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From: [email protected] (Dave Eaton)
Subject: comp.software.config-mgmt FAQ: Problem Management Tools Summary
Newsgroups: comp.software.config-mgmt,comp.answers,news.answers
Summary: Problem Management Tools Summary
Part 3 of 3 related CM posts.
Keywords: FAQ, PM Tools, CM, SCM, Problem Management
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Archive-name: sw-config-mgmt/prob-mgt-tools
Last-modified: 2002/09/10
Version: 9.0
Posting-Frequency: monthly

Problem Management Tools Summary

Introduction

This is the newsgroup comp.software.config-mgmt "Frequently Asked
Questions" (FAQ) posting of a Software Problem Management tools
summary. This is part 3 of the 3 part FAQ. Please review all parts
before submitting suggestions or questions to the FAQ editor.

The information contained in this summary is a consolidation of data
obtained from a variety of sources around the Internet, but primarily
from articles and comments posted on the comp.software.config-mgmt
newsgroup. Additional information occasionally is emailed directly to
the author. Check the date above to see how recent the information you
are reading might be.

Sharing Of Information

This document, as a collection of information, is Copyright 1995-2001
by Dave Eaton. It may be freely redistributed in its entirety provided
that this copyright notice is not removed. It may not be sold for
profit or incorporated in commercial documents without the written
permission of the copyright holder. This article is provided as is
without any express or implied warranty. The content is the sole
responsibility of the author and contributors, and does not
necessarily represent the position of their employers nor an official
position or opinion of any company. Please contact the FAQ editor
regarding changes.

Other Information

Various products mentioned in this FAQ are the trademarks of their
respective companies.

All parts of this FAQ are posted to this newsgroup on or about the
22nd of each month. (This is done manually and sometimes work
interferes with this posting, please excuse any delays.)

Like most FAQ lists, these parts are archived at rtfm.mit.edu (and
various other sites which archive FAQs.) The parts are named:
* cm-tools = Configuration Management Tools Summary
* faq = General Questions
* prob-mgt-tools = Problem Management Tools Summary (this document)

and may be found in directory
pub/usenet-by-group/comp.answers/sw-config-mgmt. Those new to the
newsgroups should read news.announce.newusers for general information.

For those with World Wide Web access, hyperlinked HTML versions of
these documents are available via: http://www.daveeaton.com/scm/
(If you type in this URL, remember that it is case sensitive.) These
are updated throughout the month as changes come in. A letter is added
to the version number and the date is changed with each edit to help
you determine if you've already seen it.

What this is not.

If you are not sure what we mean by CM (or SCM), please see our
definition in question [1.2] of FAQ section 1. If you still think this
will help you with your PC hardware or application configuration, you
are mistaken. Please see question [1.10] of FAQ section 1 for some
suggestions of other more appropriate newsgroups for your question --
do not post it to comp.software.config-mgmt. Thank you.

Similarly, this FAQ is intended for tools which address the problem
management needs of the software development process. While some of
these products also may be used to perform "Help Desk" and other
activities, that is not the focus of this group or this FAQ. For "Help
Desk" tools, refer the Help Desk FAQ posted by Phil Verghis at
http://www.philverghis.com/helpdesk.html.

This is not a definitive list of all available tools, nor is it
intended to be. It is not a recommendation or endorsement of any of
the tools mentioned. As noted above, it is a composit of opinions from
the comp.software.config-mgmt newsgroup. If you have a tool you would
like others to know about, please join the discussion.
_________________________________________________________________

** What's New this Month? **

1. Updates to TeamTrack info
_________________________________________________________________

Still Needed

Some tools have been mentioned in the newsgroups, but contact
information (company name, address and phone or ftp location) as well
as user comments are needed so they may be included in the report
below. If you are a user of such a tool, please send a paragraph or
two containing your comments and experiences as well as supplier
contact information to the FAQ editor.
_________________________________________________________________

Table of Contents

1. Summary
2. Problem Management Overview
3. Commercial Vendor Contact List
4. Problem Management Tools Generally Available Free
5. Commercial Problem Management Tools
6. Other Tools
Appendix A. References and Sources of Information
Appendix B. Prob. Mgmt. Tools with World Wide Web sites

1. Summary

History

The first posting of this FAQ was in April, 1994. Since the newsgroup
was relatively new at that time, the early FAQ was 'jump started' with
information obtained from the following sources:
* the Usenet newsgroups comp.software-eng, comp.os.ms-windows.apps,
comp.databases.oracle, and comp.databases.sybase
* the ClearCase International User Group mail list
* the InterWorks (HP Workstation Users Group) CASE SIG mailing list
* the Lotus Notes Users mailing list

Since then, it has been updated and changed substantially as readers
have supplied additional information to the comp.software.config-mgmt
newsgroup and directly to the editor.

Contributions

In addition to some of the vendors themselves, most information
summarized here comes from newsgroup posts and email received from end
users. Our gratitude is been extended to all who have contributed.

Instructions for adding or changing information in this FAQ may be
found in section 1.8 of part 1, the general FAQ for the
comp.software.config-mgmt newsgroup.

Not Official Statements

Please use the summary below in the spirit with which it has been
supplied: for information only. These statements are composites and do
not represent official positions by any particular responder's
company. Remember that these users may not be commenting on the
current version of a product. It is recommended that you do your own
research before making a tool decision for your company.

2. Problem Management Overview

Tool Capabilities

Tools marketed as problem management tools may fulfill different
functions. While not a comprehensive list, some common of the common
capabilities are:
* Call Tracking:
+ targeted towards problems reported by customers often over
telephone lines
+ input from variety of geographically disperse locations
+ assignment to responsible person
+ status monitoring and reporting
* Problem Tracking
+ development process management and change management
authorization
+ work (task) management (who, what, when, due date, status)
+ statistics and metrics gathering and reporting
+ historical records and facilitation of understanding
+ integration with configuration management and test tools

Some organizations only need one of these functions, while others need
both. Many organizations choose to integrate their problem management
and configuration management tools to gain better control of their
development activities and to improve quality.

