About interoperation between Windows computers and UNIX workstations

Snapshot view characteristics and operating system type

For snapshot views, the operating system type from which you create the view determines view characteristics; the operating system type that hosts the files and processes related to a snapshot view do not affect view behavior.

For example, it is possible to create a snapshot view from a Windows host and locate the view directory tree and the view storage directory on a Rational ClearCase host on UNIX (assuming that you use vendor software to access UNIX file systems from Windows computers). Although all files related to the view are on a UNIX workstation, because you created the view from a Windows host, the view behaves as if its files were located on a Windows computer:

• Case-sensitive file lookups are not performed in the view.
• The view does not create symbolic links if the load rules encounter a VOB symbolic link.
• You can issue Rational ClearCase commands for the view only from Windows hosts (Rational ClearCase hosts on UNIX do not recognize the directory tree as a snapshot view).

Rational ClearCase LT support for interoperation

On Rational ClearCase LT systems, your administrator sets up either a Windows or UNIX computer as the Rational ClearCase LT Server host. Then, from any Rational ClearCase LT host (Windows or UNIX), you can create snapshot views to load elements from the VOBs on the server host.

If your organization develops source files on Rational ClearCase LT hosts that run on both computers with Windows and workstations with UNIX, read the following topics:

• About text modes for views
• About case-sensitivity
• Before accessing snapshot views across different platforms

Creating views across different platforms

Your administrator can set up storage locations on Windows and UNIX server hosts. Any snapshot view that you create can use one of these storage locations, regardless of the platform type of the server host. For more information about storage locations, see the mkstgloc reference page in the IBM Rational ClearCase Command Reference.

For a dynamic view, the view storage directory must be located on a host of the same platform type as the host from which you create the view, as follows:

• If you create a dynamic view from a UNIX host, you must locate the view storage directory on a Rational ClearCase host on UNIX.
• If you create a dynamic view from a Windows host, you must locate the view storage directory on a Windows host that is set up to store view storage directories.

You should locate dynamic view storage directories on the host from which you most often use the view.

Accessing VOBs across platforms of different types

Your administrator sets up VOBs on Windows or UNIX hosts and creates VOB tags in each Rational ClearCase network region that needs to access the VOBs. Then, from any Rational ClearCase host on Windows or on UNIX, you can create snapshot views to load elements from VOBs that have tags in your network region.

From a Rational ClearCase host on Windows that supports dynamic views, you can access VOBs on Windows and on UNIX from dynamic views and from snapshot views. To access VOBs on UNIX from Windows dynamic views, you must use vendor software that provides access to UNIX file systems from Windows computers. (For information on registering UNIX VOB tags in a Windows network, see the IBM Rational ClearCase Administrator's Guide.)

From a Rational ClearCase host on UNIX, you can access VOBs residing on Windows computers from snapshot views but not from dynamic views. The following table summarizes your options for accessing VOBs across different platform types.

Developing software across platforms of different types