Only read this book about using rational software solutions for distributed configuration management if “you have in-depth familiarity with Rational ClearQuest, ClearCase, and Build Forge,” and you need another user manual for IBM Rational products. This book is not a general guide to multi-site configuration management. It is hard to read and full of jargon and pseudo-sophisticated writing, just like my first sentence--it is not fast paced.
There is too much salesware with unsubstantiated claims and no data to support any of the claims. The writing style is typical of a user manual. It is a chore to read, similar to the job control language (JCL) manuals. (If you don’t know what I mean, you are lucky.)
There are many coding examples with supporting screen shots. The code provides the best reading.
The book misses some key points, such as defining the difference between direct and indirect impacts in Figure 4-34. Unfortunately, the figure shows a pedestrian example of impact and does not deal with the nuances of coupling within a build. The authors claim that “impact analysis is one of the key features ... [but] it is not automatically integrated into the managed build solution.” Will we ever end the practice of making users work around the discontinuities in a system?
Chapter 5 shows how to set up a configuration management project with their tool. If you need to use the tool, you must master their jargon and solve many problems by trial and error. There must be much folklore about this system since it appears to be so powerful. I never found out if it could compile a reference list or draw a schematic of the makefile references.
If you must read this book, first insist that the software supplier gives you a copy, and then skip chapters 1 and 2 and all of their productivity claims. Then, using an existing small project, build a configuration management system by going through the book step by step. Focus your effort on chapter 4. Another approach is to plunge in and try things, but if this technique is good enough, why buy the book?