Tool Packaging

Problem management tools may be purchased in any of at least three
distinct packaging methods:
* Stand-alone, no integration with other tools
* Purchased separately, but integrated with one or more companion
software engineering tools such as configuration management and
test tools - may be from the same or from different vendors
* Bundled with other software engineering tools, usually a
configuration management tool from the same vendor

Be certain you determine your needs and confirm that the tool you
select fulfills your needs.

General Advice

Although the statements below do not relate to a particular tool, they
may provide valuable ideas for those implementing problem management.
* Keep it simple. If it gets in the way people won't use it.
* Make it part of your customer support process.
* Make it part of your email system.
* Make problem management a part of the regular information flow.
* Make it part of your design documentation process.
* Documentation the original designer supplies seldom meets
maintenance needs. The change history augments the original
documentation.
* Get requirements from the European Computer Manufacturers
Association (ECMA) reference model.

If you determine the best tool for your needs is one hosted on UNIX
systems, but you must have access to it from PCs as well, consider
using X-Server software on the PCs.

3. Commercial Vendor Contact List

Vendors

Platform availability and products are continually changing, please
check vendors for current information and trade publications for new
entrants. This should not be considered a complete list of all
available tools. As of this writing, these vendors could be contacted
as shown in this table.

Since vendors are continually changing platform availability and
upgrading their products, it is suggested you consult with them
directly for current information before making a tool selection.

Commercial Products
Product Vendor Address Platforms

+1CR +1 Software Engineering Sun (SunOS and Solaris)
2510-G Las Posas Road,
Suite 438
P.O. Box 6041
Camarillo, CA 93011
tel.: 805-389-1778
[email protected]

AccuRev/Dispatch AccuRev Inc. Solaris, Compaq Alpha Unix,
62 Harvard St. HP-UX, IRIX, RS/6000, FreeB
SD,
Brookline, MA 02445 Linux (Intel and PowerPC),
tel: 617-566-3914 WinNT Win2K client/server,
Windows
fax: 617-566-5035 9X clients.
[email protected] Mac, more Unix, Java "soon"

Aegis Abacus Systems Pty Ltd. PC (MS Windows
27 Ellindale Avenue, variations only)
McKinnon VIC 3204
Australia
tel: +613-9576-7355
FAX: +613 9576-7396

AllChange Intasoft Ltd. PC (MS-WFW, MS Windows
Tresco House Win95/98, WinNT), Sun Solar
is
Westpoint Court
Exeter EX5 1DJ UK
tel.: +44 (0) 1392-447780
FAX: +44 (0) 1392-447781
[email protected]

Apriori Computer Associates Server: HP-UX,
International, Inc. IBM RS/6000, Sun 4
One Computer Associates Plaza
Islandia, NY 11749, USA
tel.: +1 631 342-5224 Client: MS Windows,
FAX: +1 631 342-5329 X-Windows (Motif, Open
[email protected] Look), character based i/f

BugBase Archimedes Software, Inc. PC (Windows)
2159 Union Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
tel.: 415-567-4010
FAX: 415-567-1318

CCC/Harvest Computer Associates HP-UX, IBM RS/6000
1 Computer Associates Plaza OS/2, Win/NT)
Islandia, N.Y. 11788 Sun (contact vendor
tel.: 1-800-225-5224 about others)
FAX: 1-516-342-5224

Distributed Defect Rational Apollo, HP 9000,
Tracking System IBM RS/6000,
(ClearDDTS) 1309 S. Mary Ave DECstation & VAX
Sunnyvale, CA 94087 running Ultrix,
tel.: 408-524-3671 Sun (SunOS & Solaris),
FAX: 408-720-9200 PC (SCO UNIX)

ClearQuality Clarify Inc. HP-UX, IBM RS/6000
2702 Orchard Pkwy. SGI, Sun
San Jose, CA 95134
tel.: 408-428-2000 Client on Mac,
FAX: 408-428-0633 PC (MS Windows, WinNT,
and Win95),
UNIX running Motif

ClearQuest Rational PC (WinNT, Win95/98/2000)
1309 S. Mary Ave
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
tel.: 408-524-3671
FAX: 408-720-9200

Census MetaQuest Software Inc. Server:
416 de Maisonneuve West PC (WinNT, Win95/98)
Suite 401
Montreal, Quebec Client:
Canada PC (WinNT, Win95/98) and
tel: 514-341-9113 Web browser (PC/Mac/UNIX)
FAX: 514-341-4757
[email protected]

Change Synergy Telelogic AB HP-UX, IBM AIX,
(World headquarters) Linux,
PO Box 4128 PC (MS WinNT, Win2K)
Kungsgaten 6 SE-203 12
Malm�, Sweden
tel: +46 (40) 174700
FAX: +46 (40) 174747
[email protected]

US headquarters
Telelogic North America Inc.
9401 Jeronimo Road
Irvine, CA 92618 USA
Tel: +1-949-830-8022
Fax: +1-949-830-8023

Control First Repository Technology PC (DOS)
tel.: 708-515-0780
800-776-2176

Control First is also sold as:
TRUEtrack TRUE Software
300 Fifth Avenue PC (DOS)
Waltham, MA 02154
tel.: 781-890-4450
FAX: 781-890-4452
[email protected]

Defect WorkFlow (DWF) SoftQuest Systems PC (MS Win95, WinNT)
P.O. Box 1124
Rehovot 76267
Israel
tel.: 972-8-940-9727
[email protected]

DTS Open System Consultants any UNIX host supported
Pty Ltd by Perl
24 Bateman St
Hampton VIC 3188
Australia
tel.: +61 3 9598 0985
Fax: +61 3 9598 0985
[email protected]

ExtraView Sesame Technology Servers: UNIX, Linux
269 Mount Hermon Road WinNT
Suite 100
Scotts Valley, CA 95066 Client: Any platform hostin
g
tel: (831) 461-7100 Netscape or MSIE,
FAX: (831) 461 7104 PalmOS on Palm VII Wireless
[email protected]

