for the field. The
Synchronizer recognizes this new value, sends it to
Quality Center, and adds it to the source record.
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11 To view details for the fields in a mapping, in the Mapped Fields list, select
the mapping and click the Field Properties tab. The properties for the fields
in the mapping are displayed.
Column
Description
Display Name The field name used in the endpoint’s user interface.
Field Length
Field Type
Name
The length of the field in the endpoint.
The field type in the endpoint.
The field name used in the endpoint’s database.
Indicates if the field is a read-only field in the endpoint.
The level assigned to the field.
Read only
Required
Verified
Indicates whether the field’s values are validated in the endpoint
against a fixed list.
button. Click Yes to confirm.
13 To check the field mappings you have defined, click the Check Field
Mapping button. The Synchronizer runs a field mapping check. For
information on the checks performed on the mappings, see “Checks
Performed on Link Field Mappings” on page 39.
When the field mapping check has run, the Check Field Mapping report
opens, displaying a list of errors that will cause the link to fail when run,
warnings that may prevent the link running correctly, and other
information. Close the report to continue.
Note: You must enable a link before you can run synchronization tasks on
it. For more information on enabling links, see “Enabling and Disabling
Synchronization Links” on page 102.
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Mapping Field Values
For a field of type String, Single value list, Multi value list, or User list, you
can map specific values for a field in one endpoint to specific values of a
field in the other endpoint.
For example, suppose a Quality Center field, Priority, has values Low,
Medium, High, and Critical, and a field in the synchronized application,
Importance, has values 1, 2, 3, and 4. You might map the values Low to 1,
Medium to 2, High to 3, and Critical to 4. If the value of the Priority field in
Quality Center changes from Medium to High, the Synchronizer updates the
value of the corresponding field in the synchronized application from 2
to 3.
Note: If you map multiple values in one endpoint to a single value in the
other endpoint, only one value can be synchronized back. This can
potentially cause data loss. For example, suppose you map the following
Priority values:
Quality Center
endpoint
Mapping
Direction
Other application
endpoint
High
Medium
Low
<-->
<-->
-->
High
Medium
Medium
During a synchronization task, a Priority value of Low in Quality Center will
be converted to Medium in the other endpoint. When that same record is
synchronized back to Quality Center, the Priority value will be set to
Medium, resulting in the loss of the original Low Priority value.
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To map values for a field:
1 Select the link and verify that you are working in edit mode. For more
information, see “Editing Synchronization Link Settings” on page 99.
2 In the Field Mapping tab, in the Mapped Fields list, select the field mapping
for which you want to map field values. Click the Value Mapping tab. The
Value mapping tab displays the field values currently mapped.
3 Click the Add Value Mapping button. The Add Value Mapping dialog box
opens.
4 In the Endpoint 1 Value box, select or type the value from Endpoint 1 you
want to include in the field value mapping.
5 In the Endpoint 2 Value box, select or type the value from Endpoint 2 you
want to include in the field value mapping.
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6 In the Direction box, select the direction for the field value mapping. The
following options are available:
➤ <---->. Occurrences of the value in the Endpoint 1 Value box are mapped
to the value in the Endpoint 2 Value box. Occurrences of the value in the
Endpoint 2 Value box are mapped to the value in the Endpoint 1 Value
box.
➤ ---->. Occurrences of the value in the Endpoint 1 Value box are mapped to
the value in the Endpoint 2 Value box, but occurrences of the value in
the Endpoint 2 Value box are not mapped to the value in the Endpoint 1
Value box.
➤ <----. Occurrences of the value in the Endpoint 2 Value box are mapped to
the value in the Endpoint 1 Value box, but occurrences of the value in
the Endpoint 1 Value box are not mapped to the value in the Endpoint 2
Value box.
Click OK.
Note: You can map one or more field values in the source endpoint to a
single field value in the destination endpoint, but not vice versa.
7 To edit a mapping between field values, select the mapping and click the
Edit Value Mapping button. In the Add Value Mapping dialog box, edit the
mapping and click OK.
8 To remove a mapping between field values, select the mapping and click the
Delete Value Mapping button.
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Mapping Constant Values
Instead of mapping a field in one endpoint to a field in the other endpoint,
you can assign a constant value to a field. This value is assigned to the field
when the Synchronizer creates new entities. When the Synchronizer
updates existing entities, the constant value is not assigned to the field, and
the existing value is left unchanged.
Example 1: Suppose you have a required field in the Quality Center
endpoint, but you do not have a field to map it to in the other endpoint.
You can assign a constant value so that the required field is considered to be
mapped, and the integrity check for this link can pass.
Example 2: Suppose you want to distinguish between defects created directly
in Quality Center and those created in Quality Center by the Synchronizer.
You could create a defects field named Creation Method in Quality Center
and then assign this field the constant value Created by Quality Center
Synchronizer.
Note: If you assign a constant value to a string field and the length of the
constant value is longer that the maximum length of the string field, the
Synchronizer truncates the constant value.
To map constant values:
1 Select the link and verify that you are working in edit mode. For more
information, see “Editing Synchronization Link Settings” on page 99.
2 In the Field Mapping tab, in the fields list for the appropriate endpoint,
select the field to which you want to map a constant value.
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3 Click the Add Constant Value button (located above the endpoint schema
grid). The Add Constant Value dialog box opens.
4 Type or select the constant value you want to be assigned to the field during
record creation.
5 Click OK to close the Add Constant Value dialog box.
Mapping Attachment Fields
In addition to mapping regular fields between the two endpoints, you can
also map attachment fields between the endpoints. When you synchronize
an attachment field, both the attachment and its description are
synchronized.
Consider the following guidelines when mapping attachment fields:
➤ You can create only one mapping between attachment fields per link.
➤ The Synchronizer identifies attachments by their file name, and not by their
content. Therefore:
➤ If you change the file name of an attachment, even if you do not change
its content, the Synchronizer determines that the original attachment
has been deleted and a new attachment added, and synchronizes the
attachment fields accordingly.
➤ If you have different attachments in each of the endpoints, but they have
the same file name, the Synchronizer is not able to distinguish between
them and considers them as the same attachment.
