About CollabNet's ALM feature

Application lifecycle management consists of methods and tools that enable software development teams to follow a process. Organizations tend to adapt standard processes, including waterfall, iterative, scrum, CMMI, and so on to their needs, developing rules and guidelines that suit individual teams.

The benefits of using a process include:

• Providing a framework for managing software development projects.
• Establishing guidelines and a methodology for how individuals perform various tasks.
• Providing a consistent and repeatable way of working.
• Establishing clear milestones and methods to achieve them.
• Improving overall efficiency and productivity.

As described in the Help project about creating project templates, CollabNet permits you to create custom content for a project, and allows people to select this custom content at project creation time. In addition, CollabNet provides default project templates that facilitate application lifecycle management.

About CollabNet-provided project templates

CollabNet provides a set of directories that, when referenced by a project, provide a process-driven environment for project members. A project template is a centrally created and managed collection of project subpages, plus application pages for project management and communications. The template guides project members through a complete lifecycle.

The CollabNet Baseline Project template provides information for everyone working on a project, including product managers, engineers, testers, and support people. You can customize the CollabNet Baseline Project template to suit the practices of your organization.

The CollabNet Baseline Project template consists of the following components:

• An icon-based Top Navigator toolbar and a process-based navigation pane.
  The Top Navigator is a graphical toolbar. Each entry on the Top Navigator points to a page that is dedicated to a particular stage in the development process. For example, a Definition icon in the toolbar provides a link to a Definition page that contains documents, queries, and other information that is relevant to the definition subpage of a project. The following is a snapshot of the default Top Navigator:
  

  

  The following is a snapshot of the default project-based navigation pane:

  

• Pages for each stage of the project
  In addition to the Top Navigator toolbar and project links in the left navigation pane, each subpage contains a set of specific Project Tracker queries. For example, the Definition page displays links to queries that return all requirements currently being defined, all requirements under consideration, and so on. Each page also contains links to stage-specific documents and useful external applications. The following subpages are supported in the CollabNet Sample Project:
  • Definition
  • Design
  • Code & Build
  • Testing
  • Deployment
  • Support

• Templates for stage-specific documents
  The templates supply project members with "fill-in-the-blanks" guidance to simplify the task of creating project documentation. For example, the CollabNet Baseline Project template provides templates for the Project Requirements Document (PRD), a test plan document, and a test case document.
  
• Specialized artifact types
  Each project that uses the Baseline Project template contains a default set of Project Tracker artifact types, including Requirements, Defect Reports, Incident Reports, and Action Items.

• A Project Management page.
  The CollabNet Baseline Project template home page contains a Project Management page. This page displays links to project schedules and tasks based on information in the Dashboard tool, queries of all lifecycle artifacts, and links to other documents related to project management.
  
• A Communications page.
  The CollabNet Baseline Project template home page contains a Communications page. This page displays a list of project members, and links to communication tools such as project Announcements, Mailing Lists, and the WebEx service.
• A Metrics and Reporting page.
  The CollabNet Baseline Project template home page contains a Metrics and Reporting page. This page displays graphical reports of the different artifacts produced in a project.
• An Integrations page.
  The CollabNet Baseline Project template home page contains an Integrations page. This page displays links to third-party applications (such as an automated build system) and output from these applications.

Note: Projects that use a project template must also use Project Tracker.

The layout of a stage subpage

The stage subpages have a similar layout:

• A Top Navigator toolbar at the top of the page.
• An Activities area.
  This is an area with a light blue background. The activities area contains links to Project Tracker queries, to documents, and to external tools such as Cruise Control or WebEx. For example, on the Definition page, the Activities area contains a link for a Project Tracker query for viewing all requirements currently under consideration.
• A Documents table.
  Users with permission to make commits to the Subversion repository can upload project documentation for inclusion in this table. For example, on the default Definition page, users can add a PRD to this table by clicking an upload link. The CollabNet Baseline Project template provides document templates upon which users can base the documents shown in these tables. When users upload documents, these documents are automatically stored in Subversion.
• A Resource Links area.
  This table provides links to other information that is relevant to a particular stage of the project.

How the CollabNet Baseline Project template works

The CollabNet Baseline Project template works according to a few principles:

• Easy access to the right tool for the right task.
  Project members can add artifacts that are relevant to a particular stage of a project. For example, a user can add a Requirement to the Definition subpage.
• Promotion of particular artifacts through lifecycle subpages.
  For critical artifact types such as Requirements, project members can promote an artifact along stages of a project and trace a work item from requirements definition through design, coding, and testing by modifying the Stage subtab in Lifecyle attribute for the requirement. Other attributes, such as the Definition Complete attribute signals that the artifact is ready for promotion to the next subtab.

project overview: Example of promoting an artifact through lifecycle stages:

