A Perfect ALM Process with OSLC Integration
Integration is one of the primary requisites in the application lifecycle management process for an accomplished software development. In the traditional setup it was a challenge to develop integration due to its brittle nature, and a great amount of rework was required when a new release of the existing product was deployed. As the integration of products from multiple vendors was a complicated task it led to closed implementations. There was no scope for a viable option and you would have had to resort to a restrictive and rigid strategy.
The new-age technology provides OSLC integration or Open Services for Lifecycle Collaboration. This is an open community that facilitates the creation of specifications for tools integration purposes. Independent software and product lifecycle tools integrate their data and workflow with the help of these specifications. Such as software development life cycle tools can be used for tracking defects, for requirements management and test management for integration of the data and workflows for an end-to-end lifecycle process.
The OSLC group helps to effectively address individual integration domains like configuration management, change management, requirements management and test management. Each group explores the integration environment and sets specifications for the lifecycle artifacts to provide maximum support. The community specifies the rules for the usage of HTTP and RDF that all groups must comply with. OSLC creates specifications to allow two tools to collaborate seamlessly.
OSLC provides two methods of tools integration. One is by linking data via HTTP and the other method is by linking data via the HTML User Interface. The first method specifies a common procedure for the creation, retrieval, updating and deletion of lifecycle data as per the HTTP and RDP criteria with the help of the linked data technique. The procedure can be used by other tools and programs to collaborate amongst themselves.
In the second method the OSLC specifies a code that enables a tool or a client to display a portion of the web user interface of another tool, and facilitates you to link to a new or existing resource within another tool or see a glimpse of the resource that exists in another tool. This capability provides you with enhanced functions and efficient privileges.
You will not be able to achieve a complete and effective ALM integration process and desired results with independent and different tools. Without the OSLC integration the application development process will not be able to provide you with increased traceability. This can result in wastage of time and poor quality performances.