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➤ For a bidirectional attachment field mapping, if an attachment was updated
in both endpoints since the last synchronization, the Synchronizer copies
the attachment in the non-dominant endpoint to the conflict_backup
directory, located under the main Quality Center Synchronizer directory. It
then overwrites the attachment in the non-dominant endpoint with the
attachment in the dominant endpoint.
Setting Mail Notifications
You can instruct the Synchronizer to send e-mail notifications for:
➤ Passed link task runs with errors
To set mail notifications:
1 Verify that you are working in edit mode. For more information, see
“Editing Synchronization Link Settings” on page 99.
2 Select Tools > Server Options and specify the e-mail settings. For more
information, see “Configuring the Server Options” on page 108.
3 Click the Advanced tab.
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4 Set the e-mail notification settings:
➤ In the E-mail address box, type an e-mail address to instruct the
Synchronizer server to send e-mail notifications for failed link task runs
(and also for task runs that pass with errors if you select the check box
below). Only one e-mail address can be specified for each link. The e-mail
notifications are sent according to the e-mail settings defined for the
Synchronizer server.
➤ Select the Send notification when task passes with errors check box to
instruct the Synchronizer to send an e-mail notification to the e-mail
address listed above when a synchronization task passes with errors.
Setting Adapter Parameters
By default, the Synchronizer supports specific connectivity parameters for
each adapter type. An adapter is the endpoint application to which the
Synchronizer connects. You can view these connectivity parameters, and the
values defined for them, in the Connectivity tab.
If an adapter requires additional parameters, for example, because the
adapter was modified, or you are working with an adapter other than the
defaults supported by the Synchronizer, these additional parameters are
displayed in the Advanced tab.
To define the value for an adapter parameter:
Click the Value cell for the adapter parameter you want to define and enter
the parameter value.
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4
Working with Quality Center
Synchronizer
This chapter describes how to work with the Synchronizer. You can run an
links, and change your Quality Center Synchronizer password.
This chapter includes:
➤ Exporting and Importing Link Definitions on page 104
➤ Exporting and Importing Link Data on page 105
➤ Configuring the Quality Center Synchronizer Options on page 107
➤ Changing the Quality Center Synchronizer Password on page 110
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also view details for a specific link.
This section contains the following topics:
➤ “Viewing Details for All Links” on page 84
➤ “Viewing Details for a Specific Link” on page 85
➤ “The Link Fields” on page 86
Viewing Details for All Links
You can view details for all your synchronization links in the Links Grid.
To view details for all links:
1 In the Links list, select the root folder Links. The Links Grid is displayed.
Each row in the Links Grid displays details for a synchronization link. For
more information on the fields displayed in the grid, see “The Link Fields”
on page 86.
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2 To sort the Links Grid by the data in a particular column, click the column
header. Click the column header again to switch between sorting the data in
ascending order and sorting the data in descending order.
3 To refresh a selected record in the Links Grid, select Link > Refresh, or click
the Refresh Selected button, or click the down arrow and select Refresh
Selected. This can be useful as changes to link status that occur due to
events in the Synchronizer server, such as an integration check passing
successfully, are not automatically updated in the Synchronizer client.
4 To refresh the information in all of the rows in the Links Grid, click the
Refresh Selected down arrow and select Refresh All.
Viewing Details for a Specific Link
You can view details for a specific link.
To view information for a specific link:
1 In the Links list, select a link for which you want to view details. The link’s
details are displayed in the General tab.
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For more information on the fields displayed in the General tab, see “The
Link Fields” on page 86.
To view requirement type mappings for a requirements link, expand the
link. For more information on mappings between requirement types, see
“Creating Requirement Type Mappings” on page 59.
2 To refresh the information displayed in the General tab, click the Refresh
can be useful as changes to link status that occur due to events in the
Synchronizer server, such as an integration check passing successfully, are
not automatically updated in the Synchronizer client.
3 You can view history details of the task runs for the link. For more
information, see “Viewing Task Run History” on page 93.
The Link Fields
The following details are displayed in the Links Grid and the General tab:
Field
Description
AutoMode
Indicates whether the synchronization link is in
automatic mode:
➤ If the field has value True, the link is in automatic
mode and will run automatically at time intervals you
specified in the Scheduling tab.
➤ If the field has value False, the link will run only if you
manually instruct it to do so. For more information on
running links, see “Running Link Tasks” on page 89.
Endpoint 1
The type of endpoint for Endpoint 1 and the type of
entity being synchronized in the endpoint. Possible
values are QC:Requirement and QC:Defect.
Endpoint 1
Connectivity Data
Settings for the connection to Endpoint 1. Includes the
Quality Center server, domain, and project with which
the Synchronizer is synchronizing.
Endpoint 1 Entity
Name
The type of entity being synchronized in Endpoint 1.
Possible values are Requirement and Defect.
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Field
Description
Endpoint 1 Type
The type of endpoint for Endpoint 1, which must always
be Quality Center.
Endpoint 2
The type of endpoint for Endpoint 2 and the type of
entity being synchronized in the endpoint.
Endpoint 2
Connectivity Data
Settings for the connection to Endpoint 2. The
information displayed is dependent on the type of
endpoint used. For more details on the settings available
for a particular endpoint, refer to the appropriate
appendix for that endpoint.
Endpoint 2 Entity
Name
The type of entity being synchronized in Endpoint 2.
Possible values are Requirement and Defect.
Endpoint 2 Type
ID
The type of endpoint for Endpoint 2.
A unique identification number assigned by the
Synchronizer to the link. This number cannot be
modified.
Last Full
Synchronization
The result of the last full synchronization run on the link
and the date and time it was run. For more information
Tasks” on page 89.
Last Incremental
Synchronization
The result of the last incremental synchronization run on
the link and the date and time it was run. For more
information on running incremental synchronizations,
see “Running Link Tasks” on page 89.
Last Integrity Check
The result of the last integrity check run on the link and
the date and time it was run. For more information on
running integrity checks, see “Running Link Tasks” on
page 89.
Link Description
Link Name
A description of the link.
The name of the link.
Mapped Records
Run ID
The number of records mapped for synchronization.
A unique identification number of the current task run for
the link. “0” indicates no task for the link is currently
running.
