reformatview

Updates the format of a view database

Applicability

Product	Command type
ClearCase®	cleartool subcommand

Platform
UNIX®
Linux®
Windows®

Description

The reformatview command changes the format of a view database from that used in a previous release of ClearCase to the current format. A view database is a set of binary files in the db subdirectory of the view storage directory. A new release may use a different database format to support new product features, to enhance storage efficiency, or to improve performance.

Converting the view database involves two major steps:

Dumping the existing database to a set of ASCII files. This step invalidates the view database, which is renamed to db.dumped. You cannot use the view until its database is reloaded.
Loading the ASCII files into a new database that uses the new format.

Note:

The old, invalid view database is not overwritten; it remains in the view storage directory, as db.dumped, until you explicitly delete it with a standard operating system command.

A view's view_server process detects the need for reformatting, logs a message, and automatically reformats the view. reformatview itself writes status messages to view_log, not to stdout or stderr.

You can also use reformatview to move a view storage area between hosts of different architectures—that is, hosts on which there are differences in the binary files that implement the view database.

Possible data loss

In the case of a dynamic view, if the view database requires recovery, some information may be lost in the dump/load process. In addition, some view-private files may be moved into the view's lost+found directory. See the recoverview reference page for details.

Note:

On UNIX or Linux, if a view-private file is owned by someone other than the owner of the view storage area, reformatview always strips its setuid bit (if the bit is set)

In the case of a snapshot view, the lost information may include loaded files as well as view-private files.

Options and arguments

Forcing a dump

Default: If a view's database does not require reformatting (it is up to date), reformatview displays a message and takes no other action; if the database is out of date, reformatview performs a dump, then a load.
–dum/p: Performs only the first step—creating an ASCII dump of the view database in file view_db.dump_file in the view storage directory.
–loa/d: Performs only the second step—replacing the old view database with a new one, using the contents of a previously created ASCII dump file.

Specifying the view

Default: None.
–tag view-tag: The view tag of any registered view.
view-storage-dir-pname: The pathname of a view storage directory.
Important:
Make sure that the current working directory is not the same as, or anywhere below, view-storage-dir-pname.

Examples

The UNIX system and Linux examples in this section are written for use in csh. If you use another shell, you may need to use different quoting and escaping conventions.

The Windows examples that include wildcards or quoting are written for use in cleartool interactive mode. If you use cleartool single-command mode, you may need to change the wildcards and quoting to make your command interpreter process the command appropriately.

In cleartool single-command mode, cmd-context represents the UNIX system and Linux shells or Windows command interpreter prompt, followed by the cleartool command. In cleartool interactive mode, cmd-context represents the interactive cleartool prompt.

Reformat a view whose view tag is jackson_old.
cmd-context reformatview –tag jackson_old
On a UNIX or Linux system, reformat a view whose storage directory is /usr/home/jackson/ccviews/fix.vws.
cmd-context reformatview /usr/home/jackson/ccviews/fix.vws

UNIX and Linux files

/var/adm/rational/clearcase/log/view_log

Windows files

ccase-home-dir\var\log\view_log