CCC/Harvest is a comprehensive change and configuration management solution that synchronizes change activities on heterogeneous platforms. The CCC/Harvest 4.0 release has new and exciting enhancements such as the Harvest Explorer. The Harvest Explorer provides users with a more intuitive way of executing day-to-day configuration management tasks.

Release Information

Supported Systems:

• Sun Solaris 2.5x or 2.6 server or client
• IBM RS/6000 AIX 4.1.5 or above server or client
• HP9000 700 series HP-UX 10.20 or above server or client
• HP9000 800 series HP-UX 10.20 or above server or client
• HP9000 700 series HP-UX 9.x client
• HP9000 800 series HP-UX 9.x client
• SunOS 4.1.x server or client
• DEC Alpha OSF/1 4.0x server or client
• Silicon Graphics IRIX 6.2 client
• DEC Alpha NT 4.0 client
• Intel-based PC: Windows NT 3.5.1 or 4.0 server or client
• Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows 3.11 clients
• OS/2 3.0 or 4.0 client Available:
  September 1998
  
  OVERVIEW
  The 4.0 release of CCC/Harvest provides enhancements and new functionality to help you more easily manage your day-to-day configuration management (CM) activities.
  
  The most significant new feature available with this release is our new user interface, the Harvest Explorer. Based on the Microsoft Windows Explorer, the Harvest Explorer provides users with a more intuitive way of executing day-to-day CM tasks. In addition to the Harvest Explorer and other new features, many other aspects of CCC/Harvest have also been improved, including:
• Reporting
• Added Command-Line functionality
• New Life Cycle Models
• Support for multi-site concurrent development
• Added functionality to CCC/Harvest Version Control Interface
• New and enhanced functionality to CCC/Harvest Software Integration Kit
• Interactive Merge
• Upgrade to Oracle 7.3.4 ENHANCEMENTS AND NEW FEATURES
  
  New User Interface
  The Harvest Explorer facilitates faster, more efficient navigation through environments and states, expands version control capability, enhances relationship visibility, and accommodates advanced usage. It does so by combining ease of use and a familiar look and feel with the power to execute day-to-day configuration management operations. The Harvest Explorer, which has a similar look and feel to the Microsoft Windows 95/NT Explorer, benefits both new and advanced CCC/Harvest users because it does not require a great deal of training to navigate through the product features and functionality, and it retains the same icon representations used in previous releases.
  
  Because the Harvest Explorer was designed to complement, not replace the Workbench, for PC developers, all users still have the option of using the Workbench. The Harvest Explorer is available on Windows NT and Windows 95 only. The Harvest Explorer supports the following new functionality:
  
• Split window- Navigation through CCC/Harvest environments and states is simplified by the Harvest Explorer. It features a tree view in the left pane, a list view in the right pane, and a log view in the bottom pane. When an environment or state is selected in the tree view, the contents of that environment or state are displayed in the list view. Users can display data and analyze relationships between items, packages, users, user groups, and versions in the environments to which they have access. When processes are executed, the output of the process can be viewed in the log view, which occupies the bottom portion of the Harvest Explorer.
  
  
• Version Association- When users select a package in the tree view, they can display the versions associated with that package in the list view. Each version associated with the package contains such information as the version status, the file date and time, the user who modified the version last, and the date the file was last modified. This information is presented clearly and concisely, which allows developers to see the most pertinent information and analyze data more efficiently.
  
  
• Drag and drop- The checkout process now supports drag and drop check in from Windows 95/NT Explorer.
  
  
• Right click to execute processes and see object properties- Users can right click on an object to obtain that object's properties. Right clicking on a package enables users with sufficient permission to change the package properties or execute available processes against the selected package.
  
  
• Multiple representations of data- Users can switch between large icons, small icons, a list display, and a detail display.
  
  
• Column-based sorting- Clicking on the list heading in the list view sorts the items from ascending to descending order. Clicking on the list heading again reverses the order. Sorting is appropriate for the data type in that column.
  
  
• Useful shortcuts- Users can save their working context, they can save contexts to a desktop shortcut icon, and they can access any of their last four saved contexts with just one click of the mouse.
  
  
• Better usage of roots- CCC/Harvest Explorer uses the concept of roots for checking files in and out. Previously, these roots (called anchors) were set on the Workbench, before process execution. In Harvest Explorer, roots can be set before or during process execution, providing more flexibility. There are even options in Harvest Explorer that allow you to override existing roots. Harvest Reports
  With the release of CCC/Harvest 4.0 comes a powerful new reporting tool based on PLATINUM InfoReports that specifically addresses critical developer needs. HTML format reports are generated based on the object selected and the variables entered either at process definition or run-time.
  
  Reports are available for the following Harvest objects: environments, states, packages, package groups, forms, users, user groups, and items. Some of the reports available are:
  
  
• Access- These reports provide access information for user groups, objects, and environments. These reports show which users and user groups have access to execute various functions in an environment.
  
  
• Version control- These reports list items by version, items currently checked out, unmerged branches, and items modified by user. They also include information about file size and date stamp.
  
  
• Package based- These reports list items modified by packages, packages by state, elapsed time a package has been in a state, and the history of a package. They also give information about packages and their associated forms (like severity, bug, enhancement, and assigned developer). New Life Cycle Models
  Electronic Software Distribution- This new lifecycle model is created to work with distribution products such as PLATINUM AutoXfer. This model allows ESD changes to be initiated, documented, notified, tracked, approved, and promoted through the life cycle. CCC/Harvest is used to manage the changes made to Server and Desktop File Packages. The whole ESD 'package' for an application (i.e. Netscape) is checked in to CCC/Harvest. This package consists of: Export Definitions, Configuration information, Application files, FilePackage, and Before/After scripts.
  