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Field
Description
Running
Indicates whether a task for the link is currently running:
➤ If the field has value True, the link is in the middle of a
task execution, such as an integrity check, incremental
synchronization, or full synchronization. You cannot
perform another operation on the link until the first
operation has finished running.
currently running, and you can perform an operation
on the link, provided it is enabled.
State
Indicates whether the link is enabled, disabled, or
unvalidated. For more information about these states, see
“Enabling and Disabling Synchronization Links” on
page 102.
Time Stamp
Indicates the time when the last synchronization on the
link was started. This time is used by the Synchronizer to
determine which records were created or updated since
the last synchronization. To manually change this time
stamp, see “Resetting a Link” on page 100.
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Running Link Tasks
You can run incremental synchronization tasks and full synchronization
tasks in automatic mode, so that the task is run automatically at specified
time intervals. Alternatively, you can run a link task manually. For more
information on link tasks, see “Incremental Synchronizations” on page 41
and “Full Synchronizations” on page 42.
Important Note: When you run a synchronization task, any locked record in
an endpoint is not synchronized. You can check the report at the end of a
synchronization task run to determine if any records were not
not synchronized because it was locked during the run, you can update it
by:
➤ Running an incremental synchronization task after the record is
see “Incremental Synchronizations” on page 41.
➤ Resetting the time stamp. For more information, see “Resetting a Link”
on page 100.
synchronization tasks, see “Full Synchronizations” on page 42.
This section contains the following topics:
➤ “Running Link Tasks in Automatic Mode” on page 89
➤ “Running Link Tasks Manually” on page 91
Running Link Tasks in Automatic Mode
You can run incremental synchronization tasks and full synchronization
tasks in automatic mode. The task is run at time intervals you specify in the
Scheduling tab. This is useful when there are regular changes to the data you
want to synchronize.
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The Synchronizer can run only one task at a time for a particular
synchronization link. The Synchronizer resolves possible conflicts between
tasks using the following rules:
➤ If a task is already running for a link and the scheduled time for a second
task of a different type arrives, the second task waits in a queue and runs
immediately upon completion of the first task. If the second task is of the
same type, for example if they are both incremental synchronization tasks,
the second task does not run at all.
➤ If both an incremental synchronization task and a full synchronization task
for the same link are scheduled for the same time, the full synchronization
task runs before the incremental synchronization task. The incremental
synchronization task enters a queue and runs upon completion of the full
synchronization task.
The Synchronizer can run one full synchronization task or five incremental
synchronization tasks from different links simultaneously. If the scheduled
time for an additional task arrives when the maximum number of tasks is
already running, the additional task waits in a queue. When a task that is
currently running completes, the additional task runs.
To run a link task in automatic mode:
integrity checks, see “Integrity Checks” on page 37. For information on
running an integrity check, see “Running Link Tasks Manually” on page 91.
2 Ensure that the task is set to run in automatic mode in the Scheduling tab.
“Editing Synchronization Link Settings” on page 99. For more information
on available settings for running tasks automatically, see “Setting
Scheduling Options” on page 54.
3 Ensure that the link is enabled. For more information on enabling links, see
“Enabling and Disabling Synchronization Links” on page 102.
4 If a task is currently running for a link, a green arrow is added to the link’s
icon
in the Links list. To verify that the information displayed is current,
click the Refresh Selected button or click the down arrow and select Refresh
Selected.
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To monitor the progress of a task that is currently running, in the Links list,
right-click the link on which the task is running and click View Run. The
task’s progress is displayed in the Execution pane. For more information on
viewing and managing a task’s progress in the Execution pane, see “Running
Link Tasks Manually” on page 91.
Running Link Tasks Manually
You can run a link task manually.
Note: The maximum number of concurrent tasks that can run manually or
in automatic mode are as follows:
➤ Only one task can run at a time for a particular synchronization link.
➤ One full synchronization task or five incremental synchronization tasks
from different links can run concurrently.
If the maximum number of tasks are already running, the link task does not
To run a link task manually:
1 Ensure that the link is enabled. For more information on enabling links, see
“Enabling and Disabling Synchronization Links” on page 102.
2 In the Links list or Links Grid, perform one of the following actions:
➤ To run an integrity check task, select the link on which you want to run
the task. Choose Run Task > Run Integrity Check or click the Run button
and choose Integrity Check.
➤ To run an incremental synchronization task, select the link on which you
want to run the task. Choose Run Task > Run Incremental
Synchronization or click the Run button and choose Incremental
Synchronization.
➤ To run a full synchronization task, select the link on which you want to
run the task. Choose Run Task > Run Full Synchronization or click the
Run button and choose Full Synchronization.
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The task starts running in the Execution pane.
3 If the Auto Refresh check box is selected, the client periodically samples the
information messages generated by the server as the task progresses and
displays them in the Execution pane. To prevent the automatic display of
these information messages, clear the Auto Refresh check box.
4 If the Auto Refresh check box is not selected, you can click the Refresh
Progress button at any stage during the execution of the task to display the
next information message on the task’s progress.
5 At any stage during the execution of the task, you can click the Cancel
Current Task button to cancel the execution of the task.
6 When the task has finished running, you can click the View Report button
to view a report summarizing the task run. For more information on
viewing reports, see “Viewing Task Run Reports” on page 95.
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Viewing Task Run History
You can view the history of the tasks run for a link. For each task run, you
can view a report detailing the progress of the task.
To view task run history:
1 In the Links list, select a link.
2 In the General tab, under State Details, click the Get History button for the
type of task for which you want to view run history. The Run History dialog
box opens.
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The task run details for the link are displayed in a grid, which contains the
following columns:
Column
Run ID
Description
A unique identification number for the task run, assigned by
the Synchronizer.
State
The final status of the task run.
Possible statuses:
➤ Passed. Either all records synchronized successfully, or there
were no changed records to be synchronized.
➤ Failed. No records synchronized successfully.
➤ Passed with errors. At least one record synchronized
successfully. (Not relevant for integrity check task runs.)
➤ Error. System error occurred preventing synchronization.
➤ Cancelled. User cancelled synchronization task.
Start Time
Report
The date and time at which the task started running.
The date and time at which the task finished running.
Enables you to view a report for the task run.
3 To view a report for a task run, click the View Report button for the task run.
For more information on viewing task run reports, see “Viewing Task Run
Reports” on page 95.
