IBM Rational ClearCase is a version control tool facilitating collaboration among developers. It assists in managing code versions and configurations effectively, making it crucial for large-scale development projects.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| IBM Rational ClearCase | 11.0% |
| Endevor | 13.5% |
| IBM Engineering Workflow Management | 10.1% |
| Other | 65.4% |
IBM Rational ClearCase pricing is tailored to enterprise needs, focusing on large-scale software development environments. Vendors provide customized quotes based on specific organizational requirements. Users often report that it is a high-cost solution, reflecting its comprehensive features and capabilities. Many emphasize that the investment aligns with the robust version control, flexible workflows, and enhanced collaboration it offers. Discounts may be available for long-term commitments or larger user bases.
IBM Rational ClearCase provides robust support for software configuration management, enabling efficient tracking and management of development activities. It integrates seamlessly with existing environments, enhancing productivity by maintaining various versions of project files and streamlining teamwork. Its scalability accommodates the dynamic needs of development teams, fostering a comprehensive approach to software lifecycle management.
What are the key features of IBM Rational ClearCase?In industries such as aerospace, telecommunications, and finance, IBM Rational ClearCase is implemented to ensure rigorous compliance and traceability standards are met. Its comprehensive management capabilities allow these industries to maintain strict regulatory requirements while promoting innovation and collaboration in software development processes.
IBM Rational ClearCase was previously known as Rational ClearCase.
Atos SE, FEI, STM
| Author info | Rating | Review Summary |
|---|---|---|
| IT Systems Architect at Banco Ripley | 2.5 | I found IBM Rational ClearCase stable but very difficult to understand, set up, and scale, feeling it's not user-friendly. Previous solutions were easier and better. Overall, I rate it five out of ten. |
| Chief Software Engineer at a educational organization with 1-10 employees | 4.0 | I use ClearCase for code management. It's very stable, scalable, and integrates well, with easy setup and good support. However, it's expensive, and its protection needs improvement. I rate it 8/10. |
| CEO at DrAlex Software | 3.5 | I used ClearCase for 19 years. Initially revolutionary, it was a miracle for SCM with great ROI, despite complex setup and mediocre support. However, its development slowed, and newer tools are now often preferred. |
| ClearCase and engineering tools administrator at a comms service provider with 5,001-10,000 employees | 4.0 | I've used ClearCase for 16 years. Its MultiSite feature is crucial for global teams and it scales well. However, platform support and performance need improvement, while setup is complex and costly. IBM's support is also declining. |
| Senior Manager of Infrastructure at a retailer with 10,001+ employees | 2.0 | This product met our SOX compliance and traceability needs, with easy setup and good stability. However, UI performance and global availability are lacking, and support is just okay. I recommend a more modern solution. |
| Technical Consultant at MTRiver Consulting | 3.0 | I use IBM Rational ClearCase for configuration management, training, and version control. Its valuable features include Git-like version control with branching and merging, which enhance code management. However, the user interface is outdated and slower compared to newer tools. |
We are using IBM Rational ClearCase in Peru at two large banks for a code repository. However, it is not meant to be used as a repository.
I have found it very difficult to understand many functionalities in IBM Rational ClearCase. We have had many problems and it is not user-friendly.
I have used IBM Rational ClearCase within 12 months.
IBM Rational ClearCase is a stable solution. I have not had any difficulty with reliability.
The scalability of IBM Rational ClearCase is not easy.
I have previously used Bitbucket which was a better solution than IBM Rational ClearCase.Additionally, I have used Harvest and it is an older solution but easier to use, efficient, and simple.
IBM Rational ClearCase was difficult to do the proof of concept. It took us approximately 20 steps to develop it at the bank branch. In other solutions, such as Harvest, I only need to click the mouse once. The whole implementation was difficult.
I did not find this solution to be very good. It is not the worse solution but there are others available.
I rate IBM Rational ClearCase a five out of ten.
In my company, we are using this product for code management. It is used to control system software development.
What I like most is that it is very stable. In ten years, it has not crashed.
The interface is easy to use.
ClearCase integrates well with other engineering tools and frameworks such as the Eclipse environment.
This is an expensive product and the price could be reduced.
The protection needs to be improved.
I started using IBM Rational ClearCase about 10 years ago.
The stability is very good.
This is a scalable solution. We have been 15 and 30 engineers using it.
The technical support is helpful.
