Determine whether to use feature level 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 for IBM®
Rational® ClearQuest® user databases and schema
repositories. The feature level determines the ClearQuest features available after deployment.
Changes to the feature level might require upgrading the ClearQuest databases and schema repositories. You must also
ensure that all ClearQuest clients are running a
ClearQuest version that supports the selected
feature level.
The feature level and metaschema version define the structure of
the data that is stored in Rational ClearQuest schema
repositories and user databases. For information about features available
at the different feature levels, see Features in the feature levels.
Changing the feature level when you upgrade Rational ClearQuest
Feature
levels are associated with specific metaschema versions. The following table lists the supported
feature levels and metaschema versions for every release of
Rational ClearQuest.
Table 1. Supported feature levels and metaschema versionsVersion |
Metaschema version |
Feature level |
2003/7.0.0.0 |
22 |
5 |
7.0.1.0 |
22 |
5 and 6 |
7.1.x |
22 |
5, 6, and 7 |
8.0 |
22 |
5, 6, and 7 |
8.0.1.1 |
23 |
5, 6, 7, and 8 |
8.0.1.6 |
24 |
5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 |
New feature levels and metaschema versions typically add new columns to tables and new
tables to databases to support new features. As a result, changes to the feature level require
upgrading the ClearQuest databases and schema
repositories. You must also ensure that the
ClearQuest client version supports the selected feature
level.
Only clients that are upgraded to Version 7.1.x or later can access user databases
that are at feature level 7 and below. Clients at 7.0.1 can access only user databases at feature
level 6 and below, and clients at 7.0.0 and below 2003.06.xx can access only user databases
at feature level 5. These product versions and feature level compatibility requirements also apply
to the other Rational ClearQuest components such as
the ClearQuest Designer and Maintenance Tool. These factors must be considered when you determine
whether to upgrade in phases, or at one time.
If you upgrade the schema version on a user
database and raise the feature level, all ClearQuest clients must be at a version that can access user databases with the new schema version and
feature level. For example, if the schema repository is at feature level 7, and the user database is
at feature level 6, you must upgrade ClearQuest
client to version 8.x or later to access the user database.
When you raise the feature
level, you can simplify the upgrade process for user databases by using the ClearQuest Maintenance
Tool to complete an in-place upgrade. An in-place upgrade supports upgrading a user database to a
higher feature level without having to create a database and copy data to it.
Your Rational ClearQuest databases must be at feature level 5 and
metaschema 22 or higher before you install Version 8.0.x. If your databases were created with
version 2001A.04.20 or later, then these databases are at level 5.
The process for upgrading
feature levels depends on the upgrade strategy you choose:
- Upgrading everything at one time
For information about when to upgrade your feature levels when you upgrade the entire environment
at one time, see Upgrade the environment at one time.
- Upgrading in phases
If you are upgrading your environment in phases, review the following information to determine
when to raise the feature level during the upgrade process.
- Before you upgrade the feature level for a user database and schema repository, upgrade all
ClearQuest clients to a product version supported
by that feature level. This upgrade process ensures that the client can access the user database
after you change the feature level.
- Before you upgrade, all servers and databases must be at a version that is supported by the
feature level's corresponding release. See Hardware, software, and database requirements.
- Because user databases and schema repositories can be at different feature levels, you can
upgrade your user databases and Rational ClearQuest
clients to higher feature levels in phases. For example, you can upgrade an existing schema
repository to feature level 6 and leave the associated user databases on feature level 5. Or, you
can upgrade an existing schema repository to feature level 7 and leave the associated user databases
on feature level 5 or 6. However, allClearQuest
clients must be upgraded to a software version that supports the feature level of the user
database.
- In ClearQuest MultiSite deployments, you can upgrade MultiSite synchronization servers and
shipping servers in phases only if you can accept unidirectional replication. Unidirectional
replication means that packets sent from a user database with a lower feature level are accepted by
user databases with a higher feature level. However, packets from a user database with a higher
feature level are not accepted by a user database with a lower feature level.
- Because user databases are not required to have the same feature level as their associated
schema repositories, you can raise the feature level of schema repositories first. Then, raise the
feature level of the associated user databases later.
- Schema repositories must be at compatible feature levels to support unidirectional replication.
For example, if a feature level 5 user database has a feature level 7 schema repository, the packets
that are sent from client are not accepted by a feature level 6 user database that has a feature
level 6 schema repository.
Table 2 shows the
packet versions that a site can create and accept based on the schema repository and user database
feature level.
Table 2. Packet versions associated with schema repository and user database feature levelsSchema Repository feature level |
User database feature level |
Created Packet Version |
Accepted Packet Version |
9 |
9 |
13 |
6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 |
8 |
8 |
12 |
6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 |
7 |
7 |
11 |
6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 |
7 |
6 |
10 |
6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
7 |
5 |
9 |
6, 7, 8, 9 |
6 |
6 |
8 |
6, 7, 8 |
6 |
5 |
7 |
6, 7 |
5 |
5 |
6 |
6 |