GLOBETrack GLOBEtrotter Software Digital Unix, HP-UX,
300 Orchid City Dr. #131 IBM RS/6000, Linux (Intel),
Campbell, CA 95008 SGI, Sun (SunOS/Solaris),
tel.: 408-370-2800 Web interface for PC/Mac
FAX: 408-370-2884
[email protected]

IssueView IssueView.Com PC (Windows)
17 El Camino Corto
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
tel: 510-304-1096
[email protected]

KeepTrack! 3L Ltd. (was PC based, but
Peel House it appears this
Livingstone product may be
EH54 6AG no longer
Scotland available)
tel.: +44 506 41 5959

Lotus Notes Lotus Development Corp. PC (DOS, MS Windows,
55 Cambridge Parkway WinNT, OS/2), Macintosh,
Cambridge, MA 02142 HP-UX, IBM RS/6000, Sun

NeumaCM+ Neuma Technology
Corporation
1730 St. Laurent Blvd.,
Suite 200,
Ottawa, Ontario,
Canada K1G 5L1
tel.: 613-738-3156
FAX: 613-738-7210
[email protected]

OmniTracker OmniNet GmbH Clients: Win95/98/NT/2K
Orchideenstrasse 39, Web-Front, Java-Frontend
90542 Server: WinNT/2K
Eckental, Germany
tel.: 011-49-9126-259790
[email protected]

PR-Tracker Softwise PC (Windows 95, 98,
tel.: 425-513-0415 WinNT, 2000, ME)
or: 888-324-3988
FAX: 425-513-0516
or: 888-324-3980
[email protected]

Problem Tracker NetResults Corporation PC (Win95/98/NT)
444 High St.
PO Box 1238
Palo Alto, CA 94302-1238
[email protected]
tel.: 650-473-3933
FAX: 650-473-3934

PVCS Dimensions MERANT Bull, DEC (VMS, Ultirx,
701 East Middlefield Rd Unix), H-P, ICL, Sequent,
Mountain View, CA 94043 Sun, PC (WinNT coming)
tel.: 800-872-6265
FAX: 650-404-7217

Corporate Headquarters:
The Lawn
22-30 Old Bath Road
Newbury
Berkshire, England RG14 1QN
tel.: +1635 32646
FAX: +1635 33966

PVCS Tracker MERANT PC (Windows)
701 East Middlefield Rd
Mountain View, CA 94043
tel.: 800-872-6265
FAX: 650-404-7217

Qualit Defect Manager Qualit, Inc. PC
801 W. El Camino Real
Suite 359
Mountain View, CA. 94040
tel.: 415-964-4525
FAX: 415-964-4512
[email protected]

Siebel Siebel Systems, Inc. Server: DEC Ultrix,
1855 South Grant Street HP-UX, IBM RS/6000,
San Mateo, CA 94402 Sun, VMS, others
tel.: 650-295-5000 Client only: PC
or: 800-647-4300 (Windows, WinNT)
fax: 650-295-5111 Macintosh, MIPS
[email protected]

Razor Visible Systems Sun (both Solaris and
248 Main Street SunOS), HP, SGI,
Oneida, NY 13421 RS/6000, Digital Unix,
tel.: 315-363-8000 Linux, PC(Win95/98,
FAX: 315-363-7488 WinNT)
[email protected]

Remedy Action Request Remedy Corp. Server: AT&T, HP-UX,
System (ARS) 1505 Salado Dr. IBM RS/6000, Motorola,
Mountain View, CA 94043 SGI, Sun
tel.: 415-903-5200 Client: Above plus
FAX: 415-903-9001 PC(Windows, Mac)
[email protected]

SWBTracker Software with Brains, Inc. PC(Windows 95, 98, NT4)
649 Branch Dr.
Toms River, NJ 08755 USA
[email protected]

TeamTrack TeamShare, Inc. Server: PC (MS WinNT,
1975 Research Parkway, Win2000)
Suite #200
Colorado Springs, CO 80920
tel.: 888-832-6742 Client: Web browsers MSIE &
Netscape
FAX: 719-599-4498
[email protected]

Track for Windows Soffront PC (Windows, soon a 32
1806 Milmont Drive bit version for WinNT
Suite 169 and OS/2)
Milpitas, CA 95035
tel.: 408-263-2703
800-sof-front
[email protected]

TrackRecord Compuware Corporation PC (MS Windows, WinNT,
31440 Northwestern Highway and OS/2)
Farmington Hills, MI 48334
tel.: 248-737-7300

marketed by
Compuware NuMega Lab
9 Townsend West
Nashua, NH 03063
800-4NUMEGA

TrackWise Sparta Systems, Inc. PC (MS Windows)
1 Bethany Road, Suite 90
Hazlet, NJ 07730
tel.: 888-261-5948
FAX: 732-203-0375
[email protected]

Vantive Quality Vantive Corp. HP-UX, IBM RS/6000
1890 N. Shoreline Blvd. Sun
Mountain View, CA 94043
tel.: 415-691-1500 Client on Windows
PC (WinNT Planned)

Visual Intercept Elsinore Technologies, PC (MS Windows 3.x,
Inc. Win95, WinNT)
7200 Falls of the Neuse Road
Suite 302
Raleigh, NC 27615
tel.: 919-532-0022 ext.408
FAX: 919-532-0023

[email protected]

4. Problem Management Tools Generally Available Free

Free But Perhaps Not Fully Supported

There are a few freely available (Open Source) problem management
tools. Generally you must transfer it from an archive site on the
Internet using a tool such as FTP or a Web browser. In some cases the
tool will need to be compiled at your site and in some cases there is
a license fee. Most come bundled with adequate documentation. Such
tools generally are provided without support, so it may not be
advisable to use them on some projects.