1. A project member clicks the Projects page, clicks the link to a project that uses the CollabNet Baseline Project template, and clicks the Definition stage icon.
2. Definition:
   The project member clicks the New requirement link, creates a new requirement named Requirement A, and sets the Stage in Lifecycle attribute for Requirement A to Definition.
   Requirement A now appears when any project member clicks the Ready for definition link in the Activity area of the Definition page.
   After evaluating the requirement, a product manager clicks the Ready for definition link, clicks the link for Requirement A, and sets the value of Accepted into current stage? for Requirement A to Yes.
   Requirement A now appears when anyone clicks the Currently in definition link.
3. Transition to Design:
   When all use cases are written for Requirement A, the product manager sets the Definition complete? attribute to Yes for Requirement A and sets the Stage in lifecycle attribute for Requirement A to Design.
   Requirement A now appears when any project member clicks the Ready for design link in the Activity area of the Design page.
4. Design:
   A technical lead clicks the Design icon in the navigation toolbar, clicks the Ready for design link, reviews Requirement A, and conducts other activities prescribed by the local development process. When Requirement A is approved, the technical lead sets the value of Requirement A's Accepted into current stage? attribute to Yes.
   Requirement A now appears in the results for the Currently in design query on the Design page.
5. Transition to Code and Build:
   A design engineer, after creating design documents, sets the value of Design complete? for Requirement A to Yes, and sets the Stage in Lifecycle for Requirement A to Code & Build.
   Requirement A now appears when any project member clicks the Ready for code & build link in the Activity area of the Code & Build page.
6. Code and Build:
   An implementation engineer clicks the Ready for Code & Build link in the Activity area of the Code & Build page, and clicks the link for Requirement A.
   After evaluating whether this requirement is ready to be coded, the implementation engineer sets the value of Requirement A's Accepted into current stage? attribute to Yes.
7. Transition to Testing:
   When Requirement A is fully implemented, the implementation engineer sets the value of Code & Build complete? to Yes, and sets the Stage in lifecycle attribute to Testing.
8. Testing:
   A testing engineer clicks the Testing stage icon, clicks the Ready for testing query, clicks the link for Requirement A, and sets the value of Accepted into current stage? for Requirement A to Yes.
   The testing engineer may find bugs and raise defects against the requirement. When testing is complete, the test engineer sets the value of Test complete? for Requirement A to Yes, and sets the Status of Requirement A to Complete.

In addition to the Stage in Lifecycle attribute, a Status attribute allows users to indicate the work completed or remaining to be done for an artifact. See "Transitions for the Status attribute" for details.

Artifact types in the CollabNet Baseline Project template

The CollabNet Baseline Project template makes use of the following artifact types:

• Requirements - Specify a customer or technical need that must be met. As it is promoted through definition, coding, and testing subpages, the requirement is elaborated and transformed into product functionality. The Stage in Lifecycle for a requirement can be set to Definition, Design, Code & Build, or Test.
• Use cases - Elaborate a requirement. Use cases have no Stage in Lifecycle attribute. They are associated with a requirement throughout the project.
• Defect reports - Specify a product failure. The Stage in Lifecycle for a defect can be set to Code & Build or Test, to allow Q.A. to pass defects back to development for coding, and to allow development to send notification of the fix to Q.A. for further testing.
• Test cases - Test cases are used in the Testing subtab. They can be derived from requirements or use cases. Or they can be based on insights gained during the coding and testing subpages.
• Incident Reports - Incident Reports are used in the Deployment subtab to report problems that are detected automatically.
• Customer cases - Customer cases are used in the Support subtab to record problems that customers have with the product. Where necessary, customer cases can be converted into defects or requirements.
• Action items - Describes an activity that is important to the project, for example, handling a Customer Case, writing the Product Requirements Document, or submitting Use Cases.
• TD Defects (read only) Describes an error in the code, user interface, or documentation as reported in the Test Director product and uploaded to CollabNet.

Transitions for the Status attribute

The Status attribute, used in many of the CollabNet Baseline Project template artifact types, is a state type attribute. See Configuring state attributes for details.

The following table summarizes the valid state transitions for the Status attribute:

If the Status attribute is in this state	The user can select the following as the next state
Initial	Submitted
Submitted	Started, On hold, Will not complete
On hold	Completed, Will not complete
Started	On hold, Will not complete, Completed
Completed	Reopened
Will not complete	Reopened
Reopened	Started, On hold, Will not complete

 

The directory structure for a project template

The CollabNet Baseline Project template resides in the project-templates project and is managed by the Subversion version control system. The directory structure of the CollabNet Baseline Project template is as follows:

  project-templates
     trunk
       www
         templates
            CollabNet-Baseline-Projectv1.1
               cn-project-pages
                   Stages
                        Definition
                        Design
                        Code & Build
                        Testing
                        Deployment
                        Support
                   Project Management
                   Communications
                   Metrics and Reporting
                   Integrations
             index.html
             template.properties

When a process designer creates a new project template, he or she creates a directory structure similar to the one provided above. The new project template must reside in the project-templates project, and it must be created at the same level as the CollabNet Baseline Project template.

When a project owner creates a new project that uses a project template, CollabNet copies the contents of the project template directory from the project-templates project to the www directory for the new project.

The following is an example of the directory structure for a project template for a specific project:

  My Project
    trunk
       www
          cn-project-pages
              Stages
                  Definition
                  Design
                  Code & Build
                  Testing
                  Deployment
                  Support
              Project Management
              Communications
              Metrics and Reporting
              Integrations
          index.html

About the contents of the cn-project-pages directory

The cn-project-pages directory in the project-templates project contains one or more directories whose names are formed of an integer, a dash, and an ordinary name. For example, the following is a standard cn-project-pages directory:

      cn-project-pages
         Stages
              Definition
              Design
              . . .
         Project Management
         Communications
         Metrics and Reporting
         99-Integrations

The directories named Stages, Project Management, Communications, and so on appear as the following pages on the Top Navigator toolbar and as links in the left navigation pane:

• Stages
• Project Management
• Communications
• . . .

When you modify a project template, you work with the contents of a subtab, Project Management, and Communications directories.

The Stages directory in the Project template is structured as follows:

          cn-project-pages
             Stages
                  Definition  ----------
                  Design                |
                  Code & Build          |
                  Testing                - subtab directories
                  Deployment            |
                  Support     ----------

Each subtab directory contains sub-directories that contain the contents of the subtab. For example:

          cn-project-pages
             Stages
                  Definition  
                      documents
                      icons
                      reports
                      snippets
                      templates
                  Design                
                  Code & Build          
                  Testing               
                  Deployment            
                  Support