Using update mode

The relocate command has an update mode that preserves the source elements while creating the targets. This mode can be useful in certain cases, but should be used with care.

The relocate command normally removes source elements after the target elements have been created. If you use the –update option, relocate leaves the source elements in place. Update mode is intended to accommodate sites that need to keep source elements available for modification while periodically updating the contents of target elements that are not otherwise modified. For example, if you were relocating a large directory in which a few elements in the source VOB might still need to be modified (perhaps by a Rational® ClearCase MultiSite® syncreplica operation), you could start by running relocate –update to relocate the directory, then, when the modifications on the source elements were complete, run relocate without the –update option to update the target elements complete the process and remove the source elements.

Several constraints apply when you are using update mode.

After they are created, the target elements must not be modified by any process other than relocate. Any other modifications are lost when the target element is replaced in a subsequent relocate operation.
Indeterminate results occur if Rational ClearCase® operations reference both the source and target versions of an element. Data loss is possible.

You can run relocate –update multiple times on the same source and target elements, but you must finish by running relocate without the –update option to complete the process and remove the source elements.