Bugzilla

Bugzilla is the problem management tool used by the Netscape Mozilla
team. and available from mozilla.org. It is Web-based, flexible,
written in Perl and uses MySQL as its database back-end. Bugzilla is
Open-Source software. Updates are available via CVS. See
http://www.mozilla.org/bugs/ for download information. Other tools
available through the Mozilla project include LXR which lets you
browse the latest version of the source code, Bonsai for tree control
(smile), and Tinderbox for knowing when the tree is in flames. More
information concerning these tools may be found at
http://www.Mozilla.org/tools.html

Debian Bug Tracking System

The Debian Bug Tracking System (debbugs) is a set of scripts which
maintain a database of problem reports. Key features include complete
input and manipulation of bugs by email. Various lists of bugs are
available via email or the Web. The system runs on Unix and expects to
have its own (possibly `virtual') mail domain. It is available at:
ftp://ftp.chiark.greenend.org.uk/users/ian/debbugs/ Information may be
found on the Web at: http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~ian/debbugs/

GNU GNATS

GNU GNATS (GNU Problem Report Management System) is copyrighted by the
Free Software Foundation and freely available according to the terms
of the GNU General Public License.

This product which helps track software problems or change-requests.
Some of its features include:
* problems submitted via email
* uses a file system based database
* each problem identified by a unique key
* querying possible
* can maintain audit trail of all activities concerning a specific
problem
* a GUI interface (via tkgnats)

Responders believed that linking GNATS and the ClearCase task examples
(/usr/atria/examples/task) should not be too difficult, though no
responders seem to have tried this.

GNATS can be obtained from one of the GNU mirrors or from Cygnus
Support.

For example, GNATS may be found via anonymous FTP at
ftp://prep.ai.mit.edu/pub/gnu/gnats/ or
ftp://sourceware.cygnus.com/pub/gnats. A web interface to gnats,
gnatsweb, is distributed with gnats itself.

TkGnats information and the latest version of TkGnats may be found at
http://www.cuug.ab.ca:8001/~macdonal/tkgnats.html.

JitterBug

JitterBug, developed for managing the samba-bugs bug reports and now
used on other projects, is web based and written in C. It is released
as free software under the GPL. Information may be found at
http://samba.anu.edu.au/cgi-bin/jitterbug and a guest interface to the
rsync JitterBug provides a reasonable demo at
http://samba.anu.edu.au/cgi-bin/rsync The non-guest interface has many
more features, of course. A french version of JitterBug may be found
at http://jitterbug.websitewatchers.com/

OpenTrack

OpenTrack (OT) began as a UNIX-based tracking system used to manage
defect reports and enhancement requests filed against offerings,
tools, or projects. Each report is stored as a Change Request (CR) in
a plain file containing project-chosen fields that describe the defect
or enhancement. The user interface is text-based and presented through
the user's standard editor. Each project established in OT is
configurable through definitions files and TCL procedures. There is an
MS Windows NT port available which uses the Sleepycat database and is
web-based. Additional information and download may be found at:
http://www.accurev.com/ot/

PTS, XPTS, and Web/PTS

Problem Tracking System (PTS, XPTS, and Web/PTS) by Dean Collins
provides an easy way to report problems, and is oriented towards
system administration, though it is no longer under active
developemnt. It consists primarily of an X application. There is a
simple text-mode and command-line interface for reporting problems.
Latest information is available on the WWW at
http://www.halcyon.com/dean/pts/pts.html or by anonymous ftp at
ftp.halcyon.com/local/pts.

PTS

PTS is a web-based project/problem management system which uses a SQL
server back end. PTS has been rewritten into Keystone, a far more
flexible and powerful ticketing / project management system. Both are
available at http://www.stonekeep.com. PTS is free, and Keystone is
free for up to 10 concurrent users, after which there is a small fee
requested.

wrek

Wrek is written in perl 5 and uses your your Web server and browser as
its interface and offers an email connection. It is simple,
functional, and Y2k Compliant. Additinal information may be found at:
http://www.math.duke.edu/~yu/wreq/. Its "cookie based" authentication
system may be the best, but .htaccess and UNIX passwd authentication
options are also supported. Most aspects of a support group can be
configured from a web page with its own group password.

5. Commercial Problem Management Tools

Growing Number On Market

It is impossible to provide user's comments concerning all the
available tools. A brief summary of the tools mentioned most
frequently on the Usenet newsgroup comp.software.config-mgmt is
provided below so that your site may decide if it would be appropriate
to consider one of these tools. These comments do not necessarily
reflect the opinion or experiences of the author of this document.

Contact information such as address and phone number may be found in
the Commercial Vendor Contact List, elsewhere in this document.

+1CR

+1CR from +1 Software Engineering allows you to submit, list, view,
query, print, and administer problem reports. +1CR supports process
management, which ensures that when a file is checked in using +1CM,
the problem report number exists and its status allows for check ins.
It runs on any Sun supporting an OpenWindows, Motif, or CDE windowing
environment. User comments are requested. Please send them to the FAQ
editor. (see bottom of this FAQ). A supplier WWW site is available at
http://www.plus-one.com

AccuRev/Dispatch

AccuRev(tm), from AccuRev Inc. is client/server, built on top of
AccuRev/CM (shares the same database), integrated with AccuRev, runs
on all of the same platforms as AccuRev/CM, and is completely
configurable.

Aegis

Aegis from Abacus Systems is an affordable and easy to use help desk
and incident management system. It will help you organize client
requests, change requests, and product defects. Aegis friendly,
intuitive user interface makes it a painless approach to providing a
high level of support and service to your clients. It provides a
history of precisely what's been done.

Its features include:
* Ability to change the screen layout.
* Powerful filters, view and user define sort options.
* Full notifications facility.
* Graphical Reporting.
* Estimation and Costing.
* Integrated contact management system.
* Auditing.
* Incident ageing.