  HelpDesk Integration- This new life cycle model is tailored to share data with help desk applications such as PLATINUM AutoAnswer. Along with the new life cycle, there is also a new "Defect Tracking" form, which contains many of the important fields that are relevant to a help desk or defect tracking tool. Using CCC/Harvest command-line utilities you can create a package and associated Defect Tracking form and populate the form fields with much of the data in a help desk or defect tracking tool. PLATINUM AutoAnswer can provide an interface that automatically executes these actions when a form is created in their defect model.
  
  Packaged Application Change Management- This model allows changes to be initiated, documented, tracked, approved, and promoted through the life cycle, with key users being notified at specific points. The changes move through a series of eight states, the rapidity of which depends on the risk and complexity of the change. This model is designed for use with packaged applications such as PeopleSoft, SAP, and Oracle Financials.
  
  Multi-Site Concurrent Development
  The CCC/Harvest Multi-Site Concurrent Development utility enables software development groups in different locations to synchronize the items in their development environments, enabling them to work on essentially the same code. Items can be modified in either location and are then synchronized by exporting the modified items from one location and importing them into the recipient location. If any collisions occur (i.e., an item was modified at both sites at the same time), the item can be interactively merged into the recipient repository. This utility is very useful for multiple development sites that need to work on the same projects, but that are not networked together.
  
  CCC/Harvest Openmake
  CCC/Harvest Openmake is a standalone tool that organizes and navigates the software build process so every executable is built the same way, every time. Regardless of the compiler used by a developer, the need for creating make files and build scripts remains the same. CCC/Harvest Openmake provides a means to automate the creation of make files and build scripts.
  
  By integrating CCC/Harvest Openmake into the application development process, developers will no longer be required to hard code make files, struggle with compile and link flags or incorrectly define their unique build environment. Key features of CCC/Harvest Openmake include:
  
  Impact analysis reporting. With the use of CCC/Harvest Openmake, the impact analysis process becomes a regular part of the system build. Code checking occurs automatically so that all out of date modules are identified and re-built. CCC/Harvest Openmake eliminates surprise production problems caused by a lack of thorough impact analysis.
  
  Parallel and distributed builds. CCC/Harvest Openmake performs system builds using multiple processes in parallel on a single machine or distributed across several machines. CCC/Harvest Openmake completes systems builds in a fraction of the time required by manual builds.
  
  Cross-platform builds. Many development organizations today maintain client/server applications that span multiple physical platforms and in most cases the client and server code is built on different machines under different operating systems. CCC/Harvest Openmake ensures that the build of both components is synchronized completing a System Build on both platforms in a single pass.
  
  Standardize compile and link flags. When developers begin reusing common components and running what were once disparate individual modules as an integrated application, incompatible compile and link flags become a common problem. CCC/Harvest Openmake eliminates this problem by standardizing the compile and link flags from the first day of development.
  
  Controlled build environment. CCC/Harvest Openmake provides a controlled build environment ensuring that the versioned source code libraries are used during the production and/or QA builds. CCC/Harvest Openmake's controlled build environment also assists developers while integrating common code during unit compiles.
  
  Expanded Platform Support
  CCC/Harvest now supports Silicon Graphics IRIX, DEC Alpha NT, Windows 98, and OS/2 4.0 clients.
  
  Command-Line Concurrent Merge
  The concurrent merge process is now available from the command-line.
  
  Version Control Interface (VCI)
  A new dialog box was created that allows users to create new directories in the repository.
  
  Software Integration Kit (SIK)
  SIK has been greatly improved in this release. New function groups were created and some existing function groups were enhanced. Pre-links have been added for all processes, and an API was created for loading system variables for UDP processes. The following new function groups were created:
  
• Concurrent Merge Operations
• Cross-Environment Operations
• Notify Operations
• UDP Operations The following function groups were enhanced either by the creation of new calls or by added functionality to existing calls:
  
• Hcontext- hcontextSetConcurrentMergeProcessName, hcontextSetCrossEnvironmentMergeProcessName, hcontextSetNotifyProcessName, and hcontextSetUdpProcessName
  
  
• Version Chooser Operations- hvchsrExecuteClose, hvchsrExecuteFirst, hvchsrExecuteNext, and hvchsrSetDateFilter
  
  
• HSQL- hsqlClose, hsqlFirst, and hsqlNext Oracle Runtime Upgrade
  Oracle RDBMS Runtime has been upgraded to version 7.3.4 to incorporate the latest Oracle 7 patches.
  
  Enhanced Processes
  
• Users can highlight a variable such as a package or environment, run a UDP, and have the value of the variable get passed into the UDP automatically.
  
  
• The maximum number of user groups has been increased to 300.
  
  
• Interactive Merge now supports pre- and post-linked processes.
  
  
• An "Auto Jump" feature has been added to the Interactive Merge process on the Workbench. When enabled, Auto-Jump automatically moves you to the next unresolved conflict after resolving each conflict.
  
  
• On the Harvest Explorer, the Interactive Merge has an Auto Merge feature that automatically resolves conflicts that involve blank lines. When enabled, Auto Merge automatically resolves conflicts with blank lines. When a conflict involves blank lines, the lines from the version that does not have the blank lines are selected.
  
  
• The merge conflicts window is broken into three color-coded panes: the final pane, represented in blue text, includes selected lines and represents the final merged version of the file; the left pane, represented in red text, contains the trunk version; the right pane, represented in green text, contains the merged version of the file. Synchronized scrolling allows you to move more easily through the files being merged.
  
  
• The name "Process Viewer" has been changed to "Life Cycle Viewer" to better describe the purpose of the function.