IBM Rational Clear Case

ClearCase:
Introduction
ClearCase is multi-dimensional database. True to the database model all interaction with files are performed using database views.
Files and directories are base elements. It got its terminology from Unix.
usage

VOB: versioned object base
09 in the below diagram is folder. The rest are files. Dots represent the history of the file. Filesystem will always have one main stream. look at the dots connected by lines.


Check the below content in Wiki for interesting history of it.....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rational_ClearCase

you can download clearCase from below link
http://www-01.ibm.com/software/awdtools/clearcase/support/download.html

lot of help about clear case and other products is availble at below IBM site
https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/rational/products/clearcase/

Find some interesting discussion on VSTS VS Rational Clear Case in the below link
http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1795308&SiteID=1

You can find more about VSTS in the below link. You can find some interesting real time case studies also.
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/search.aspx?ProTaxID=2671

ClearCase has its origins and words usage common with Eclipse project......To know what is eclipse project check the below link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eclipse_(software)

Just like VSS, ClearCase is also integrated with Visual Studio. It is tightly integrated with other application like NetBeans, Eclipse IDE

Remember to put check-in and check-out comments in Quickbase.

If you compare two .RPT files in ClearCase you will get they are identical even though they are not. Because it compares the compressed binary files.

You can have as many views you want on a stream. Views are called Snapshot Views. These are created at creation time and as the view is updated or files checked in.

There are two categories basically, Base ClearCase, which is like plain Configuration management tool. Second model is UCM (Unified Change Management). In this model you can tie Config Management to project plans.

You can always check how many views you have on a particular stream. Make a clear naming convention to identify who is using that particular view in the stream.

CMMI recommends ClearCase for configuration management.