A supplier WWW site is available at http://www.abacus-systems.com/

AllChange

AllChange from Intasoft is a configuration management system including
integrated problem management and change requests (known as CRs). Its
features include:
* Different classes of CR
* Any CR Numbering scheme
* Different life-cycles depending on class
* Full link to configuration items and baselines
* Hierarchical CRs supported
* Site definable fields
* Full search and query support
* Metrics generation and graphical reporting
* User assignment
* Full audit trail
* Automatic mailing

A supplier WWW site is available at
http://www.intasoft.co.uk/intasoft/

Apriori

Apriori by Computer Associates (formerly Platinum Technology, formerly
Answer Systems, Inc.) is a family of integrated applications to
improve performance of support and help desk teams. Newsgroup chatter
has been very light. A supplier WWW site is available at
http://www.platinum.com/products/dataw/applsres.htm

BugBase

BugBase is a PC-only tool which keeps track of problems and provides
on-screen reports as text, pie charts or bar graphs. The database
tracks the status, severity, urgency, and type of the defect, as well
as providing for a brief description of the problem. Other fields
allow additional information to be included. Sorts may be based on any
field. A supplier WWW site is available at http://www.bugbase.com/

CCC/Harvest

CCC/Harvest provides problem management as a stand-alone tool or in
conjunction with other software development tools from Computer
Associates (formerly from Platinum Technology). Electronic review and
notification of status changes is part of the problem life cycle
management provided. A supplier WWW site is available at
http://www.ca.com/products/ccm/

ClearDDTS

ClearDDTS (formerly DDTs by QualTrak) from Rational (formerly Pure
Atria) may be used as a stand alone product or in conjunction with the
ClearCase SCM tool. Some of the DDTS advocates had been using the tool
for several years and claimed they could not imagine functioning
without it. While "call tracking" is a form of problem management, the
manufacturer says it is not designed to provide sophisticated call
tracking. It does do a very good job of problem management and metrics
gathering. The email interface allows notification of new problems and
changes of status as well as submission of defects from email.

The tool's character-based terminal interface origins is still evident
even in the newer X-Windows version, causing some users to find it
harder to use than a full GUI tool. Despite that drawback, it has many
strong supporters.

The product includes a Web-based interface called WebTracker which
allows for submission and querying of records in the ClearDDTS
database. It provides most of the functionality of the native
ClearDDTS client, including the ability to modify a recorf and
generate management reports.

One popular feature of ClearDDTS is its distributed nature. ClearDDTS
supports the sharing of information between project teams located at
different locations. With ClearDDTS' subscription feature, a remote
location can subscribe to a local project and maintain a copy of all
records associated with that project in a remote database. The
information is kept in-sync through an email interface.

ClearDDTS is integrated with Purify. A developer who finds a run-time
error can submit that error directly into ClearDDTS. The Purify output
will be included as part of the record in ClearDDTS.

The ClearDDTS and ClearCase configuration management integration has
been shipping for a while and seems to be very popular. A number of
users report a high degree of satisfaction with this integration.

There is a simple "query language" that allows extracting "all bugs
submitted against product-x by person-y between date-1 and date-2 that
have priority greater than z." Beginning in Nov. 1995, ClearDDTS began
including an SQL database as part of the product. It also provides an
SQL interface to the Oracle database.

Advantages
* very easy to use platform
* very flexible tool
* good integration with ClearCase
* offers the most benefit for the dollar
* references check out well
* good support
* ability to link problem reports in parent-child relationships
* allows some rather complex searches
* very nice metrics shipped and setup with the tool
* engineer can get email with change-request number

Disadvantages
* user interface is too character-based
* only available on UNIX platforms today

Summarizing their installation, one person said, "ClearCase is truly a
productivity tool for the engineer/programmer and DDTS is a
productivity tool for the project manager."

A supplier WWW site is available at
http://www.rational.com/products/clear_ddts/ MS Windows users may want
to look into ClearQuest at
http://www.rational.com/products/clearquest/

ClearQuality

ClearQuality is part of Clarify Inc.'s Service Management System.
While ClearSupport provides high volume call tracking, ClearQuality
provides defect tracking. Information it keeps includes priority,
severity, module and description. It allows related information to be
attached by the user. In addition to Motif on UNIX platforms,
ClearQuality's client may be run from PCs and Macintosh machines. A
supplier WWW site is available at http://www.clarify.com/.

ClearQuest

ClearQuest from Rational may be used as a stand alone product or in
conjunction with the Rational Suite toolkit. It is also integrated
with a variety of other tools from Rational, including ClearCase,
Purify, Quantify, PureCoverage, TeamTest, and PerformanceStudio.

ClearQuest is a flexible system, allowing the designer to create data
fields, forms, life cycles (i.e. state machines), and process rules
via either Perl or VBScript. ClearQuest uses a RDBMs as the back-end
datastore, supporting Sybase SQL/Anywhere, Microsoft Access, Microsoft
SQL Server and Oracle.

ClearQuest provides the end-user with both a Win32 and Web interface.
Customizations and administration are done on via a Win32 interface. A
supplier WWW site is available at
http://www.rational.com/products/clearquest.

ClearTrack

ClearTrack was Rational's (actually Atria's) change request managemen
(CRM) system that tracked defects and enhancement requests throughout
the entire software development and maintenance process. It could be
used as a standalone system or in conjunction with Rational's
ClearCase software configuration management product. Used together,
ClearCase and ClearTrack provided a change management solution. Over
time, this product has been replaced by Rational's ClearDDTS and
ClearQuest and is noted here only for historical reference.

Census

The MetaQuest Software Inc. product Census is an MS Windows-based
issue tracking system that can track defects, enhancement requests,
test cases, timesheets, support calls, and more. Some of its features
include:
* Customizable without programming but can be extended using VBA
* Includes e-mail integration and notification
* Tracks revision history
* Full reporting and query capabilities including ad-hoc queries
* Interactive tutorial included
* Windows client interface and a Web-based interface via Census Web
* Automatically generates Web Views for different classes of users

A supplier WWW site is available at http://www.metaquest.com/

Change Synergy

The Change Synergy problem tracking tool from Telelogic (which
acquired Continuus Software Corp., formerly CaseWare, Inc.) is
excellent and is integrated with their CM Synergy tool, providing a
tightly integrated package.

The system supports problem submission (either through a graphical
user interface or electronic mail), on-line queries, problem
reporting, and correlation of change requests to project components. A
supplier WWW site is available at http://www.telelogic.com/

Control First

and

TRUEtrack

TRUEtrack, sold by TRUE Software provides an interface to TRUEchange.
This product is also sold as Control First by Repository Technology
and provides problem tracking capability for the configuration
management product PVCS.

