Configuring the RUP

Producing a RUP Process Configuration

The RUP process framework contains a vast amount of guidance, artifacts, and roles. Because no project should use all of these artifacts, you need to specify a subset of the RUP to use for your project. This is done by selecting or producing a RUP Process Configuration, which constitutes a complete process from the perspective of a particular project's requirements. You can use one of the ready-made configurations as is or use a ready-made configuration as a starting point or create a process configuration from scratch.

To understand how to build a RUP Configuration, you need to understand the concepts of RUP Process Component, RUP Library, RUP Base, and RUP Plug-In.

• A RUP Process Component is a coherent , quasi-independent " chunk " or module of process knowledge that can be named, packaged, exchanged, and assembled with other process components .

• A RUP Library is a collection of Process Components out of which a set of RUP Process Configurations may be "compiled" with RUP Builder. New Process Components can be added to a RUP Library through the means of RUP Plug-Ins.

• A RUP Base is a collection of Process Components meant to be extended by applying plug-ins to generate RUP Process Configurations. It resides in a RUP Library.

• A RUP Plug-In is a deployable unit for one or several Process Components that can be readily "dropped" onto a RUP Base to extend it. A RUP Plug-In can be compiled into a single physical file (with extension ".cfu"), allowing it to be moved around and added to a RUP Library with a compatible RUP Base.

  To explain this via a simple analogy, a RUP Plug-In is a set of "precompiled" RUP Process Components, ready to be "linked" into a RUP Base to create one or more RUP Configurations .

A RUP Process Configuration is produced using RUP Builder. RUP Builder is shipped with a number of predefined configurations, and you can create additional configurations as needed (see Figure 10.1). Based on what plug-ins you choose, you can make the process smaller or bigger; and you can make it address the technology, domain, and tools relevant to your project or set of projects. You can also choose how formally you want to work, for example, whether to use more comprehensive document templates or lighter templates suitable for smaller teams . Once you have defined which plug-ins belong to a configuration, and which process components within those plug-ins and RUP Base you want to use, RUP Builder validates that the selected process components are compatible and publishes a RUP Configuration Web site from your configuration.

Figure 10.1. RUP Builder Publishes RUP Process Configurations. RUP Builder allows you to make your process smaller or larger and of higher or lower ceremony. This is done by selecting which plug-ins and process components should be included in a RUP Configuration and then publishing your configuration.

Using RUP Builder, you add more content to your RUP library by adding RUP Plug-Ins. This content can then be used to build RUP Process Configurations that better fit the needs of your project. There are many companies packaging their know-how in RUP Plug-Ins and making them available to RUP users through the RUP Exchange, a subsite on the Rational Developer Network (RDN) where RUP Plug-Ins and other process- related material are made available to the user community. By visiting the RUP Exchange, you can download plug-ins of interest. You can also produce your own plug-ins, which we describe in the section Customizing the RUP, later in this chapter.

Producing a RUP Process Configuration takes only a few minutes. The tricky thing is to know what to select; understanding what is available for selection may take some time. As a first-time user, you should initially focus on reviewing the already-defined process configurations and use them as a starting point.

Producing Process Views

Your RUP Process Configuration contains the parts of the RUP Process Framework that is applicable to your project. More than likely, however, all of that content is not applicable to you as a project manager, analyst, architect, developer, tester, or configuration manager. For this reason, depending on your role and responsibilities, you will want your own window or view into your RUP Configuration, or what we call Process View.

A Process View is a role-based or personalized tree control containing links to desired elements in your RUP Process Configuration, as well as links to files or URLs external to your configuration. For larger projects, you typically create role-based process views, which team members may further personalize to their specific needs. For smaller projects, you may choose to create personalized views for various team members directly. Process Views are created in RUP Builder. Each team member can further personalize Process Views using MyRUP, that is, the Web browser used to browse RUP. Figure 10.2 shows Process Views in MyRUP (in this case, a personalized view created from a generic analyst view).

Figure 10.2. Process Views in MyRUP. MyRUP allows you to have role-based or personalized Process Views. Process Views are created in RUP Builder or in MyRUP, and contain links to content in your RUP Configuration or external links based on your role, your interests, your current activities, or your taste.

Remember, even though each team member may use a personalized view, the entire project team is still using the same process, that is, the same RUP Process Configuration. Each team member, however, can have his or her own personalized view into that common configuration. Each premade configuration in the RUP comes with role-based Process Views that you can use as a starting point for your own Process Views.

Customizing RUP Templates

You may also consider modifying the document templates provided by the RUP to suit the needs of your organization. At a minimum, you may want to include your own company's logo and perhaps remove sections that you do not believe will be useful for your projects.