FAQ
We have a lot of existing Requirements in several file formats. How do I get these into Polarion Requirements efficiently?
Polarion Requirements easily imports requirements, use cases, test cases, etc. from Microsoft Office Word or Excel, XML, plain text documents, Wiki, e-mail, DOORS, MindMap, and UML modeling tools such as Enterprise Architect. Imported data is automatically parsed via a series of configurable rules and stored as individual work items (requirements, etc.) in Polarion. Users may then work with and manage these imported items just as if they had been created using Polarion. Server jobs like imports and exports can be scheduled to run in the background.
Our legacy requirements are mess in terms of versioning. What is the ability of Polarion Requirements to compare/contrast two different versions of a source document?
Polarion Requirements stores MS Word and MS Excel files directly in its automatically versioned repository. Every time a document is committed, a complete history of its content is maintained. You can easily generate and store reports comparing versions, get a local copy of any version, or roll back to any version.
I do not want to stand around all day importing legacy requirements. Is there a batch mode of operation?
Yes. Full batch loading of requirements from multiple source formats is provided.
How do I manually create requirements with Polarion?
How do I manually create requirements with Polarion?
Requirements can be directly authored in the embedded Requirements Designer, an easy to use MS Word-like web tool embedded in the Polarion Requirements client (web browser) that allows authoring requirements content, attributes, structure, and links. Alternatively, you can author requirements in the integrated Wiki and later create system-managed requirement type work items from the Wiki content.
I have users who wish to continue using MS Word and MS Excel. Does Polarion have the ability to easily update existing linked documents from new/changed versions of the source documents without having to re-establish traceability links?
Yes, this is fully supported for MS Word and Excel documents by Polarion Requirements' exclusive LiveDoc technology that enables requirements authors to continue using office tools while enabling implementation teams to work with requirements in a data-driven way that is conducive to their process.
How does the Polarion classify or categorize requirements when I import or create manually?
How does the Polarion classify or categorize requirements when I import or create manually?
Polarion provides user-defined classes or categories. You can assign any attribute to any requirement or other work item that you create or import. This allows different sets of attributes to be assigned to each work item type. For example, one set for requirements, another for test cases.
How does Polarion capture systems process, architecture, or modeling from graphical sources (such as UML tools) and linked requirements?
Polarion provides integration with modeling tools such as Sparx Enterprise Architect and MindMap. Using the Polarion API or Web Services you may integrate with any graphic or modeling tool, and traceability links can be established with full traceability which can then be viewed in either Matrix and/or filtered tree-views . Also, any work item in Polarion (requirement, use case, test case, etc.) may have a graphic image either embedded in or attached to it.
What if I want reuse and modify existing requirements for new projects rather than create new ones?
What if I want reuse and modify existing requirements for new projects rather than create new ones?
In Polarion Requirements any kind of artifact can be defined in terms of a work item type: Requirement, Test Case, Change Request, System Element, System Component, etc. Any work item of a given type (a Requirement, for example) can be easily derived from another. Links are automatically created and maintained. Link roles can be defined and automatically selected when deriving a new work item. So, for example, a derivative Requirement will be automatically linked to the original using the "derived from" role, connected to Test cases by the "is verified by" role, etc.
How does Polarion Requirements handle and maintain easily managed traceability?
How does Polarion Requirements handle and maintain easily managed traceability?
Polarion makes it easy to create and maintain links and manage traceability throughout the lifecycle of a requirement ( or any work item type). For instance:
- Link Requirements to any other artifact in the same project, in another project, from inside or from outside of Polarion Requirements. For example, citing the work item ID in a repository commit when using an external client automatically creates a link to the repository revision in Polarion.
- Link roles (("has parent", "relates to", etc. …) are fully customizable to show any kind of relationship
- Easily show impact trees and traceability matrices filtered by role
- Link requirements to external resources (documents, images, URLs, other artifacts)
- Link requirements to specific revisions of other artifacts
- The "suspect" mode of links allows change propagation through the requirements and artifact structure
Understanding links over time in a complex project can be very onerous. How does Polarion solve the usability problem of visibly following the links from source to implementation?
Visibility of links is available in the following ways:
- Lists of incoming and outgoing links displayed in each requirement
- Browsing the impact tree or the traceability matrix
- Running a query across links
- A traceability tree can be created starting from a selection of requirements. To create such tree the user can choose: link role, link direction, tree depth and links to all committed artifact changes performed while implementing a requirement
- A traceability matrix is available in which the user can filter requirements or any other work item on rows and columns, check the links (or lack of links) between them, create links, and export or print the matrix
Once performance requirements have been allocated to system elements, we support for verification of those requirements by rolling up actuals and reporting on variances. Can this be done with Polarion Requirements?
