Module To Base Links

What it is and why it exists

In DOORS Next a link can be created in the context of a module or between the base artifacts. Links created in a module are visible only there. When requirements are reused in other modules, or when a team decides that traceability belongs to the base artifacts, the existing module links have to be converted: create the same link between the base artifacts, then delete the module link.

Done by hand, this is a long and risky process. Module To Base Links was created to convert links for whole modules in a controlled way, without losing a single link.

Problems it solves

• Traceability that is visible in one module but missing in other modules that reuse the same requirements.
• An inconsistent link strategy after imports or after several teams worked in different ways.
• Manual conversion: finding the base artifacts of both ends, creating the new link and deleting the old one, for each link.
• The risk of losing links when the conversion is done in the wrong order.

Benefits

• Consistent traceability across every module that reuses a requirement.
• No lost links: the base link is created first and the module link is deleted only after that succeeds.
• Choose what to convert: only the link types you select.
• Preview and Excel export of every module link before and after the conversion.
• Change report with the result of every link.

How to use

1. Tick the link types to convert.
2. Open a module and click Find module links, or select artifacts in the module. The widget shows the links that will be converted.
3. Click Convert links (N) and confirm.
4. Review the result in Execution Status. The download icon at the Module heading saves every link and its result to Excel.

Good to know

• By default both ends of a link become base artifacts; a setting keeps the target end as it was.
• Links that already exist between the base artifacts are recognized and not duplicated.
• Links to other ELM applications (test cases, work items) are never changed.