Selective notifications according to merge distance for software version branches within a software configuration management system

• US 9,983,868 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2016
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Clemm, Geoffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coyer, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wei, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/258,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20160378463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 717121
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of controlling version branching within a software configuration management system (SCMS) can include, responsive to a user initiating a check-out operation of a file within the SCMS, identifying the file and a workspace of the user and searching nodes of the repositories of the SCMS for a successor version of the file. When a successor version of the file is located within a node that is within a predetermined distance of the workspace of the user, a notification that the successor version of the file is within the predetermined distance of the workspace of the user can be output. When a successor version of the file is not located within a node within a predetermined distance of the workspace of the user, the file can be checked-out to the workspace of the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of controlling version branching within a software configuration management system (SCMS), comprising:

identifying a file and a workspace of a user in response to the user initiating a check-out operation of the file within the SCMS;

searching nodes, using a processor, of the repositories of the SCMS for a successor version of the file; and

checking-out, in response to the successor version of the file not being located at a node within a predetermined distance of the workspace, the file to the workspace of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

a distance between a node including the successor version of the file and the workspace is based upon a number of hops to be traversed along a path, through the SCMS, linking the node including the successor version of the file and the workspace.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein

a measure of time is assigned to each hop of the path.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising

determining a measure of time to be assigned to a selected hop based upon a declaration of availability of the successor version of the file.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising

determining a measure of time to be assigned to a selected hop based upon a histogram of project transfers along the selected hop.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising

receiving a user-input specifying a limitation on a number of nodes to be searched.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising

representing the SCMS as a graph comprising nodes and hops representing allowable connections between nodes, wherein

each hop is defined based upon source-target relationships between nodes defined within the SCMS.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

defining a plurality of accepted project nodes; and

defining a plurality of accepted activity nodes, wherein

each accepted project node corresponds to a workspace of a single user and stores only accepted projects, and

each accepted activity node corresponds to a workspace of a single user and stores only accepted activities.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising

defining a plurality of pending bucket nodes, wherein

each pending bucket node corresponds to a workspace of a single user and stores unaccepted activities.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising

defining a plurality of pending project nodes, wherein

each pending project node represents a community repository storing at least one state of a project.

11. A computer-implemented method of controlling version branching within a software configuration management system (SCMS), comprising:

representing the SCMS as a graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of hops and each hop is

defined according to source-target relationships between nodes within the SCMS, and

represents an allowable data transfer between two nodes;

identifying a file and a workspace of a user in response to the user initiating a check-out operation of the file within the SCMS;

searching, using a processor, each node of the SCMS that is within a predetermined number of hops from a node representing the workspace of the user, according to the graph, for a successor version of the file; and

checking-out, in response to the successor version of the file not being located at a node within a predetermined distance of the workspace, the file to the workspace of the user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein

the searching includes:

identifying a node including the successor version of the file; and

counting a number of hops connecting the node including the successor version of the file with the node representing the workspace of the user.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising

assigning a measure of time to each hop of the path, and

summing the measures of time.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising

determining a measure of time to be assigned to a selected hop based upon a declaration of availability of the successor version of the file.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising

determining a measure of time to be assigned to a selected hop based upon a histogram of project transfers along the selected hop.