reformatvob

Product	Command type
ClearCase®	cleartool subcommand

Platform
UNIX®
Linux®
Windows®

Description

Important: Always back up a VOB before you reformat it.

reformatvob changes the format of a VOB database by dumping it to an ASCII file and then loading the ASCII file into a new database. You use reformatvob for these purposes:

To upgrade the schema version of a VOB.
When moving a VOB to a host with a different architecture (binary data format).
To decrease the size of a VOB database, physically deleting records that have been logically deleted by vob_scrubber

reformatvob is a one-way command. The dump and load phases must be allowed to complete (although they can take place at different times). You cannot abort and undo a reformat operation after you have started it; you can only restart and complete the operation. reformatvob locks the VOB before reformatting it. If the VOB is already locked, reformatvob proceeds with the reformatting and then unlocks the VOB.

Note: Unless invoked with the –rm option, reformatvob does not overwrite the old, invalid VOB database; it renames the old database to db.date. The old database remains in the VOB storage directory until you delete it with a standard operating system command.

Restrictions

Identities

You must have one of the following identities:

VOB owner
root (UNIX and Linux)
Member of the ClearCase administrators group (ClearCase on Windows)

Locks

No locks apply.

Mastership

(Replicated VOBs) No mastership restrictions.

Other

In ClearCase, the VOB storage directory must physically reside on either the host where you enter this command or a supported network-attached storage device mounted by that host. If the storage is on a network-attached device, you must specify the –host and –hpath options with the vob-storage-dir-pname argument.

The current working directory must not be at or below the VOB storage directory. Your shell or command interpreter must not have a set view context or working directory view context.

Options and arguments

Partial reformat

Default: Performs a complete reformat, including both the dump and load phases.
–dum/p: Performs only the first phase of the reformatting process, creating an ASCII dump of the current VOB database.
–loa/d: Performs only the second phase of the reformatting process, creating a new VOB database by using a previously created ASCII dump.

Preserving the original VOB database

Default: The original VOB database is preserved by renaming it after the reformat is complete. The new name includes a date stamp (for example, db.03.19).
–rm: The original VOB database is removed after the reformat is complete.

Confirmation step

Default: Before beginning its work, reformatvob prompts you to confirm that you want to reformat the VOB database.
–f/orce: Suppresses the confirmation step.

Alternate location for ASCII dump files

Default: The dump phase creates the ASCII dump files within the VOB storage directory.
–to dumpfile-dir-pname: (Do not use in conjunction with –load) Creates the ASCII dump files within the specified directory, which must not already exist.

Specifying the VOB

Default: None.
vob-storage-dir-pname: The pathname of the VOB storage directory. This is usually sufficient for a VOB with storage on the local host.
–hos/t hostname –hpa/th local-pname: Use these options when the VOB has storage on a network-attached storage device. hostname specifies the name of the VOB server host and local-pname specifies the network path the host uses to access the VOB storage.

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.

On a UNIX or Linux system, reformat a VOB whose storage directory on the local host is /home/jones/tut/tut.vbs.
Note: These examples show selected status messages only; actual reformatvob output is more verbose.

cmd-context reformatvob /home/jones/tut/tut.vbsReformat versioned object base "/home/jones/tut/tut.vbs"? [no] y Dumping database... Dumper done. Dumped versioned object base "/home/jones/tut/tut.vbs". Loading database... Loader done. Loaded versioned object base "/home/jones/tut/tut.vbs".
On a UNIX or Linux system, reformat a VOB whose storage directory is on a network-attached storage device and is mounted by the local host at /net/nasdev/vobstg/nasvob.vbs. Suppress the confirmation query.
cmd-context reformatvob -f -host mars -hpath /net/nasdev/vobstg/nasvob.vbsDumping database... Dumper done. Dumped versioned object base "/net/nasdev/vobstg/nasvob.vbs". Loading database..."