This can be easily obtained by generating (exporting) an Excel report on a traceability tree.
Periodically our requirements need to be baselined (securely saved and locked away). How does Polarion support baselining and the ability to compare and contrast between various baselines?
Every requirement and other artifact is stored and maintained in a Subversion repository. Full version and change management features are available including access control,
history and comparisons. Baselines can be created at any time. A comparison tool lets users compare any pair of baselines, highlighting every change that occurred.
Documents stored through Polarion's LiveDoc technology can be compared as well. For example, you can a MS Word document for an external review, check in the
reviewed document, and see in Polarion which changes have been applied to the document itself.
In what forms does Polarion present quality charts, graphs?
In what forms does Polarion present quality charts, graphs?
This is accomplished in several different ways:
- Exporting data to Excel and generating graphs there
- Export to PDF
- Export to any report writer via XML
- You can also purchase the option to present data in a fully customizable online dashboard. Full WYSIWYG previewing of data is also a feature of Polarion.
How do I search and query status information of a requirement using Polarion Requirements?
How do I search and query status information of a requirement using Polarion Requirements?
Every requirement's lifecycle is managed by the workflow engine. Thus, every requirement's current state is readily visible. It's also possible to run queries like "show all the requirements that include the word Xyz, submitted by John, that are in the approved state". An easy to use yet powerful visual query builder makes it easy to define such queries. Users who know the Apache Lucene based query language can enter queries directly in the search field. Any query can be saved for reuse and shared with the project team or with the whole organization. Polarion Requirements provides full-text indexing of all stored information, so search results come back fast.
How does Polarion manage multi-level assignment/access control?
How does Polarion manage multi-level assignment/access control?
Access control is granted at the single requirement level and can be further refined at the single attribute level. Normally users have read or read/write access to
projects or to work item types (requirements, test cases etc.)
By adding a Polarion ALM Enterprise license on the server, every Polarion Requirements user
can benefit from the "My Hat" technology which provides automatic user interface adjustments and data protection based on user role and workflow definition.
For example, for a user whose "hat" is "Customer", a requirement's description can be in read-and-write mode only when the requirements is in the
"draft" state. The same description becomes read-only for the Customer user when the requirement enters the "approved" state. Budget assignment to the
requirement can be always hidden in the "Customer" user's UI.
What platforms or operating systems are supported?
What platforms or operating systems are supported?
The Polarion Requirements server can be installed on 32-bit Windows ® Server or XP platforms, or most any Linux distro in either 32-bit or 64-bit environments with single or multiple processors. The Polarion client runs in a web browser, so every device equipped with a browser is potentially a client. Linux 64-bit with Firefox is the current speed champ.
Do you have a web browser interface?
Do you have a web browser interface?
Polarion Requirements is a Web 2.0 application, so it works natively in a web browser, and 100% of functionality is available via the Web. Web 2.0 delivers many benefits including allowing the user to open as many browser windows or tabs needed, and perform several jobs in parallel — importing form MS Word, managing change requests, modifying workflow, running scripts or macros, exporting to DOORS, or integration with SAP through API scripts or Web Services, to cite just a few examples.
What are the memory and disk space requirements?
What are the memory and disk space requirements?
- Memory: Minimum 0.5 GB, 2 GB RAM recommended on Server. No installation on clients as Polarion Requirements runs in Web Browser.
- Disk space: minimum 10 GB, 40 GB recommended on server. No installation on clients as Polarion Requirements runs in a web browser.
What type of technical support is available from Polarion?
What type of technical support is available from Polarion?
Your license fee includes the first year of software support during regular business hours, and maintenance. Extended support hours are available on a 24x7 basis if required: please ask for a quote. In addition, on-line help, manuals, forums, and blogs are available.
What kind of training do you offer and recommend?
What kind of training do you offer and recommend?
Polarion Requirements may be downloaded from the Polarion web site and implemented with one-click installation. Tutorials, flash video, and a Quick Start guide are
provided for your use.
Formal training is optional. Polarion Software offers 2-day, 5-day, and 7-day on-site Requirements training courses.
What evaluation/trial options does Polarion offer?
What evaluation/trial options does Polarion offer?
You can try Polarion Requirements on the Test Drive server. As a registered Test Drive user you can create projects in the
Sandbox area, log in as many times as you like, and try the product for as long as you want.
If you would like to run an evaluation or Proof-of-Concept in your own environment, the Polarion sales team will be happy to work with you to provide an appropriate
evaluation license for your needs. You can download Polarion Requirements for Windows or
Linux.