4 To sort the grid by the data in a particular column, click the column header.
Click the column header again to switch between sorting the data in
ascending order and sorting the data in descending order.
5 Click Close to close the Run History dialog box.
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Viewing Task Run Reports
To view a task run report:
1 Open the task report using one of the following methods:
➤ You can view a report for a task run in the Execution pane. For more
information, see “Running Link Tasks” on page 89.
➤ You can also view a report for a previous task run. For more information,
see “Viewing Task Run History” on page 93.
The task report opens.
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The report contains the following details:
Section
Description
Report For Link
Status
The name of the synchronization link for which the task ran.
The final status of the task run.
Possible statuses:
➤ Passed. Either all records synchronized successfully, or
there were no changed records to be synchronized.
➤ Failed. No records synchronized successfully.
➤ Passed with errors. At least one record synchronized
successfully. (Not relevant for integrity check task runs.)
➤ Error. System error occurred preventing synchronization.
➤ Cancelled. User cancelled synchronization task.
Run ID
A unique identification number for the task run, assigned by
the Synchronizer.
Run Type
The type of link task.
Run Start Time
Run End Time
Summary
The time the execution of the task started.
The time the execution of the task finished.
A summary of the following task run information, dependent
on the type of task run:
➤ Integrity check. The number of checks passed, passed
with warning and failed.
➤ Incremental synchronization and full synchronization.
A list of the number of records created, updated, and
deleted in each endpoint and the number of records
that the Synchronizer failed to synchronize.
Configuration
Basic connection information about the two endpoints in
the link.
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Section
Description
General checks
(integrity check
task only)
Lists the general checks performed on each endpoint. For a
list of the general checks performed during an integrity
check, see “Checks Performed on General Link Settings” on
page 38.
Field mapping
checks (integrity
check task only)
Lists the field mapping checks performed on each endpoint.
For a list of the field mapping checks performed during an
integrity check, see “Checks Performed on Link Field
Mappings” on page 39.
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2 To view a log file displaying events processed by the Synchronizer server
during the execution of the task, click the View Log link in the bottom left
corner of the report. The log file for the task run opens. The log file can be
useful when tracing errors and problems that occurred during the execution
of the task. For each message, the Synchronizer displays the following
columns:
Column
Description
Time
Level
The time at which the message was generated.
The level of severity of the message. Can have one of the
following values:
➤ ERROR. A warning of a critical problem with the link.
If an error occurs during an integrity check, the integrity
check fails and you cannot run tasks on the link.
If an error occurs during a synchronization task, it may
indicate a general problem with the link, in which case the
synchronization tasks fails. Alternatively, it may indicate a
problem with synchronizing a particular record, in which
case the synchronization passes with errors.
➤ WARN. A warning of an issue of which you should be aware.
If a warning occurs during an integrity check, the integrity
check does not fail, so tasks on the link can run, but it may
cause unexpected results.
If a warning occurs during a synchronization task, it may
indicate that the synchronization had unexpected or
undesired results.
➤ INFO. A message displayed for information only. No action
is necessary.
Category
Message
The category of the message.
The text of the message.
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Editing Synchronization Link Settings
You can edit the settings for a synchronization link.
Note: When you edit the settings for a synchronization link, the link’s state
is changed to Unvalidated. You must enable the link before you can run
synchronization tasks on it. For more information on enabling links, see
“Enabling and Disabling Synchronization Links” on page 102.
To edit synchronization link settings:
1 In the Links list, select the link and click the Edit button. The link details are
made available for editing.
Note: When editing link settings, you must save the new settings before you
can enable the link. For more information on enabling links, see “Enabling
and Disabling Synchronization Links” on page 102.
2 Edit the configuration settings. A red asterisk next to the link’s icon
in
the Links list indicates unsaved changes in that link.
Note: You can edit more than one link simultaneously.
For more information on configuration settings, see Chapter 3, “Creating
Synchronization Links.”
3 To undo all changes, click the Discard Changes button.
4 To save the new configuration settings, click the Save button. Click Yes to
confirm. To run the integrity check, click Yes.
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Resetting a Link
Each synchronization link in the Synchronizer has an associated time
stamp, and each record mapping within a link has a version. The time
stamp represents the time the link was last handled by the Synchronizer.
The version enables the Synchronizer to identify the records that can be
synchronized.
When the Synchronizer runs a synchronization task for a link, it updates the
time stamp for the link at the start of the task’s execution. In addition, when
the Synchronizer handles the successful synchronization of a paired record
mapping, it adds a record containing the versions of each pair of
synchronized records to the database.
The Synchronizer uses the time stamp and versions when it determines
which records to synchronize. In some circumstances, you may want to
override the automatic time stamp and the record version history:
➤ Time stamp. You can override the automatic time stamp and reset the time
stamp to a time prior to the last synchronization. This is useful if there were
issues with the latest synchronization of some records, and you want to
revert to an earlier version of these records so that you can run a
synchronization task again.
➤ Synchronization history. You can perform a complete reset to clear both the
time stamp and the version history for the mapped records. This is useful
when a field mapping changes, and you want to synchronize the mapped
entities as if you created a new link.
Consider carefully the consequences before deciding to reset the time stamp
for a link, and which option to use when resetting it.
Tip: You can sometimes achieve the same outcome as resetting the link’s
time stamp by running a full synchronization task. For more information on
full synchronization tasks, see “Full Synchronizations” on page 42.
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To reset the time stamp for a link or the entire link:
1 In the Links list or Links Grid, select the link and choose Link > Reset or
click the Reset Link button. The Reset Link dialog box opens.
2 Select one of the following options to reset the link:
➤ Reset to specific time stamp. The time stamp for the link resets to a time
you specify. To specify a date, you can click the down arrow and select
from the calendar. You can also manually edit the time and date in the
Reset to specific time stamp box.
➤ Complete link reset. Clears all synchronization version history for
mapped records in addition to completely resetting the time stamp for
this link. Select this option to clear all synchronization history.
3 Click OK to close the Reset Link dialog box. The time stamp is reset in the
Time Stamp field of the Links Grid and General tab.
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Enabling and Disabling Synchronization Links
Each synchronization link can be in one of the following states:
Unvalidated, Disabled, and Enabled. The following table lists these states
and their descriptions. It also lists under what circumstances the link moves
between states.
