Shared projects are not suitable for all types of development
projects. Development projects suitable for shared projects typically
have the project and development environment characteristics shown
in this topic.
Consider these characteristics when deciding whether to use shared
projects.
Project characteristics
- Large projects with separate directories for area of responsibility
for each user
If your projects conform to this structure, you have
the benefits of shared development. However, you still reduce the
risks inherent in the lack of insulation.
- Projects that do not build products
Examples of projects that
do not build products are projects that manage documents or web pages,
or manage integrations.
If a product must be built, you must
modularize the build process. That is, create separate directories
to provide some insulation. You might need to change makefiles to
ensure that products are removed before being built. Otherwise, file
permissions might prevent one user from updating a file created by
another user.
- Projects that do not require work areas on a local machine
Because
all users must access the same work area, the project must be on a
shared drive, not on a local hard disk drive. Users might need to
work on a local machine if they work disconnected from the data. For
example, if they work on files at home or move the files to a local
disk for better performance.
Development environment characteristics
- A small team that works well together and understands the issues
caused by having uninsulated work areas
- Teams with users who are not trained to use all Rational® Synergy features
Users can perform
basic Rational Synergy
operations, such as check in and check out, without much knowledge
of the product. However, some knowledge of how to create and manage
projects is required.
- All team members must understand the significance of uninsulated
work areas.