Defect WorkFlow (DWF)

Defect WorkFlow (DWF) from SoftQuest Systems is a PC-based defect
tracking and change management system for software systems. A web
interface permits reporting defects and changes over the Internet. DWF
contains a process based workflow for recording defects and changes,
analyzing them, fixing them and testing them. The testing phase
supports testing of multiple software releases before closing the
defect/change. Documentation updates are linked to the defect and
change that has to be handled. An evaluation copy can be downloaded
from the supplier WWW site at http://www.softquest.co.il/.

DTS

DTS is a commercial web-based defect and trouble tracking system from
Open System Consultants. It is suitable for use by ISPs and software
developers and includes email gateways, management statistics and
reporting. DTS runs on any Unix host supported by Perl, including
Solaris, SunOS, Linux, FreeBSD, Digital Unix and many others. It with
any SQL database supported by Perl DBD/DBI, including Oracle, Sybase,
Informix, Microsoft SQL, Ingres, mSQL, mysql etc. Full source code is
included. A full working demo and product details are available on the
supplier WWW site at http://www.open.com.au/dts/.

ExtraView

ExtraView by Sesame Technology is a completely Web-based issue
tracking and workflow management system designed for ease of setup,
configuration, and customization. ExtraView conforms to the
installer's processes and workflow requirements, helping a company to
provide a better product to its customers.

Features include:
* Unlimited scalability of cases, groups, users, fields, rules,
reports, and attachments
* Automatic email notification, threaded email discussions, and
dynamic interest lists
* Queries with simple or complex filters, custom statistical and
summary reports exported from the browser to HTML, MS Word, Excel,
or text
* Complete audit trails on all updates and workflow transitions
* Integrated knowledge base
* Command Line Interface and open API for easy integration with SCM
and CRM products
* Wireless PDA support

A supplier WWW site is available at http://www.sesame.com/ and
http://www.extraview.com/.

GLOBETrack

GLOBEtrack by GLOBEtrotter Software is an integrated Web-based bug and
customer support tracking system providing a complete set of
high-quality product defect and customer support management solutions.
GLOBEtrack is easily installed and designed to be used immediately
after installation with predefined bug and support tracking templates
and reports. Also, it is customizable, you can make simple changes
quickly, or you can implement extensive changes to tailor GLOBEtrack
to fit your specific needs. It runs on several Unix platforms and a
Web based interface makes the product available to users running
X-Windows servers on other platforms. A supplier WWW site is available
at http://www.globetrotter.com/.

IssueView

IssueView by IssueView.Com is customizable Windows based bug tracking
software. It has a multi-project Explorer style interface. Tracking
projects are displayed in a Tree on the left, and issues within the
selected project are displayed in a powerful datagrid. IssueView
supports custom Filters, Reports, Attachments, Drag-and-Drop, and much
more. Both Microsoft Access and SQL Server databases are supported. A
supplier WWW site is available at http://www.IssueView.com/,

KeepTrack!

Consensus of responders was that KeepTrack! was rather restrictive and
that it is no longer available on the market.

Lotus Notes

Not surprisingly, a Lotus representative replied that they use Lotus
Notes for Tech Support Calls. All customer incidents are tracked from
phone call through world-wide escalation. (Although Lotus claimed to
market the application and customization they use, there was no
response to an email request for more information.)

Others using Lotus Notes admitted they had not tried a commercial
system built specifically for problem management. Most used email
and/or automatic email from Lotus Notes as part of their
implementation. Depending upon how each site builds the database and
forms, a Lotus Notes form may include version, client, module,
priority, status, additional text, and more. Prioritization and review
can be handled, though the descriptions of some implementations
sounded awkward.

Advantages
* tailored to local process and style
* better than lots of Post-It notes and yelling
* tool already in use for other communication reasons
* good means for wide area distribution and replication

Disadvantages
* difficult to extract metrics reports
* performance issues (see below)
* lack of integration with rest of development system

Although reliability and up-time seems adequate, performance and
scalability tended to be a problem when using Lotus Notes as a problem
tracking system. Even on 50 MHz 486 machines, several users reported
situations such as:
* 20 second searches with fewer than 2000 records
* over 5 minutes with 65000 records and two users
* search time doubling with each new user added

NeumaCM+

NeumaCM+ from Neuma Technology Corporation provides a comprehensive
problem reporting and tracking system. This problem tracking
application may be used as a standalone system, or it may be fully
integrated with your complete NeumaCM+ application suite. A problem
can be defined as a deficiency in a product or process that represents
a deviation from the product, requirement or specification. For any
problem entered in NeumaCM+, the system tracks critical information
such as who originated the problem, the status and priority of the
problem, and the description. NeumaCM+ maintains a full audit trail of
all actions relates or associated to that problem report. It can be
highly customized by the user. A web interface is also available. A
supplier WWW site is available at http://www.neuma.com.

OmniTracker

OmniTracker by OmniNet GmbH is a professional action and request
management and tracking system available for a broad spectrum of
service delivery organizations and application areas such as:
Help-Desks and Call-Center, Quality-Management, Service-Management,
SLA-Management, Activity-Management, Problem- and Bug-Management,
Change-Management. A supplier WWW site is available at
http://www.omninet.de/.

PR-Tracker

PR-Tracker by Softwise includes features such as customizable data
entry, workflow, views and queries; one click queries; reports; email
notification and attachments. PR-Tracker Web implements problem
tracking over the internet or an intranet with the same user interface
as PR-Tracker. PR-Tracker and PR-Tracker Web can be integrated so that
data collected from both products can be stored in the same database.

More information and downloads are available on the supplier WWW site
at http://www.prtracker.com

Problem Tracker

ProblemTracker by NetResults is a Web-based tool for bug tracking and
change management. Some of the features include
* A user-definable workflow system that helps manage the process of
getting bugs fixed
* Email integration and notification
* Full query and reporting capabilities
* Summary reports
* Customer bug reporting that allows your customers to submit
problem reports over the Internet to ProblemTracker
* Web-based file attachments
* Full HTML online help

A supplier WWW site is available at http://www.n2r6.com.

