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

• US 8,607,196 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2012
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• 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): Zhen, Li B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kia, Arshia S
• Application Number:
  US13/425,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20120192141A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 717/121
• US Class Current: 717/121
• 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), the method comprising:

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

searching nodes, using a processor, 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, outputting a notification that the successor version of the file is within the predetermined distance of the workspace of the user; and

when a successor version of the file is not located within a node within a predetermined distance of the workspace of the user, checking-out the file to the workspace of the user.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising determining a distance between the node comprising the successor version of the file and the workspace of the user according to a number of hops to be traversed along a path linking the node comprising the successor version of the file and the workspace of the user through the SCMS.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising assigning a measure of time to each hop of the path.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, for at least one selected hop within the path, determining a measure of time to be assigned to the selected hop according to a declaration of availability of the successor version of the file.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, for at least one selected hop within the path, determining a measure of time to be assigned to the selected hop according to a histogram of project transfers along the selected hop.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user-input specifying a limitation on a number of nodes to be searched.

7. The computer-implemented 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 according to source-target relationships between nodes defined within the SCMS.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

defining a plurality of accepted project nodes, wherein each accepted project node corresponds to a workspace of a single user, wherein each accepted project node stores only accepted projects; and

defining a plurality of accepted activity nodes, wherein each accepted activity node corresponds to a workspace of a single user, wherein each accepted activity node stores only accepted activities.

9. The computer-implemented 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, wherein each pending bucket node stores unaccepted activities.

10. The computer-implemented 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), the method comprising:

representing the SCMS as a graph comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of hops, wherein each hop represents an allowable data transfer between two nodes, wherein each hop is defined according to source-target relationships between nodes within the SCMS;

responsive to a user initiating a check-out operation of a file within the SCMS, determining the file to be checked-out and a workspace of the user to which the file will be checked-out;

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;

when a successor version of the file is identified, outputting a notification that the successor version of the file is within the predetermined distance of the workspace of the user; and

when a successor version of the file is not identified, checking-out the file to the workspace of the user.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein searching 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 further comprises:

identifying a node comprising an activity or a project that comprises the successor version of the file; and

counting a number of hops connecting the node comprising the successor version of the file and the node representing the workspace of the user.

13. The computer-implemented 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 computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising, for at least one selected hop within the path, determining a measure of time to be assigned to the selected hop according to a declaration of availability of the successor version of the file.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising, for at least one selected hop within the path, determining a measure of time to be assigned to the selected hop according to a histogram of project transfers along the selected hop.