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IBM Configuration Management Version Control
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<h2 id="architecture">Architecture</h2> <ul><li>This was a client-server based system, with command-line and graphical clients for several platforms and servers available for several flavors of Unix.</li> <li>A relational database was used to keep tracking information but a separate Source Control Manager such as <a href="/facts/Source_Code_Control_System/v85GIeBx">Source Code Control System</a> (SCCS) or PVCS was used to maintain version history for each file. The filenames for these files are actually stored in the relational database - as a result, filenames in the SCCS tree are numeric ids.</li></ul> <h2 id="concepts">Concepts</h2> <ul><li>Files are created and associated with Components.</li> <li>Components form a directed graph where each Component can have several parents. Components are a logical grouping mechanism allowing Files to be grouped together without regard to their physical pathnames (unlike directories or folders which lie on the path).</li> <li>Permissions can be given at the Component level, allowing for distributed administration. The permission to give other permissions can be granted.</li> <li>A Release was a set of files with a common root. Releases could share files with other releases. The sharing could be defined to follow the latest version (sometimes called "tip") or a specific version within the release. This was called "linking".</li> <li>A Level is a snapshot of all files. Similar to a "tag" in other source control systems - but with a twist. If the Release is in "binding mode" (most commonly used), the Levels contain only the files referenced by the LevelMembers (Defects and Features). As a result, a Level only contains changes (file versions) that are approved and not just the latest file versions in the repository.</li></ul> <h2 id="features">Features</h2> <ul><li>Defect tracking was integrated into the source control system.</li> <li>Ability to configure a repository to require defects to be associated with every file check-in.</li> <li>Levels are used to manage sets of defects, allowing managers to think in terms of sets of changes rather than sets of files.</li> <li>Distributed administration allows for delegation of authority. This is particularly useful in large teams.</li> <li>It has the ability to track file histories even after renaming. This is because the filename on disk was a number and the filename in the database could be changed.</li> <li>Files could be shared between source code Releases</li></ul> <h2 id="weaknesses">Weaknesses</h2> <ul><li>Locking used to be the only mechanism for controlling access to files. This was typical for source control systems of that time period but would be considered a major weakness today. The most current implementation has become more robust, allowing concurrent development, conflict resolution and merge.</li> <li>Having a centralized server limits the ability to work in disconnected manner. Although, this is a failing of nearly all remote source control systems unless a local repository is created, giving the illusion of redundancy and source control, which will ultimately require a sync with the remote source control server at some point to submit any deltas.</li></ul> <h2 id="history">History</h2> <p>It was sold and distributed through the mid-late 1990s by the <a href="/facts/IBM/QszA7nwd">International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)</a> and was derived in part from software purchased from HP and from IBM's internal-use-only system, IDSS. </p><p>In the 1990s, this system was used to manage the <a href="/facts/IBM_OS/2/uVBl6ItP">IBM OS/2</a> and <a href="/facts/IBM_AIX/cRWERua2">IBM AIX</a> source code repositories. </p><p>CMVC sales and support terminated some time after <a href="/facts/IBM/QszA7nwd">IBM</a> acquired <a href="/facts/Rational_Software/4CHGNRLY">Rational Software</a>, its functions being superseded by products in the Rational product line (<a href="/facts/Rational_ClearCase/n2A6TAVS">Rational ClearCase</a> and <a href="/facts/Rational_ClearQuest/4CHGNRLY">Rational ClearQuest</a>). However, some customer installations of CMVC remain in use as of 2008<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=IBM_Configuration_Management_Version_Control&action=edit">[update]</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a> </p> <ul><li>Di Grande, Carmine (1994), <i>Did You Say CMVC?</i>, IBM RedBooks</li> <li>Trulsson, Leif (1995), <i>Looking at CMVC From The Customer Perspective</i>, IBM RedBooks</li> <li>Yu, Seong R. (1994), "A versatile development process for small to large projects using IBM CMVC", <i>Proceedings of the 1994 conference of the Centre for Advanced Studies on Collaborative research</i>, IBM Press</li> <li>Bruckhaus, Tilmann (1993), "The impact of inserting a tool into a software process", <i>Proceedings of the 1993 conference of the Centre for Advanced Studies on Collaborative research: software engineering - Volume 1</i></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Rani, Sandhya. Continuous integration setup for IBM System Planning Tool. developerWorks: 07 March 2014. Internet. http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/aix/library/au-system-planning-tool/ <a href="http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/aix/library/au-system-planning-tool/" target="_blank">http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/aix/library/au-system-planning-tool/</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>