Guidelines for locating dynamic view storage directories

Communication over the network is reduced by locating the view storage directory for a dynamic view on your computer.

Consider the following restrictions when choosing a view storage directory location:

• The directory must be located on a Rational® ClearCase® host. View processes (specifically, view_server processes) run on the machine that physically stores the view storage directory, and only Rational ClearCase hosts can run view processes.
• To maintain data integrity, the view storage directory must remain connected to the network. For example, do not locate the view storage directory on a removable storage device.
• If you locate a dynamic view storage directory on a laptop and then disconnect the laptop from the network, all of the following restrictions apply:
  • You cannot use the dynamic view.
  • Team members who try to start your view from their hosts will receive Rational ClearCase error messages.
  • Any clearmake process or, on Windows® computers, omake process, that attempts to wink in a derived object from your view will spend some amount of time trying to contact your view. If the process cannot contact your view, it will not consider derived objects in your view as winkin candidates for 60 minutes. (You can change the amount of time by setting the CCASE_DNVW_RETRY environment variable.)
• If your Rational ClearCase administrator sets up storage locations, which are directories on Rational ClearCase server hosts or on hosts that can access a location on a supported Network Attached Storage (NAS) device which contains the storage locations, you can locate your dynamic view storage directory in a storage location (with mkview -stgloc). However, for better performance, locate dynamic view storage directories on your local host.
• If you work on a UNIX® workstation and use the view on several hosts, make sure that the location can be accessed by all those hosts; that is, choose a disk partition that is exported.
• If you work on a Windows computer, the directory must be a subdirectory of a shared network resource on a Rational ClearCase host, for example, on a computer running Windows NT®. (View processes (specifically, view_server processes) run on the machine that physically stores the view storage directory, and only Rational ClearCase hosts can run view processes.)

  The path for the directory must not use a Windows special share name. Special share names usually include the $ character, such as the drive$ share name that allows an administrator to gain access to a drive over the network. For example, the following path is not valid:

  \\bread\c$\view\pat_1.4_cropcircle.vws

Make the view storage directory accessible to any data backup schemes that your organization uses.