IBM just released IBM Jazz 4.0.5. While you can download 4.0.5 now, I thought I’d cover some compelling reasons to do so.

What’s new in Jazz Team Server 4.0.5

• You can limit the amount of time that a report runs — good for stopping reports that take too long or that error out.
• CLM server monitoring is now installed by default. Seems like a few hoops must be jumped through to use it though.
• Archive and restore process templates: I see this being used to help migrate projects to sandbox servers.
• Project Members can be searched for within the Manage Project page.
• Clear the current iteration instead of having to have a default
• Membership data for projects and teams, including roles, is now sent to data warehouse so it can be reported on.
• New window to create timelines and iterations (seems cleaner to me, just my opinion)
• repotools now supports online backup of work item indices

What’s new in Rational Team Concert 4.0.5

• Can now copy and paste build properties
• ClearCase Importer has been improved
• Export source code data query results from builds into a file
• Improved usability for merging changes containing gaps in history
• Remote Project Support (Rational Developer for System z and TPF Toolkit)
• Removal of restriction on promoting Kanban views
• Improvements on Tag creation and display on Work Items
• UrbanCode Deploy integration
• Can exclude components from builds
• Context-aware search command line command supports SSL and smart cards
• The ISPF client can accept all for incoming changes (I have no idea what this means, looks mainframe/cobol related)
• Can set line delimiter handling in source control to NONE
• Connect to JazzHub from RTC Eclipse Client
• New help for command-line interface
• Argument seperator in command-line interface
• Create Package Wizard has an option to include work items
• Create Package Wizard has a preview package option.
• Can query results of package export
• Ant tasks for packaging and deployment
• In the web client, you can now view preconditions and follow-up actions.
• The plan editor has been greatly enhanced
• Bug fixes for MS Project 2010 export with correct dates
• Kanban view now reports on exceeded count limits
• Can migrate plans from pre-4.0.5 releases and include explicit rankings
• New filtered combo widget (drop-down list searching without using the drop-down list. Pretty nice.) Drop-downs also will show tree views
• Query results will now show approvals, links, and comments in-line
• Approvals now bulk-editable in Eclipse
• Can filter links in query results
• Links are now bulk-editable in Eclipse
• Override schedule properties of builds

What’s new in Rational Quality Manager 4.0.5

• Test Suite runs can be puased, resumed, and stopped.
• Support for multiple subcategories
• Reportable REST API for lab resources
• Subcategory filters in table views
• Can restore deleted test artifacts
• Manage categories through heirarchical views
• New views for category management (show all and show outline)
• Can create new values from existing values in a different category via drag and drop
• Test Plans have three new sections: Test Scripts, Test Case Results, and Test Suite Results
• The test case results for test scripts that have test data associated with them now include the row number of the test data for each step result.
• New process advisors for state transitions
• Support for reconciling a subset of requirements collections
• Various scalability improvements

What’s new in Rational Requirements Composer / DOORS Next Generation 4.0.5

• Scripting (with warnings against using in production)
• Drag and drop linking
• Link creation via Cut and Paste
• Get hyperlinks for multiple artifacts at once
• Define preferred link types for artifact types
• Drag-and-drop reodering of artifacts within a module (finally!)
• Drag-and-drop artifacts between modules and collections
• Use OSLC to link to all artifacts in a module view
• Module scrolling is faster and improved
• Can now upload a new artifact and include it in a collection or a module in one step (versus uploading, then inserting existing artifacts)
• Can now control more easily how many levels are shown within a module
• Embedded images/graphic artifacts are now proportionally scaled within the artifact viewer
• Search now defaults to the current project instead of all projects
• Double-clicking now selects an artifacts and the space bar highlights an artifact
• You can now copy artifacts and create links between the original and duplicated artifact
• Copy artifacts via drag-and-drop within modules
• Improved keyboard shortcuts
• Improved performance while editing within modules
• Improved scroll preview within modules (it shows up only when needed)
• Module views available to RRDI
• New RRDI reports — Requirement List by Collection, Requirements with Execution Results by Collection, Artifact Count, Requirement Counts, Requirements Distribution, Requirements Linked to Test Cases by Collection, Gap Analysis, among many others (must enable them in JTS advanced properties)
• RRDG exports include printing module in book or table format
• Quick print of reports without giving parameters
• Inline view of PDF files in artifacts
• RDF URIs for the type system
• ReqIF improvements (to support RDF types)
• Tips for Requirements Management

I got all of the above information by going to this page, and manually viewing each of the links. The above list does not include all improvements.

My Thoughts

IBM has committed to providing quarterly updates to their Jazz CLM applications. This list is quite big considering IBM’s schedule. RQM probably got the most needed improvements with subcategories, and DOORS Next Generation (DNG)/Rational Requirements Composer is starting to mature nicely. I’m very interested to see how the scripting report works (I believe it uses JavaScript) and how rapidly it matures.

2014 will be a great year for Jazz, particularly for DNG, if IBM can keep their promise of how they intend to version control requirements. That, with reusability, will really have companies who currently use DOORS evaluate DNG seriously.