Reuse and Sync FAQ

March 2018

Audience: Everyone

CONFIGURING REUSE AND SYNCHRONIZATION

Note

You must have organization admin permissions to complete this task.

Why Would an Organization Utilize Reuse & Sync?

What Are "Sync Options"?

Sync options allow you to create and apply synchronization rules. This includes the option to synchronize relationships or widgets of an item.

There are also advanced sync options that allow users to apply reuse rules in a target location. Example: When synchronizing requirements, only the downstream defects are synchronized.

How Do I See Which Items Are Synced?

In the Explorer Tree, a blue dot will show in the bottom right-hand corner of the synchronized items.

You can then see whether the items are in or out of sync from the Single Item View synchronization widget or Sync Items wizard. You can also compare synced projects, components, sets, folders, and items from there.

How Do I Prevent Users From Synchronizing Items?

Users can only make changes to items they have Write permissions to. They cannot modify items through synchronization that have a user lock or that have a system lock, either.

As soon as you have Read permissions, you can reuse an item. Reuse is only restricted to the destination where users need Create/Edit permissions -- this means there's no way to restrict reuse unless you restrict access to the project, which can be done by granting each project's permissions at the project level.

Locked or system-locked items cannot be modified through synchronization.

Can I Prevent an Item In My Project From Being Updated Via Synchronization?

Locked and system-locked items cannot be modified through synchronization.

What Happens To a Synchronized Item When I Convert It To Another Item Type?

When you convert a synchronized item to a different item type, such as a Requirement to a Feature Request, the item will lose its synchronization and receive a new Global ID.

Can I Synchronize Containers?

Yes. You can synchronize projects, components, sets, folders, or items. If you reuse items in a new container, the items will inherit permissions from the destination. The caveat to this is reusing containers (e.g., a folder with items inside); when containers (folders, sets, components) are reused, they will retain their original permissions regardless of the permissions set inside the destination.

What Does the "Reuse Source Project Hierarchy in Destination Project" in Reuse Mean?

You can select this option as part of the reuse process. This option will reuse all of the hierarchy of the source project selection (including components, sets, and folders) and copy that over to the destination project.

Why Can't I See the Upstream Item in the Sync Items Wizard?

Synchronized items will share the same Global ID; no single item is marked or identified as the upstream (the original or parent item) or downstream. This allows for more flexibility and scalability in synchronization.

Do Synchronization Updates Trigger Suspect Links?

No.

When an org administrator updates an item type to enable Sync on a field, what does that do? 

Whenever the Reuse and Sync feature is used for that item type in any project, that field will be copied, and any future changes will be flagged as “COMPARE SYNCHRONIZED ITEMS” from the original item.
What is a Global ID, and What is Its Role in Reuse?

The Global ID is a universal identifier. This is used to link items together to be compared and synchronized. You can read more about how the Global ID is used in Reuse Glossary.

If I Break the Sync, Will the Global ID Change?

Yes. As soon as you break the synchronization between two items, each will have its Global ID.

Can I Save a Comparison View Of the Synced Items?

Yes, you can COMPARE SYNCHRONIZED ITEMS and CREATE AND EXPORT VIEWS IN THE COVERAGE EXPLORER. 

What is the Little Blue Dot On Items in My Tree?

The blue dot is a quick visual indicator that shows which items, folders, sets, and components have been synchronized.

Can I Synchronize from one to many (Projects or Items)?

Yes. You can synchronize item by item or use the Sync All functionality in the Sync Items window. However, if you need to view and sync the items, you must initiate one-to-one synchronizations.

Can I Synchronize Widgets?

Yes. You can synchronize the most relevant widgets, including tags, links, and attachment links. However, synchronization for widgets needs to be enabled by the administrator for each item type under Admin > Item Types > Edit.

What is a Reuse Rule?

A reuse rule allows you to reuse specific items and items related to your primary selection.

Example: copy a requirement and all downstream test cases but not the downstream defects.

You can also select specific fields to be copied to the new item instead of the default settings (all fields set to sync).

Can Rules Be Applied to All Projects?

All rules created within the organization are available to all projects under the Advanced Reuse Options View, even when the user has no permission to access the project where the rule was created. Rules that do not apply to another project will be hidden by default; nevertheless, they can be made visible by the users and selected from any project.

Can Rules Be Created Only for Specific Projects?

You cannot restrict reuse rules to other projects. Rule names can be used to describe clearly the project for which each rule is intended. Also, rules need to be selected by the users to be applied.

Can I grant and reuse advanced rule access to a project manager but limit access to other projects?

Yes. For this, you need to grant the required Reuse Administrator permissions at the org level (but only this specific permission at that level). Additionally, you must grant the project manager permission to manage the project at the corresponding project level.