About interoperation between Windows® computers and Linux and UNIX workstations

Snapshot view characteristics and operating system type

For snapshot views, the operating system type from which you create the view determines view characteristics; the operating system type that hosts the files and processes related to a snapshot view do not affect view behavior.

For example, it is possible to create a snapshot view from a Windows® host and locate the view directory tree and the view storage directory on an HCL VersionVault host on Linux or UNIX (assuming that you use vendor software to access Linux or UNIX file systems from Windows® computers). Although all files related to the view are on a Linux or UNIX workstation, because you created the view from a Windows® host, the view behaves as if its files were located on a Windows® computer:

• Case-sensitive file lookups are not performed in the view.
• The view does not create symbolic links if the load rules encounter a VOB symbolic link.
• You can issue HCL VersionVault commands for the view only from Windows® hosts (HCL VersionVault hosts on Linux and UNIX do not recognize the directory tree as a snapshot view).

Creating views across different platforms

Your administrator can set up storage locations on Windows® and Linux or UNIX server hosts. Any snapshot view that you create can use one of these storage locations, regardless of the platform type of the server host. For more information about storage locations, see the mkstgloc reference page in the VersionVault Command Reference.

For a dynamic view, the view storage directory must be located on a host of the same platform type as the host from which you create the view, as follows:

• If you create a dynamic view from a Linux or UNIX host, you must locate the view storage directory on an HCL VersionVault host on Linux or UNIX.
• If you create a dynamic view from a Windows® host, you must locate the view storage directory on a Windows® host that is set up to store view storage directories.

You should locate dynamic view storage directories on the host from which you most often use the view.

Accessing VOBs across platforms of different types

Your administrator sets up VOBs on Windows® or Linux or UNIX hosts and creates VOB tags in each HCL VersionVault network region that needs to access the VOBs. Then, from any HCL VersionVault host on Windows® or on Linux or UNIX, you can create snapshot views to load elements from VOBs that have tags in your network region.

From an HCL VersionVault host on Windows® that supports dynamic views, you can access VOBs on Windows® and on Linux and UNIX from dynamic views and from snapshot views. To access VOBs on Linux or UNIX from Windows® dynamic views, you must use vendor software that provides access to Linux or UNIX file systems from Windows® computers. (For information on registering Linux or UNIX VOB tags in a Windows® network, see the Help.)

From an HCL VersionVault host on Linux or UNIX, you can access VOBs residing on Windows® computers from snapshot views but not from dynamic views. The following table summarizes your options for accessing VOBs across different platform types.

Developing software across platforms of different types

If your organization develops source files on HCL VersionVault hosts on both Windows® and Linux or UNIX, read the following topics:

• About text modes for views
• About case-sensitivity
• Before accessing snapshot views across different platforms
• Before accessing dynamic views across platforms of different types
• Before setting case-sensitivity options in dynamic views