State
Description
When State Entered When State Left
Unvalidated
The link’s
Upon creation of a
new link or
modification of the
configuration of an
existing link.
configuration
has not been
verified. You
cannot run tasks
for the link.
integrity check. For
more information on
running integrity
checks, see “Running
Link Tasks Manually”
on page 91.
Disabled
Enabled
The link’s
configuration
has been
verified, but you
cannot run tasks
on the link.
Upon successful
completion of an
integrity check, or
manually from
status Enabled.
Manually to status
Enabled, or after
modification of link
configuration to status
Unvalidated.
The link’s
configuration
has been
validated, and
you can run
tasks on the
link.
Manually from
status Disabled.
Manually to status
Disabled, or after
modification of link
configuration to status
Unvalidated.
1 In the Links list or Links Grid, select the link you want to enable.
2 Make sure that the link is in the state Disabled. If the link is in the state
Unvalidated, you must run an integrity check to change its state to
Disabled. For more information on running integrity checks, see “Running
Link Tasks Manually” on page 91.
3 Click the Enable Link button or choose Link > Enable.
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To disable a synchronization link:
1 In the Links list or Links Grid, select the link you want to disable.
2 Click the Disable Link button or choose Link > Disable.
Deleting Synchronization Links
You can delete a link from the Synchronizer database.
Important: Consider carefully before you delete a synchronization link, as
deleting links can have unintended consequences. If you create and run a
synchronization link, run an updated record synchronization, delete the
link, and create the same link again, the next updated record
synchronization you perform duplicates the records in both Quality Center
and your other endpoint.
For example, suppose you synchronized your records so that defects Bug 1
and Bug 2 exist in both your Quality Center project and your other
endpoint. After deleting the synchronization link, creating the same link
again, and performing another record synchronization, Bug 1 and Bug 2 will
each appear twice in both Quality Center and the other endpoint.
To delete a synchronization link:
1 In the Links list or Links Grid, select the link you want to delete and choose
Link > Delete.
2 Click Yes to confirm.
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Automatic Backup of the Quality Center Synchronizer
Database
The Synchronizer database is backed up automatically every eight hours.
Three previous backup files are maintained and then overwritten as new
backups are created.
The backup file is named qcsync_db.backup and is located by default in the
the Synchronizer server. It is recommended that you back up this directory
regularly, or change the default backup location to a network drive that is
regularly backed up, in order to ease data restoration in the event of local
hard disk failure.
For information on changing the default backup location, see “Configuring
the Server Options” on page 108.
Exporting and Importing Link Definitions
You can export the definition of a synchronization link to an XML file. This
enables you to reuse configuration settings for existing links when creating
new links. Exporting the link definition does not export the identity
mapping data for the link. If you want to also export the identity mapping
data, you can export the link data. For more information, see “Exporting
and Importing Link Data” on page 105.
Mappings” on page 66.
This section includes the following topics:
➤ “Exporting Link Definitions” on page 105
➤ “Importing Link Definitions” on page 105
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Exporting Link Definitions
You can export the definition of a synchronization link to an XML file.
To export a link definition:
1 Select Link > Export > Link Configuration Into XML File. The Save As dialog
box opens.
2 In the Open dialog box, in the File name box, type the name of the XML file
to which you want to export the link configuration data.
3 Click Save. The link configuration data is exported to the XML file you
specified.
Importing Link Definitions
You can import the definition of a synchronization link that has been saved
as an XML file.
To import a link definition:
1 Select Link > Create From > Link Configuration XML File. The Open dialog
box opens.
2 In the Open dialog box, select the XML file that defines the link you want to
import.
3 Click Open. A new link is created in the Links Grid based on the settings
defined in the XML file.
Exporting and Importing Link Data
You can export the data for a synchronization link to a .zip file. Both the
configuration data and identity mappings.
This section includes the following topics:
➤ “Exporting Link Data” on page 106
➤ “Importing Link Data” on page 106
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Exporting Link Data
You can export link data to a .zip file. The file is named <link name>.zip and
is located by default in the <Quality Center Synchronizer installation
directory>\backup directory on the Synchronizer server. For information on
changing this location, see “Configuring the Server Options” on page 108.
Note: The name of the exported file is not editable and is based on the name
of the link. If you have already backed up data for the link or a link with the
same name, exporting link data will overwrite the existing backup file.
To export link data:
Select Link > Export > Link Data Into Backup File. The link’s configuration
data and record identity mapping data are exported.
Importing Link Data
You can import previously exported link configuration data and record
identity mapping data.
To import link data:
1 Select Link > Create From > Link Backup File. The Create From Link Backup
File dialog box opens.
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2 In the File name box, type the name of the backup file containing the data
you want to import. This file must be located in the backup directory on the
Synchronizer server. By default, this directory is <Quality Center
Synchronizer installation directory>\backup. For information on changing
this directory, see “Configuring the Server Options” on page 108.
3 Click the Submit button. A new link is created in the Links Grid based on
the settings defined in the XML file included in the .zip file. This link also
includes the imported identity mapping data.
You can configure the Synchronizer client and server options. This section
includes the following topics:
➤ “Configuring the Client Options” on page 107
➤ “Configuring the Server Options” on page 108
Configuring the Client Options
You can configure the options for a local Synchronizer client.
To configure the client options:
1 Choose Tools > Local Client Options. The Local Client Options dialog box
opens.
2 In the Number of runs to display box, type the number of runs you want to
display when viewing the task run history for a synchronization link.
3 Click OK.
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Configuring the Server Options
You can configure the Synchronizer server options. If you enter e-mail
settings, you can specify the e-mail address in the Advanced tab. For more
information, see “Setting Mail Notifications” on page 81.
To configure the server options:
1 Choose Tools > Server Options. The Options For Server dialog box opens.
2 Under Run History, specify the number of days for which you want to keep
the history of tasks run for a synchronization link.
3 Under E-mail Settings, specify the details of the SMTP mail server you want
to use for sending notifications of link task run failures. The following
settings are available:
➤ SMTP Server. The SMTP server host name.
➤ User name. The user name used to connect to the mail server.
➤ Password. The password for the user specified to connect to the mail
server.