PVCS Dimensions

The configuration management tool PCMS Dimensions PVCS by MERANT
(formed by the combination of Micro Focus and Intersolv) includes an
embedded software development process management capability which can
be used for problem management. Based on an Oracle database engine, it
is SQL compliant. Reports are that the system as a whole is very
bureaucratic and time-consuming, adding a lot of overhead to the
development process that couldn't be justified by the rewards. These
comments have been disputed by several others in the newsgroup who
claim PVCS Dimensions imposes no more process overhead than the
user/organization has itself chosen to use. The organizational
policies are definable within the PVCS Dimensions "control plan".

Interactions with other tools is limited but being improved. It is
integrated with a graphical desktop in Digital's COHESION Team/SEE.

PVCS Tracker

The PC Windows-only tool PVCS Tracker (formerly DCS) came highly
recommended by those who responded. It may be used in stand alone mode
or may be networked. UNIX systems may access the database via lan
manager and PC/NFS.

The integration with PVCS provides a development platform for PC
users. Tracker has been improved for use on large projects/large
development groups and the product can now use the major client/server
DBMSs as the backend database engine. Alternatively, you can use the
integrated dBASE 5.0 as the backend.

A supplier WWW site is available at http://www.merant.com

Siebel

The former Siebel/Scopus Technology products QualTEAM and ProTEAM have
been replaced with a new offering combining features from Siebel's
product and these, which Siebel acquired.

A user writeup and description of the new product is needed. Please
submit comments to the newsgroup and directly to the FAQ editor.

A supplier WWW site is available at http://www.siebel.com/

Razor

Razor, from Visible Systems Corporation (formerly from Tower Concepts)
is a highly configurable problem tracking system, which comes complete
with an integrated file version control package.

Issue form templates are defined and tailored by each work group to
contain information that will meet their needs. These forms present
themselves on screen as Motif windows, employing text fields, check
boxes, choices etc, for such information as...
* The estimated effort/cost involved
* Whether the issue is approved for resolution
* The systems to be affected by the proposed change
* Which product release it relates to
* Its priority and phase in schedule
* None, all, others, or variations of the above

Each new form is automatically numbered and entered into the Razor
database. These forms can then be edited and routed to team members
electronically, avoiding the clumsy paper and homegrown systems that
have become the norm in many companies. Every change to the form is
recorded and time stamped with the user's login name, providing
complete accountability for changes. Approval and signature lists can
be configured into the system to make the package as open or
restrictive as each site deems necessary for their process.

The product is also takes advantage of email connectivity. Users are
able to submit new issues to the database through email messages, and
to use email to configure queries and reports which are generated and
returned by email. Their database synchronization capability provides
automatic coordination of multiple databases at remote sites. Razor's
easily parsed ASCII database allows users to generate their own
scripts for report generation and process control.

A company representative stressed that it is extremely easy to try out
their product. Both documentation and a full copy of the product for
evaluation are available by FTP. New releases and patches are handled
in the same manner. A supplier WWW site is available at
http://www.razor.visible.com

Remedy ARS

The Action Request System (ARS) by Remedy Corp. is a flexible
client/server solution which is available on a wide variety of
platforms.

Users report that the system is effective and very flexible. Its 'help
desk software' is but one of the functions available in this vertical
application builder oriented toward business process management. The
AR System is not an out of box solution but rather one for which
effective deployment requires careful process analysis and at least
tailoring of the sample application schemas provided with the product.

The rich set of active link (client side, not supported by ARWeb) and
filters (server side) provide extensive opportunities for validating
inputs, triggering external events, computing defaults based on other
input fields, etc.

Remedy offers the ARWeb product for WWW access to Action Request
System installations. An on-line demo is available from the Remedy web
server. Via the WWW, users can submit new Action Requests (what ever
they are called in the local context, .... help requests, bug reports,
etc.) and they can perform QBE searches of the data base. Using the
search facilities, they can check the status of prior requests as well
as look for similar problems from other users. Other ARSystem
facilities require an actual AR System client for access (modify,
delete, etc.).

A supplier WWW site is available at http://www.remedy.com

SWBTracker

Software with Brains, Inc.'s SWBTracker is bug tracking and release
management software for small- to medium-sized software development
companies. It supports multiple users, customizable defect
classifications, automatic e-mail notifications, customizable reports
and queries, and defect submissions by remote users. A supplier WWW
site is available at http://www.softwarewithbrains.com/

TeamTrack

TeamShare's TeamTrack Workgroup is a secure and configurable solution,
created to map, track and enforce the life of development projects.
Like our enterprise solution TeamTrack, TeamTrack Workgroup uses the
same technology to provide a solution for professional product
development, quality assurance, technical support, and help desk
teams. A supplier WWW site is available at http://www.teamshare.com

Track for Windows

Track for Windows by Soffrontis a customizable Defect Tracking and
Technical Support database, designed to help deliver quality products
on time by tracking and automatically informing of the defects in the
product, the project completion time, the system configuration and
other related information to everyone who must be informed. TRACKWeb
is server software that enables you to interact with a Track Database
using standard Web browsers. TRACKRules is a rule definition system
which allows a systems administrator to define complex conditions
which activate both mail notifications and field updates, thereby
ensuring proper maintenance and execution of business rules, process
flow, and communication. A supplier WWW site is available at
http://www.soffront.com.

TrackRecord

TrackRecord by Compuware Corporation (who acquired UnderWare, Inc.) is
a fully configurable client/server change request management system
integrated with Visual SourceSafe Safe, PVCS and others. It has
dynamic reports keeping each user on the system up to date with the
information they are interested in. It also has full web client
capability and email integration for remote users. TrackRecord is
extensible through its Active X automation interfaces.

