General Concepts

Data Source

An Enterprise Sync Data Source is representing an external SCM systems. Typical values which have to be associated when describing a Data Source are:

• Information how to access the SCM system (server address, port).
• Required credentials to get access to the SCM system.

Connection

An Enterprise Sync Connection defines two external SCM systems for synchronization by associating two Data Sources to the connection. One Data Source must be defined as the Master and the other as Target.

Normally the mainframe SCM system with the already existing files will be defined as Master within a connection and the distributed SCM system which will receive the files during an initial synchronization will be defined as the Target.

It depends on the specific connection, which rules apply for Master and Target Data Sources. Following are examples which could be implemented:

• In case of conflicts, for example a file is changed in parallel in both SCM systems, the conflict has to be resolved in the target SCM system.
• Deleted files in the target SCM system relevant for synchronizing are not deleted in the master system, but synchronized again from the master to the target system.

At least one Project must be added to a connection (see Project), before the synchronization process can be started.

A synchronization process is enabled by starting a Connection and disabled by stopping a Connection.

A Connector is a software implementation providing access to an external SCM system.

It depends on the specific implementation of a Connector whether the synchronization process is executed based on a configured time interval, for example all 30 minutes, or is executed on demand based on user actions, for example an executed check-in function could trigger the synchronization process for the corresponding files.

Project

Projects are associated to a connection. One project defines a specific synchronization rule, for example:

• Synchronize all production files belonging to the Finance application from the Master Data Source to the Target Data Source.
• Synchronize all files of the Staff application which were added to a Test stage between Master and Target Data Source (bi-directional).

One Project defines unique criteria for identifying assets in the corresponding SCM systems and defines unique mapping rules how to map these assets between both SCM systems.

A project can define a one-directional or a bi-directional synchronization rule, either:

• From Master
• From Target
• Bi-directional

Within a connection, a specific project can be enabled or disabled. If disabled, this project definition is not used for synchronizing assets.