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➤ Click the Test button to try sending a test e-mail to an e-mail address.
The Test Mail dialog box opens. Enter a valid address and click Send.
Note: You can determine for each link individually whether to send mail
notifications in the case of task run failure. For more information, see
“Setting Mail Notifications” on page 81.
4 Under Server Backup Location, type the location on the server machine to
which you want to save backup data.
Note: If you choose to save backup data to a network drive not on the server
machine, the user configured to log on as a service must have permissions to
write to the specified location. For more information, see “Installing the
Synchronizer Server” on page 16.
The backup location you specify applies to files created during automatic
backup of the Synchronizer database and files created when you export link
data manually. For more information on automatic backup of the
Synchronizer database, see “Automatic Backup of the Quality Center
Synchronizer Database” on page 104. For more information on exporting
link data, see “Exporting Link Data” on page 106.
5 Click OK.
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Changing the Quality Center Synchronizer Password
You can change the password you use to log in to the Synchronizer server.
To change the Quality Center Synchronizer password:
1 In the Synchronizer client, choose Connection > Change Password. The
Change Password dialog box opens.
2 In the Old password box, type the current password.
3 In the New password box, type the new password.
4 In the Retype password box, retype the new password.
5 Click OK to save your new password. A confirmation message displays and
the Change Password dialog box closes.
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A
Working with Rational ClearQuest
ClearQuest.
➤ Guidelines for Working with Rational ClearQuest on page 111
➤ Quality Center Synchronizer Settings for ClearQuest on page 115
➤ Migrating Links from the Mercury Quality Center Defects Synchronizer for
Rational ClearQuest on page 117
Guidelines for Working with Rational ClearQuest
Before you begin using Quality Center Synchronizer with ClearQuest, make
sure that you follow these guidelines to customize your Quality Center
project and ClearQuest database:
➤ In ClearQuest, the Submitter field and the Submit_date field are given
default values when an entity is created. It is recommended that you map
the corresponding Quality Center fields to these fields to make sure that
them.
➤ ClearQuest’s default configuration imposes restrictions on the permissible
state changes. This may prevent the Synchronizer from being able to
synchronize the defect. For more information, see “Configuring the
Permissible State Changes” on page 112.
111
➤ The Synchronizer cannot mark ClearQuest defects as Duplicate, because
ClearQuest requires the ID of the duplicate defect, which the synchronizer is
not able to supply. For more information, see “Setting ClearQuest Defects as
Duplicate” on page 114.
Configuring the Permissible State Changes
To synchronize records correctly according to the defined field mappings,
Quality Center Synchronizer must be able to move a ClearQuest record from
any state to any other state. However, ClearQuest places restrictions on state
transitions. To enable Quality Center Synchronizer to make the necessary
state transitions, you must add a new state called SyncTmpAction, which
can be moved to and from any other state. Quality Center Synchronizer uses
this state as a temporary state when performing state transitions.
To configure the permissible state changes:
1 Open the ClearQuest Designer. In the Actions screen, add the
SyncTmpAction action name. Set the type to CHANGE_STATE.
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2 In the State Transition Matrix screen, add a new state transition called
SyncTmpState. You must configure it as shown below. In addition, the state
should be assigned to the Complete state type. For more information on
assigning a state to a state type, refer to the ClearQuest documentation.
3 In the Behaviors screen, configure SyncTmpState, ensuring that all fields
except for Headline are configured as optional, as shown in the following
example. The Headline field should be configured as mandatory for all
states, including SyncTmpState.
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4 Check in the schema and upgrade the database.
Setting ClearQuest Defects as Duplicate
Quality Center Synchronizer cannot set the state of ClearQuest defects to
Duplicate as ClearQuest requires the ID of the defect which is being
duplicated to set the state of a defect to Duplicate. Quality Center
Synchronizer is not able to determine from the Quality Center defect which
defect is being duplicated.
To enable the Synchronizer to set the state of a ClearQuest defect to
Duplicate, you must create a new state of type CHANGE_STATE and map
defects to this state rather than to Duplicate.
To create a new state for mapping duplicate defects:
1 Open the ClearQuest Designer.
2 In the Actions window, add a new state, for example, TD_Duplicate.
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3 In the State Transition Matrix window, add and configure the state
transition for the new state as shown in the image below. In addition, the
state should be assigned to the Complete state type. For more information
on assigning a state to a state type, refer to the ClearQuest documentation.
4 Check in the schema and upgrade the database.
5 In Quality Center Synchronizer, map Quality Center defects that represent
duplicates to the state you create instead of to the state Duplicate.
specific to working with ClearQuest. This section includes the following
topics:
➤ “ClearQuest Connection Properties” on page 116
➤ “ClearQuest Mandatory and Recommended Fields” on page 116
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ClearQuest Connection Properties
The following settings are available when connecting to a ClearQuest
endpoint. For more information on defining the connection settings to
endpoints, see “Creating Links” on page 45.
➤ User name. The user name for a ClearQuest user. This user must have one or
more of the following event permissions: defect creation, defect
modification, and defect deletion. The permissions needed depend on the
event options defined in the Events tab.
➤ Password. The password for the user you specified.
➤ Database. The ClearQuest user database that contains the data you want to
synchronize with Quality Center.
➤ SchemaRepository. The schema repository containing the schema for the
type of ClearQuest entity you want to synchronize.
ClearQuest Mandatory and Recommended Fields
Quality Center Synchronizer assigns one of the following levels to each
field: Mandatory, Recommended, and Optional. For a ClearQuest endpoint,
Quality Center Synchronizer assigns the level as follows:
➤ Mandatory. The field is required for records in the Submitted state.
➤ Recommended. The field is not required for records in the Submitted state,
but is required for records of some other state.
➤ Optional. The field is not required for records in any state.
Important: When you create a record in ClearQuest with a particular state,
you must assign values to all fields that are required for that state.
Quality Center Synchronizer can create records in ClearQuest in any state,
even without assigning values to all required fields for the state. However, to
avoid the creation of records in ClearQuest that do not have values for all
required fields, it is highly recommended that you map all Recommended
fields in ClearQuest to fields in Quality Center.