TrackWise

TrackWise from Sparta Systems, Inc., is a highly customizable and
powerful tracking tool for PCs running MS Windows. It can implement
defect tracking, change request management (CRM), customer complaints,
and many others. It uses standard SQL relational database systems
(RDBMS). Querying, performing quick searches and report generation is
performed via point-and-click. No formal "query language" is required.
A supplier WWW site is available at http://www.sparta-sys.com

Vantive Quality

Vantive Quality by Vantive Corporation is an integrated change
management system with links to several configuration management
systems. In addition to status tracking, it integrates with popular
email packages, providing automatic routing of problems. Vantive
Quality is integrated with other Vantive tools to provide such
features as Help Desk support.

Visual Intercept

Visual Intercept by Elsinore Technologies, Inc. is a problem
management tool which is integrated with Microsoft's Visual
SourceSafe. The company was formed by some former leaders of One Tree
Software, the original authors of SourceSafe before it was purchased
by Microsoft. A supplier WWW site is available at
http://www.elsitech.com.

6. Other Tools

There are other such tools available today as well as new ones
entering the market. Check the appropriate industry periodicals for
additional listings.

Appendix A. References and Sources of Information

For additional information about the topic discussed here, consider
the following sources of information in addition to various industry
periodicals and new data from the vendors themselves.

Usenet Newsgroup
[1] The Usenet newsgroup comp.software-eng articles and
associated Frequently asked Questions (FAQ) lists comments on
software tools from newsgroup readers world-wide. That FAQ is
archived at site rtfm.mit.edu in the directory
pub/usenet/news.answers/software-eng under the names part0
through part3. Instructions for finding the other parts of the
FAQ for this newsgroup, comp.software.config-mgmt, are provided
in the section 'Other Information' above.

Windows NT Tools
[2] Microsoft Win32 Products & Services Catalog. Published in
1993 by Microsoft Corporation as part number 098-5230. Copies
may be requested from Microsoft Corporation; Systems Marketing;
One Microsoft Way; Redmond, WA 98052 or email:
[email protected]

Open Systems Tools
[3] 1994 Open Systems Products Directory. Published in 1994 by
UniForum for their members. ISBN: 0-936593-28-8. Uniforum; 2901
Tasman Dr., Suite 205; Santa Clara, CA 95054-1100.

Various products mentioned in this message are the trademarks of their
respective companies.
_________________________________________________________________

Appendix B. Problem Management Tools With World Wide Web Sites

As the popularity and accessibility of the World Wide Web (WWW) has
grown, tool vendors and dedicated users have begun providing tool
information on their WWW servers. The content may vary widely, and
some will contain significant marketing information, rather than
technical details. On any particular attempt, network traffic, server
traffic, or server outages may prevent access to the information. All
servers may not be accessible from all sites. The related WWW servers
which have been reported to this FAQ editor are:
* Vendor/Supplier WWW Servers
+ +1CR information from +1 Software Engineering at
http://www.plus-one.com/
+ Aegis from Abacus Systems Pty Ltd. at
http://www.abacus-systems.com
+ Apriori information from Computer Associates at
http://www.platinum.com/products/dataw/applsres.htm
+ AllChange information from Intasoft at
http://www.intasoft.co.uk/intasoft/
+ BugBase information from Archimedes at
http://www.bugbase.com/
+ Track information from Soffront at http://www.soffront.com/
+ CCC/Harvest information from Computer Asociates at
http://www.ca.com/products/ccm/
+ Clarify, makers of ClearQuality, at http://www.clarify.com
+ ClearTrack information from Rational at
http://www.rational.com/
+ Census information from MetaQuest Software Inc. at
http://www.metaquest.com/
+ Change Synergy information from Telelogic at
http://www.telelogic.com/
+ Defect WorkFlow (DWF) from SoftQuest Systems at
http://www.softquest.co.il/
+ DTS by Open System Consultants at http://www.open.com.au/dts/
+ ExtraView information from Sesame Technology at
http://www.extraview.com/
+ GLOBETrack information from GLOBEtrotter Software at
http://www.globetrotter.com/gtrack.htm
+ IssueView information from IssueView.Com at
http://www.IssueView.com/
+ Neuma Technology Corporation information about NeumaCM+ at
http://www.neuma.com/
+ OmniTracker information from OmniNet GmbH at
http://www.omninet.de/
+ PR-Tracker at http://www.halcyon.com/softwise/prtrak.html
+ Dean Collins' information about PTS, XPTS, and Web/PTS at
http://www.halcyon.com/dean/
+ PTS information at http://www.stonekeep.com
+ Rational's product ClearDDTS at
http://www.rational.com/products/clear_ddts/
+ Rational's product ClearQuest at
http://www.rational.com/products/clearquest/
+ MERANT makers of PVCS Tracker, at http://www.merant.com
+ NetResults info about Problem Tracker at http://www.n2r6.com
+ Qualit, Inc. at http://www.qualit.com
+ Siebel Systems, Inc., makers of QualTEAM and ProTEAM at
http://www.siebel.com
+ Software with Brains, Inc. makers of SWBTracker at
http://www.softwarewithbrains.com
+ Sparta Systems, Inc., makers of TrackWise at
http://www.sparta-sys.com
+ Remedy Corp. makers of ARS at http://www.remedy.com
+ TeamShare makers of TeamTrack at http://www.teamshare.com
+ Visible Systems makers of Razor, at
http://www.razor.visible.com
+ Visual Intercept by Elsinore Technologies, Inc. at
http://www.elsitech.com
* User Information WWW Servers
+ (None at this time)
* Other Related WWW Servers
+ Phil Verghis' Help Desk FAQ, at
http://www.philverghis.com/helpdesk.html

Additional CM related information available on the WWW is listed in
section 1.7, Where else can I look for configuration management
information?, in the "General Questions" portion (a separate posting)
of this FAQ.

If you are aware of other WWW Servers which should be added to this
list (or any which should be retired), please notify the FAQ editor.
_________________________________________________________________

--------------- End Of comp.software.config-mgmt FAQ Part
3-------------

(This message does not represent an official position of any company.)
--
Dave Eaton
FAQ editor
email:[email protected]