Getting Started with IBM Rational to Team Foundation Server (TFS) Migrations
This post is focused on helping you get started with your migration to Team Foundation Server from IBM Rational ClearCase and Rational ClearQuest. If you are planning to perform a migration in this context, we recommend that you follow the guidance below to insure a successful migration.
Getting Started
| 1 | Review the product datasheet | |
| 2 | Peruse Migration Guidance Overview and understand the scenarios and constraints | |
3 |
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Watch the Getting Started IBM CC-CQTFS Migration 101 Basic Training video |
| 4 | |
Watch the Getting Started IBM CC-CQTFS Migration Deep Dive Training video |
| 5 | Peruse the scenario specific best practices and scenario specific migration guidance for IBM Rational ClearCase and/or IBM Rational ClearQuest, based on in-the-field proof-of-concepts and migrations: See More Detailed Walk-through of the Documentation and Planning Process below for list of documents. |
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| 6 | Define the business requirements, constraints, migration, and manual migration use cases. | |
| 7 | Perform a proof of concept (POC) to validate the migration plan and walk through the hands-on labs. See More Detailed Walk-through of the Documentation and Planning Process below for list of documents. |
Key Resources
- TFS Integration Tools is a suite of tools, built on top of the TFS Integration Platform. The following is where you can find the related downloads:
- Team Foundation Server Integration Tools – March 2011 Release on Visual Studio Gallery
- TFS Integration Platform - Latest Alpha Bits on CodePlex
- Documentation and guidance can be found in a variety of places, I recommend you start here:
- TFS Integration Tools Information – Collection of Guidance
- Where Can Find Documentation? – Map of Available Documentation
- Partners and Solutions
- Team Foundation Server Migration and Integration Solutions – Featured Tools, Partner Tools, and Partner Services
Recommended Prerequisites
- Subject matter expertise in IBM Rational ClearCase and/or Rational ClearQuest.
- Subject matter expertise in Microsoft Team Foundation Server.
- IBM Rational ClearCase and/or Rational ClearQuest, and a Microsoft Team Foundation Server testing and evaluation environment.
Get Help
The TFS Integration Tools are supported by Microsoft. If you have queries or issues, you can raise a discussion thread on the Team Foundation Server – Migration and Integration forum.
More Detailed Walk-through of the Documentation and Planning Process
Note: All of the documentation, samples and videos referenced separately herein, can be downloaded in one zip package from here.
1. Review the product datasheet
Start by reviewing the product datasheet to determine whether your environment is supported by the TFS Integration Tools. In addition explore Team Foundation Server Migration and Integration Solutions for a list of migration and integration solutions and partners who offer alternative solutions and who are in a position to assist you with the migrations.
2. Peruse Migration Guidance Overview and understand the scenarios and constraints
Review the migration guidance and the companion migration guidance poster, which guides you through the various scenarios such as an in-place upgrade, backup&restore upgrade, migration and synchronization. Ensure that you understand the difference between an upgrade, a migration and a synchronization, as well as all the limitations and constraints of the TFS Integration Tools.
3. Watch the Getting Started IBM CC-CQTFS Migration 101 Basic Training video
The recording of the Getting Started IBM CC-CQTFS Migration 101 Basic Training Webcast positions the TFS Integration Platform and Tools, introduces the online training services and evaluation sandbox environment, and demonstrates the tooling with a number of demonstrations.
?4. Watch the Getting Started IBM CC-CQTFS Migration Deep Dive Training video
The recording of the Getting Started IBM CC-CQTFS Migration Deep Dive Training Webcast positions the TFS Integration Platform and Tools explores more advanced migration topics, such as planning, troubleshooting, monitoring and conflict resolution, the use of the tooling for real-world migration scenarios and demonstrates the tooling with demonstrations and interactive discussions.
5. Peruse the scenario specific best practices and scenario specific migration guidance
Visual Studio ALM Rangers have created a set of in-the-field-from-the-field guidance and best practice documentation, which consolidates the learning's and experiences from previous migrations. In addition the documents cover important technology specific terminology and comparisons, needed when comparing the IBM Rational tooling with the Team Foundation Server tooling. For example, the document “ IBM Rational ClearCase Base Migration guidance “ covers the difference between IBM Rational ClearCase and Microsoft Team Foundation Server branching and the configuration specification, commonly referred to as config spec.
If you are considering an IBM Rational ClearCase migration to Microsoft Team Foundation Server then you should explore these documents:
- IBM Rational ClearCase Base Migration guidance
- IBM Rational ClearCase Migration Best Practices
- IBM Rational ClearCase Synchronization Best Practices
If you are considering an IBM Rational ClearQuest migration to Microsoft Team Foundation Server then you should explore these documents:
- IBM Rational ClearQuest Base Migration guidance
- IBM Rational ClearQuest Migration Best Practices
In addition it is recommended that you peruse the IBM Rational product documentation and optionally engage with partners who have done a similar migration before.
6. Define the business requirements, constraints, migration, and manual migration use cases.
It is important that you define the business requirements, constraints, migration plans and optionally training plans for all stakeholders to understand the process and more importantly the impact of the migration on the existing infrastructure and more importantly the users thereof. The migration and integration projects generally vary in terms of requirements, technology, scale and complexities, making the planning phase the most important phase of any application lifecycle management migration. The migration and integration solution may utilize the TFS Integration Tools, and/or other third-party tooling or be based on a manual process. When looking at the TFS Integration Tools Migration guidance poster , we notice that the first 3 phases are all about planning and evaluation, followed by a pilot familiarization and finally the adoption of a migration strategy.
Perform a proof of concept (POC)
A proof-of-concept evaluation phase is highly recommended to become familiar with selected technologies, to review proposed migration scenario for correctness and feasibility, and most importantly to assess the impact on the environment, the stakeholders and associated projects. The POC Process poster gives you a high-level evaluation process used by the Visual Studio ALM Rangers as a guideline.
Before creating the plans and use cases for a possible automated migration, we recommend that you create and evaluate “manual” use cases, which define each step and exception used to migrate the data manually in detail. The Scenarios Package contains a number of scenario specific use case and configuration file examples.
As part of the proof-of-concept, or preferably shortly before, we suggest that you watch the ClearQuest to Team Foundation Server Quick Demo video and step through the following hands-on labs to familiarize yourself with the tooling:
- Visual Studio TFS Integration Tools - Getting Started with IBM Rational 101
- Visual Studio TFS Integration Tools – Conflict Resolution (Part 1/2)
- Visual Studio TFS Integration Tools - Mapping & Monitoring (Part 2/2)
The DeepDive_HOL_Package package contains the queries and sample data needed to populate the date in the pilot/test IBM Rational ClearCase and Rational ClearQuest test environment.
Finally
Let us know how your migrations are going and how we can improve the tooling and documentation. Please join the Team Foundation Server – Migration and Integration forum.
A special thank you to Sharon Elkins, who helped me turn “up” the quality notch of this post with a candid review 
Below is a rough treasure map for those who prefer a visual flow chart …