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Migrating Links from the Mercury Quality Center
Defects Synchronizer for Rational ClearQuest
If you created links for the Mercury Quality Center Defects Synchronizer for
Rational ClearQuest (the ClearQuest Synchronizer), used with
Synchronizer using the ClearQuest Synchronizer Migration Tool.
The ClearQuest Synchronizer Migration Tool creates a compressed (.zip) file,
which you can import into Quality Center Synchronizer in the same way as
you import exported link data. For more information on importing link
data, see “Importing Link Data” on page 106.
The resulting .zip file contains two XML files:
➤ An XML file containing configuration data for the link, such as field
mapping data and link execution scheduling data.
scanning the identity mapping data stored for the old link, stored in the
This section includes the following topics:
➤ “Migration Notes and Limitations” on page 118
➤ “Migrating Links” on page 120
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Appendix A • Working with Rational ClearQuest
Migration Notes and Limitations
The following notes and limitations apply when you migrate links to
Quality Center Synchronizer from the ClearQuest Synchronizer using the
ClearQuest Synchronizer Migration Tool:
➤ You must run the ClearQuest Synchronizer Migration Tool on the same
machine as the ClearQuest Synchronizer is installed.
➤ You should not make any changes in the ClearQuest and Quality Center
projects included in a ClearQuest link between the time of the last
synchronization using the ClearQuest Synchronizer and the first
synchronization using Quality Center Synchronizer.
➤ Scheduling data from the ClearQuest Synchronizer link is migrated to
Quality Center Synchronizer. However, when you import the link into
Quality Center Synchronizer, the link is assigned to run manually only. To
run the link automatically, you must edit the link’s settings. For more
information on editing settings for a link see “Editing Synchronization Link
Settings” on page 99.
➤ Only the first e-mail notification address for the ClearQuest Synchronizer
link is migrated to Quality Center Synchronizer.
➤ The option to ignore HTML formatting from the ClearQuest Synchronizer
link is not migrated to Quality Center Synchronizer.
➤ Mappings between ClearQuest multi-line string fields and multi-value fields,
and the Quality Center Description field are not migrated to Quality Center
Synchronizer. For example, mappings from the Notes_Log, Keywords,
Note_Entry, and Symptoms fields are not migrated. You must recreate
equivalent mappings in Quality Center Synchronizer.
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➤ During the migration process, the ClearQuest Synchronizer Migration Tool
performs a full scan on both the endpoints of the ClearQuest Synchronizer
link to determine which identity mappings are found on each endpoint.
The ClearQuest Synchronizer Migration Tool deals with the identity
mappings it finds as follows:
➤ If the ClearQuest Synchronizer Migration Tool finds an identity mapping
recorded on both endpoints, the mapping is included in the identity
mapping XML file.
➤ If the ClearQuest Synchronizer Migration Tool finds duplicate mappings
in an endpoint to a record in the other endpoint, it checks which of the
mappings is consistent with the data in the second endpoint and
includes only this mapping in the identity mapping XML file. It ignores
the mapping that is inconsistent with the data in the second endpoint
and writes a warning message to the migration log file.
For example, suppose that ClearQuest defects with ID 10 and 20 both
have the value 100 for the TD_ID field, which indicates that both these
defects are mapped to the Quality Center defect with ID 100. If the
Quality Center defect with ID 100 has value 20 for the CQ_ID field, the
ClearQuest Synchronizer Migration Tool infers that the correct mapping
is the mapping to the ClearQuest defect with ID 20, and includes only
this mapping in the migration.
➤ If the ClearQuest Synchronizer Migration Tool finds an identity mapping
recorded on only one endpoint, the mapping is included in the identity
mapping XML file, but a warning message is included in the migration
log file. Quality Center Synchronizer infers that the second record in the
mapping (on which the mapping is not recorded) was deleted and
handles the record as it would for regular deleted records.
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Migrating Links
You can migrate links from the Mercury Quality Center Defects
Synchronizer for Rational ClearQuest.
To migrate a link:
1 Run the CQSynchMigrator.exe file, located on the Quality Center
Synchronizer client machine under <Quality Center Synchronizer Client>
\CQSynchMigrator. The ClearQuest Synchronizer Migration Tool opens.
2 In the Choose link to migrate box, select the ClearQuest Synchronizer link
that you want to migrate to Quality Center Synchronizer.
3 In the Migrate link data into box, type the name of the file to which you
want the link data to be migrated. You can click the browse button to select
a location.
4 Click the Migrate link data button. The migration process begins. At the end
of the migration process, a confirmation messages displays.
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B
Working with Rational RequisitePro
requirements between Quality Center and Rational RequisitePro.
This appendix includes:
➤ Guidelines for Working with Rational RequisitePro on page 121
➤ RequisitePro Connection Properties on page 122
➤ Migrating to the Quality Center Synchronizer on page 123
Guidelines for Working with Rational RequisitePro
When working with the Synchronizer, make sure that you follow these
guidelines:
➤ Record creation will fail during synchronization if you use the following
characters when naming a requirement in Quality Center, or when naming
a project, package, or requirement in RequisitePro: \ ^ * “ : ‘
➤ For synchronization with a RequisitePro project located on a network drive,
the user configured to log on as a service for the Synchronizer must have
permissions to access the network location.
➤ In Quality Center, if you want to move a requirement and make it a child of
another requirement, make sure that you move it under a requirement of
the same type. This is required because RequisitePro does not allow you to
place a requirement of one type under a requirement of another type.
➤ RequisitePro Real, Time, and Userlist type fields are defined as String type in
Synchronizer field mappings.
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➤ When synchronizing requirements, Quality Center adds the RequisitePro
prefix tag as part of the requirement name.
➤ When synchronizing requirements, if a RequisitePro Name field is empty,
the Synchronizer uses the first 128 characters of the RequisitePro Text field
instead. In addition, if the Name field contains any of the following
characters, the Synchronizer replaces them with the underscore character:
\ ^ * “ : ‘
RequisitePro Connection Properties
The following settings are available when connecting to a RequisitePro
endpoint. For more information on defining the connection settings to
endpoints, see “Creating Links” on page 45.
➤ User name. The user name for a RequisitePro user. This user must have one
or more of the following event permissions: requirement creation,
requirement modification, and requirement deletion. The permissions
needed depend on the event options defined in the Events tab.