The installation and setup are easy and straightforward. It took about half an hour to deploy.
I deployed it on my own and we don't need to perform any maintenance.
This is a very expensive product.
This is a good product and I can recommend it to others, as long as the company has the money.
I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.
Rational ClearCase is a tool for software configuration management (SCM). Once it hit the market in early 1990s, it was a revolutionary tool. One of the most remarkable features were dynamic views, which enabled viewing different versions of a product without downloading the files to the developer's computer.
Since then, ClearCase powers software development in many large- and medium-size enterprises. However, since IBM purchased Rational in 2003, development of new features slowed down, and the new generation of developers switched to new tools, like Git.
Recently, IBM entered into a partnership with HCL, which hopefully will bring about development of new ClearCase features. Let's wait and see...
Before ClearCase, there was essentially no configuration management, and a developer often did not know which version of the product was most recent, what was delivered to what client and on what version were his colleagues working.
Imagine a group of programmers that write some software, delivers it to a customer and then continues to develop new features. All of the sudden the customer reports a bug. What do you do? How do you find the version delivered to him? Your software is already changed but the development of the new release is not yet completed.
OK, responsible team leaders used to do some manual management, like keeping each version of the software in a separate folder. But it was very inconvenient.
For example, if I fixed a bug in an old version, there was no easy way to apply that solution to the new development (which quite probably, it had inherited that bug).
Therefore when we started using ClearCase, it was like a miracle. It saved all versions of your software, it let you tag releases, it gave tools for parallel development and much more.
I have used it for 19 years.
We have not encountered any special deployment issues.
We have not encountered any stability issues.
We have not encountered any scalability issues.
Customer service is mediocre.
Technical Support:Technical support is mediocre.
There was no previous solution.
The setup is complex.
An in-house team implemented it.
In retrospect, ROI was great.
20 years ago, it was the only real game in town.
I really appreciate the MultiSite feature. It is important to us due to the global nature of our company. My team supports developers using ClearCase in at least ten locations world-wide.
For years, it was the only solution for a global organization.
Platform support could be improved.
I have used it for 16 years as a tools administrator and as an SCM in-house consultant.
From time to time, we have some stability pains. In general, it works fine for what it does.
Given enough horsepower and the infrastructure, due to how it works, we have not encountered any scalability issues as such.
However, performance seems to have slipped somewhat, as features are added between versions. This is typical application bloat, I suppose.
IBM's support of ClearCase is slipping. As they move to newer solutions, they are often stretched thin. However, they have some really good people.
My team, at the time, used TrueChange.
Other teams used other tools, like SVN and Perforce.
ClearCase was the global tool in Motorola when they bought our company, so multi-sited teams switched over, for the most part.
ClearCase is not cheap. However, it has global support behind it. Generally, once you have "enough" floating licenses, you can support far more developers than you have licenses for, especially if you set up global license servers.
At my site, at the time, 60 licenses were more than enough for over 200 users.
Our usage goes back almost twenty years, so this question is probably not relevant anymore. The company that bought us was heavily vested in ClearCase, so that is what we did.
Examine your needs. Once you decide to go with it, get training before setting up the infrastructure (servers, storage).
Our organization has loose guidelines, which are interpreted and enforced in varying levels across business units and technology initiatives. The features allowed us to:
It enabled traceability where we needed to meet regulatory compliance.
I have not had any stability issues.
I have not had any scalability issues.
Technical support is OK.
We used SVN and SourceSafe. We switched for compliance reasons.
The setup was straightforward.
Go with a SaaS if you're able and use a vendor like CloudOne.
At the time, there were open source and Microsoft options.
Look for a more modern product. Your suppliers and developers will be happier.
We use the tool for configuration management, training, and version control.
The tool had features similar to Git for version control. It offered branching and merging capabilities, providing better control over code management. Integration was possible with other tools, including some change management tools. The overall process was normal.
The solution's UI is slow compared to other tools. It is an old tool.
IBM Rational ClearCase is useful and flexible.
Positive
The product's deployment was easy and quick.
IBM Rational ClearCase, like any other IBM tool, is expensive.
I would recommend IBM Rational ClearCase based on customer requirements. Ultimately, the decision should be based on individual circumstances and budget considerations. Some organizations have transitioned away from the tool due to its slow performance and high costs, opting for more powerful systems. I rate it a six out of ten.
