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Administering
Learn how to administer the product.
Administering HCL VersionVault MultiSite
Learn to configure and manage the HCL VersionVault MultiSite environment to support development activities at different locations.
Packet transportation methods and configuration
The method you choose for transporting packets between replicas depends on connectivity. If your replicas do not have IP connectivity, you must use a file-based transport method. If your replicas have connectivity, you can use the store-and-forward facility.
Store-and-forward through a firewall (Linux™ and the UNIX™ system only)
By default, the store-and-forward facility (the shipping server) cannot operate through a firewall. Passing through a firewall is usually accomplished by granting access to specific ports for certain IP addresses. Because the shipping server picks any available port number on the sending and receiving replica hosts to make the connection, there is no single port number (or even small range of port numbers) to which special access can be granted.
Ports used by albd_server and shipping_server
The environment variables CLEARCASE_MIN_PORT and CLEARCASE_MAX_PORT specify the range of port numbers that the albd_server and the shipping server can allocate for communication purposes. When the shipping server needs to assign a port number, it starts with the value of CLEARCASE_MIN_PORT and continues through the range until it reaches CLEARCASE_MAX_PORT. If a port in the range cannot be allocated, the shipping server sleeps and tries the ports again.

Administering
Learn how to administer the product.
- Administering HCL VersionVault
  Learn about performing administrative tasks for an HCL VersionVault community including managing software licenses, user and group accounts, VersionVault server and client hosts, shared data, and the network that connects them.
- Administering platforms for HCL VersionVault
  Learn how to perform HCL VersionVault administrative tasks on supported platforms.
- Administering HCL VersionVault MultiSite
  Learn to configure and manage the HCL VersionVault MultiSite environment to support development activities at different locations.
  - Introduction
    HCL VersionVault MultiSite adds a powerful capability to HCL VersionVault. With MultiSite, developers at different locations can use the same HCL VersionVault versioned object base (VOB). For HCL VersionVault, each location (site) has its own copy (replica) of the VOB. At any time, changes made in one replica can be sent in update packets to other replicas. You can manage replicas by using the command-line tools.
  - MultiSite operation
  - Implementation planning
    Before you install and use HCL VersionVaultHCL Compass MultiSite, you need to plan your implementation.
  - MultiSite command set
    This section summarizes the commands for HCL VersionVault MultiSite and HCL VersionVault that display HCL VersionVault MultiSite information. There are a series of MultiSite commands and API functions that display or modify MultiSite information.
  - Packet transportation methods and configuration
    The method you choose for transporting packets between replicas depends on connectivity. If your replicas do not have IP connectivity, you must use a file-based transport method. If your replicas have connectivity, you can use the store-and-forward facility.
    - File-based methods
      File-based transport methods include electronic mail, ftp, and physical media (like CDs, magnetic tapes, and diskettes).
    - Store-and-forward
      The MultiSite store-and-forward facility (the shipping server) is a file-transfer service that automates the transport phase of replica creation and synchronization. It can handle packets of any size (up to the maximum packet size specified in the shipping.conf file on Linux™ and the UNIX™ system or the MultiSite Control Panel on Windows™), can route files through a series of MultiSite hosts (one hop at a time), and includes support for handling data-communications failures.
    - Store-and-forward through a firewall (Linux™ and the UNIX™ system only)
      By default, the store-and-forward facility (the shipping server) cannot operate through a firewall. Passing through a firewall is usually accomplished by granting access to specific ports for certain IP addresses. Because the shipping server picks any available port number on the sending and receiving replica hosts to make the connection, there is no single port number (or even small range of port numbers) to which special access can be granted.
      - Firewall issues
        Before installing the shipping server on an exposed host, consider that the storage bays may be filled, packets are susceptible to snooping, and other servers can be accessible.
      - Configuring your firewall to limit access
        Specify the ports to which programs can connect and the IP addresses that are allowed to access the firewall. Limiting the allowed port numbers and IP addresses limits the possibility that unauthorized machines can breach the firewall.
      - Shipping server installation on an exposed host
        On Linux® and the UNIX® system, the HCL VersionVault installation includes an option to install only the shipping server software.
      - Ports used by albd_server and shipping_server
        The environment variables CLEARCASE_MIN_PORT and CLEARCASE_MAX_PORT specify the range of port numbers that the albd_server and the shipping server can allocate for communication purposes. When the shipping server needs to assign a port number, it starts with the value of CLEARCASE_MIN_PORT and continues through the range until it reaches CLEARCASE_MAX_PORT. If a port in the range cannot be allocated, the shipping server sleeps and tries the ports again.
      - Specifying port values
        The value range for CLEARCASE_MIN_PORT is 1024 through 65534, and the value range for CLEARCASE_MAX_PORT is 1025 through 65535. The value of CLEARCASE_MAX_PORT must be greater than the value of CLEARCASE_MIN_PORT.
      - Using store-and-forward through a firewall
        There are a series of steps you must follow to use store-and-forward through a firewall.
  - Feature levels
    Feature levels allow different replica hosts in a VOB family to run different versions of HCL VersionVault. You can raise the feature level of either a single replica host or an entire VOB family.
  - Creating VOB replicas
    Before creating a replica, you must make decisions about branching, mastership, identities and permissions preservation, and method of packet delivery.
  - Replica synchronization
    Replica synchronization uses the same export-transport-import procedure that is used during replica creation.
  - Administering replicas
  - Using MultiSite for VOB backup and interoperability
    You can use HCL VersionVault MultiSite to back up a VOB and to provide access to VOBs in a heterogeneous network.
  - Troubleshooting MultiSite operations
    When you encounter a situation where running an HCL VersionVault MultiSite command produces an unexpected result, or produces a warning or error message, the information in this section can assist you in troubleshooting the problem.

Ports used by albd_server and shipping_server

The environment variables CLEARCASE_MIN_PORT and CLEARCASE_MAX_PORT specify the range of port numbers that the albd_server and the shipping server can allocate for communication purposes. When the shipping server needs to assign a port number, it starts with the value of CLEARCASE_MIN_PORT and continues through the range until it reaches CLEARCASE_MAX_PORT. If a port in the range cannot be allocated, the shipping server sleeps and tries the ports again.

When the shipping server on the sending host detects that the port environment variables are set, it tries to use TCP to make the connection with the albd_server on the receiving host. If this connection fails, the shipping server tries UDP. Therefore, if you have TCP connectivity, you do not have to enable UDP or open UDP ports on the exposed host.

Running an individual shipping server does not require more than three ports at a time. When there are multiple requests to be sent, the shipping server forks. Child processes handle individual requests. The shipping server starts no more than 10 child processes (and starts that many only if there are 10 requests to process simultaneously). Due to the delay for port reallocation, a minimum of 30 ports must be available (plus port 371 for albd_server). If there are fewer available ports, it may result in failed attempts, which can be retried later.

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