➤ Password. The password for the user you specified.
➤ Project. The name of the project whose data you want to synchronize. The
project must exist on the RequisitePro client machine. The project must also
be visible for the user configured to log on to the Synchronizer as a service.
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Migrating to the Quality Center Synchronizer
You use the Requirements Restore Tool to migrate from the Quality Center
Requirements Synchronizer for Rational RequisitePro to the latest version of
the Quality Center Synchronizer. The Requirements Restore Tool can be
used with Quality Center 9.2 and later.
navigate to “What’s New for Rational RequisitePro Users”.
This section includes the following topics:
➤ “Overview of the Migration Process” on page 123
➤ “Instructions for Migrating” on page 125
Overview of the Migration Process
Migrating to the latest version of the Quality Center Synchronizer consists
of the following steps:
➤ Run a full synchronization using the Quality Center Requirements
Synchronizer for Rational RequisitePro. Run a full synchronization using
the Quality Center Requirements Synchronizer for Rational RequisitePro 9.0
to ensure that all requirements are up to date.
➤ Back up requirements in Quality Center. Create a backup of the
requirements that you synchronized using the Quality Center Requirements
Synchronizer for Rational RequisitePro by renaming the top-level
requirement.
➤ Create a new synchronization link using the Quality Center Synchronizer.
Create a synchronization link for the requirements you want to synchronize
between RequisitePro and Quality Center.
➤ Run a full synchronization using the Quality Center Synchronizer. Run a full
synchronization task for the new link you created. Verify that all
requirements are recreated in Quality Center.
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➤ Run the Requirements Restore Tool. Requirements in Quality Center can
contain additional data that does not exist in corresponding requirements
in RequisitePro. When you run the new synchronization link to recreate
requirements in Quality Center, that data is absent, and needs to be restored
from the requirements you backed up.
The following data is restored by the Requirements Restore Tool to the
newly created requirements in Quality Center:
➤ Associations between other requirements, defects, and tests. Coverage
status is then automatically updated.
➤ Attachments.
➤ Target Cycle and Target Release fields.
The following data is not restored:
➤ History.
➤ Rich text.
➤ When you run the new Quality Center Synchronizer link, each
requirement is created with a new Req ID. Links to the backed up
requirements that were created using the Copy URL function and filters
based on the Req ID field will no longer work.
➤ Quality Center fields that were not previously synchronized, such as risk
based testing fields and user-defined fields.
Note: If you have Quality Center fields that are not synchronized by the
Quality Center Requirements Synchronizer for Rational RequisitePro,
such as risk-based testing and user-defined fields, the fields will no longer
available after restoration unless you do the following:
Before you run the full synchronization using the Quality Center
Requirements Synchronizer for Rational RequisitePro in step 1 of the
migration process (described on page 125), you need to add mappings for
these fields to the RequisitePro Synchronizer task. You map the fields in
the new Quality Center Synchronizer link you create in step 3 (described
on page 126). After the restoration process is complete, you can delete
the field mappings from your Quality Center Synchronizer link.
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Instructions for Migrating
This section describes how to migrate from the Quality Center Requirements
Synchronizer for Rational RequisitePro to Quality Center Synchronizer
version 1.20.
To migrate to the new Quality Center Synchronizer:
1 Open the Quality Center Requirements Synchronizer for Rational
RequisitePro 9.0 and run a full synchronization for each task in your
RequisitePro project.
Note: After synchronizing, do not make any changes to the requirements
tree structure in RequisitePro or Quality Center.
2 In Quality Center, in the Requirements module, rename the top-level
requirement containing the requirements for the RequisitePro project you
synchronized. This becomes the backup folder. For example, in the
following illustration, you can rename Project 1 to BACKUP: Project 1.
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Note: Do not copy the requirements. The requirements must be renamed or
moved to maintain associations between other requirements, defects, and
tests.
3 Using Quality Center Synchronizer, create a requirements synchronization
link.
4 Using Quality Center Synchronizer, run a full synchronization task for the
link you created. Verify that all the requirements are created in Quality
Center.
For example, in the following illustration, the Requirements Tree now
displays Project 1, containing the requirements synchronized using
Quality Center Synchronizer. BACKUP: Project 1 contains the requirements
synchronized using Quality Center Requirements Synchronizer for Rational
RequisitePro.
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5 Run the QCRequirementsRestoreTool.exe file. The Quality Center
Requirements Restore Tool dialog box opens.
6 Under Quality Center Connection, click Set to specify login information for
connecting to Quality Center. The Quality Center Connection dialog box
opens.
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7 In the Server URL box, type the URL for the Quality Center server in the
following format: http://<Quality Center server name>[<:port number>]/qcbin.
Click Connect. The Authenticate Quality Center User options are enabled.
8 In the Login Name box, type the user name for a Quality Center user. In the
Password box, type the Quality Center password for the user. Click
Authenticate. The Log in to Quality Center Project options are enabled.
you are synchronizing requirements and click Login.
10 Click OK to close the Quality Center Connection dialog box.
folder location, type the path of the Quality Center backup folder you
defined in step 2.
12 Under New folder location, type the path of the folder containing the
requirements synchronized using the new Quality Center Synchronizer link
in step 3.
13 Click Analyze to verify that each requirement in the backup folder has a
corresponding requirement in the new folder. The Requirements Restore
Tool Process dialog box opens and displays progress. When the process
completes, click View Log to view the log file. If hierarchical inconsistencies
occur, you must manually fix them in the backup folder you defined in
step 2.
14 Click Restore to run the Requirements Restore Tool process and restore
requirements data. The Requirements Restore Tool Process dialog box opens
and displays progress. When the process completes, click View Log to view
the log file, or Close to close the Requirements Restore Tool Process dialog
box.
Note: If restoration fails, you can resolve any issues and then run Restore
again to complete the process.
15 To access the log files created by the Analyze and Restore processes, from the
Quality Center Requirements Restore Tool dialog box, select File > Log
Directory.
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16 Click Close to close the Requirements Restore Tool.
17 After running the Requirements Restore Tool, associations to the backed up
requirements remain. Verify that all requirements are synchronized and all
associations are restored and then delete the back up folder.
Note: If you delete the backup folder, the history, rich text, and any
additional data that was not restored will no longer be available.
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