Smart Copy

Introduction

codebeamer X is often used to create detailed specifications using numerous trackers, containing work items that are both deeply and broadly linked. These sets of items are fully specified and consistent, they are called Components in codebeamer X.

Figure 1. Component in a project

Many customers need the ability to use these Components in different projects as well. The capability of using the already consistent Components several times decreases both the time to market and the development costs.

The functionality that allows the users to reuse a set of work items is the Smart Copy in codebeamer X. The items in the reused Component are referenced together and consistent, as they are in the original project. Keeping the reference structure of the original Component ensures full traceability among the reused work items.

During the Smart Copy operation, connection can be established between the original and the newly created work items. By using these links, either the source or the reused work items can be updated later, if either the original or the reused items changed.

Smart Copy supports the following use-cases

The following use-cases can be covered by the Smart Copy in codebeamer X.

It is common in the following scenarios, that after the reuse, the same traceability is required among the work items, as it was in the original project. This is ensured by Smart Copy.

Parallel development

After the reuse of the Components via Smart Copy, they can be developed parallel and independent from each other. The changes in the source or reused projects can be merged later in both directions via the links created during the reuse. In this scenario, it is necessary to provide the possibility to merge information two-way.

The typical example for this use-case, when a supplier would like to create specifications which can then be used to satisfy the requirements given by the customer. In this case, reusing consistent and tested Components decreases both development time and costs.

Bi-directional merge is required in this scenario in order to apply the changes in Platform projects inside all affected projects as well. From the Customer project point of view, the innovations may be worth merging to the Platform project.

Figure 2. Parallel development use-case expects both way merge

Library / Catalog

When building a product, you may want to reuse the same Component in multiple projects. Certain Components can act as a platform that always fulfills various requirements. When the original requirement changes, the modifications in the platform project can be applied in all reused Components.

Companies working in highly regulated sectors (like medical or automotive) are used to create specification documents that satisfy industrial rules and regulations (e.g. FDA or ASPICE). These specifications must be consistent within all related projects.

Figure 3. Merge from Platform to other projects expected in Library use-case

Copy

Smart Copy is an efficient way to copy a large number of work items that are referenced together. In this scenario, there is no need to add a link between the original and new items, since the copies have an independent life cycle from the source.

Detailed description of Smart Copy

Overview

Smart Copy is an efficient solution to reuse complete specification structures and establish connection between them to enable future updates. Since the original reference build-up is kept during the reuse, the necessary traceability is provided in the new Component as well.

The functionality is technically a one-time batch copy operation, with additional attributes:

• It works among workspaces.
• Selecting work items from workspace and tracker baselines is supported.
• Original structure is kept among the reused work items. It keeps the references.
• A subset of work items can be selected.
• Bi-directional associations added between the new and original items.
• Smart Copy parameters can be saved on the local machine.

The following chapters describe each attribute from the list.

Prerequisites

Workspaces

The reuse is supported between different workspaces, so the source and target are not needed to be the same. Configuration allows the user to reuse several Components from multiple sources in one operation.

Baselines

Selecting work items from workspace and tracker baselines is supported in reuse

Component’s structure

The Components contain work items from multiple trackers and the references between them. The references are used to describe relationships of the work items, such as depends-on, copy-of or parent/child. The work items reference structure defined by the configuration of the workspace. These references provide the hierarchy of the trackers and ensure traceability.

Figure 4 shows an example workspace, where rectangles represent the work items and identical colors assigned to different trackers in the workspace. The arrows are the references that provide the structure, show the work items related to each other.

After a reuse operation the same structure is built up among the copied work items, as it is in the original Component.

Figure 4. Work items and their relationship in a workspace

Work item selection

It is possible to reuse only a subset of the whole workspace or tracker. The list of required work items can be specified and supported by filtering capability.

When the initial set of work items are selected, the items on the subsequent levels are included to the reuse automatically. No user interaction is needed to select the proper items in the referenced trackers.

Figure 5. Component in a workspace

Associations between items

The Smart Copy adds bi-directional copy association to the work items by default. This behavior is configurable in order to support different user needs, such as the Copy use-case when no need to connect the new and the original items.

Associations ensure that the connected items can be merged to each other. When either the source or the reused work item changes, the link between the two items becomes Suspected.

On Figure 6, the blue arrows represent associations. As it is shown, association is added for each reused work item.

Figure 6. Result of the Smart Copy

Saving Copy configuration

The user has the possibility to save and load the reuse configuration on the user's local machine during the setup of the Smart Copy window.

Merge work items

Merging items via Suspected link is an already existing feature in codebeamer X. See Tracker Relations.

Smart Copy in codebeamer X

Library based Smart Copy

The Library functionality divided into two parts:

• Basic copy, which is the original implementation of the Library, where the copy is limited to one tracker.
• Smart copy, the Library extension that allows the user to define a Component and reuse it. This approach works with a default configuration, which can be modified by switching to the Advanced version of Smart Copy.

Library based Basic Copy

To reuse work items from the Library, drag the node in the Library tree and drop it to the tree on the left side or to an item in the middle panel.

The description of the implementation of the Library can be found here: Document View for Requirements.

Library based Smart Copy

Starting a Smart Copy from the Library is similar to the original Library functionality. The source workspace, baseline and tracker definition, and selecting the required work items follow the same workflow as before. With the Smart Copy, users can build-up the Component structure after drag and drop the initial level work items to the target.

The step-by-step guide for the functionality can be found on the How to guide for Library-based Smart Copy page.

Figure 7. Location of Library based Smart Copy

Advanced Smart Copy

Using the Advanced Smart Copy in codebeamer X provides the full range of configuration possibilities for the reuse operation. In case the user needs to change the default values defined in the Library version, it can be done in the advanced mode.

Advanced configuration allows the user to initiate reuse from multiple workspaces and use multiple initial trackers in one step.

The step-by-step guide for the functionality can be found here: How to guide for Advanced Smart Copy.

Figure 8. Advanced Smart Copy can be start from the Hierarchy tree