Phil, We at NC ITS are currently using the 7.5 built-in version control features. We moved to using the AR System built-in features from MS VSS for the following reasons: 1. External integration with VSS is painful. 2. VSS had to be installed on a separate server. 3. VSS databases frequently became corrupted. 4. VSS stored definition file versions. 5. Our primary need is reserving objects.
I've been integrating AR System with VSS since 2002 (ARS version 4.5.x). While it does save versions of definition files, the integration is clumsy. By this, I mean that 1. The VSS database had to be installed on a separate server (since it's an MS product, it doesn't install on Unix/Linux boxes), 2. The VSS client has to be installed on the workstation prior to AR Admin installation, 3. The AR Administrator client has to be installed in such a way that it integrates with the VSS client, 4. During login to the AR Admin client, the user must login to the VSS client, reconnecting network drives, if necessary, 5. The VSS client backs up the definition files, treating each of them as an ASCII text file. 6. Rolling back a version involved retrieving the version from the VSS database and re-importing it to AR System. Undoing Checkout in VSS frequently corrupted the VSS database. Since upgrading to ARS 7.5, we've switched to using the ARS version control, using all of the provided features, Object Reservation, Object Modification Log, & Save Definition Files, in our development and testing environments. We haven't managed to corrupt the version control database--yet. The primary advantages of AR version control that I can see are the ease of integration--it's built-in--and the reservation of related objects. Specifically, if I'm working on HPD:Help Desk and have it reserved, any forms/applications depending on HPD:Help Desk are automatically reserved in an implied manner. I don't have to check out all of Incident Management to prevent possible conflicts. This is a tremendous advantage over VSS, which treated each definition file as a standalone document rather than as a piece of a larger application. I can roll back seamlessly and retrieve definition files from multiple development databases without introducing corruption. We're currently using AR System 7.5 P6, have 5 developers, and have a mildly customized OOB ITSM 7.6 P 3 system running Red Hat Linux 2.6 with Oracle 10g. Jennifer Meyer Remedy Technical Support Specialist State of North Carolina Office of Information Technology Services Service Delivery Division ITSM & ITAM Services Office: 919-754-6543 ITS Service Desk: 919-754-6000 [email protected] http://its.state.nc.us E-mail correspondence to and from this address may be subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties only by an authorized State Official. -----Original Message----- From: Action Request System discussion list(ARSList) [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of bullcreek.com Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2011 6:03 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Version Control in ARSystem? Dear Listers, I have been looking into ways that folks are using any form of Version Control with the ARSystem. I am interested in your feedback as to whether you use the built in version control features that came with 7.5 (or remember that it came out with that version at all), if so what features you use (Object Reservation, Object Modification Log, Save Definition Files); third party products (VSS, Subversion, homegrown - ARSystem Custom App, spreadsheet etc.) or even bother wtih it at all. If you do have feedback I am also interested in the size of the developer staff that you have (1, 2-5, 5-10, 10+), and of course the version of the ARSystem that you are on. Helpful/interesting would be whether you are using OOB Applications (ITSM, or other), Custom, Customized OOB (Highly Customized, Minimally Customized), and versions of applications (yes I do know of people still on HD 4.0, and ITSM 6.0). O/S, DB are not as important from my perspective but versions of third party tools if used are. Looking forward to seeing you in DC! Phil Bautista, WWRUG11 Advisory Board 512-731-0304 http://www.linkedin.com/in/philbautista http://www.wwrug11.com/contact_phil.html _______________________________________________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE or access ARSlist Archives at www.arslist.org attend wwrug11 www.wwrug.com ARSList: "Where the Answers Are" _______________________________________________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE or access ARSlist Archives at www.arslist.org attend wwrug11 www.wwrug.com ARSList: "Where the Answers Are"
