How to identify changed Siebel Objects from SRF to SRF

 

For SOX compliance audit, change log is important. In Siebel application since everything goes in single Siebel repository files (SRF) and it become little difficult to capture which different objects are changed from last srf to new srf.

Our options:

• Use Version control software to keep track of what’s changed. (preferred) -- Link
• Manual change capture details in excel sheet per enhancement/change request
• User Siebel 8.1 tools to find out which all object changed from srf to srf.

Using Version Control software

Siebel Tools does provide support to use version control software and handled by using srcctrl.bat file. By modifying this batch file you can integrate to one of below software.

- Microsoft’s Visual SourceSafe
- PVCS Dimension
- MS Team Foundation (No clear support document stating supported with Siebel)

Bottom line here is Siebel tools provides integration using srcctrl.bat file wherein it uses command line operation provided by version control software. Version control software provides functionality inbuilt which you can find which all objects changed from start date to end date or using comments. Refer document provided by software for same.

Advantage:
- VSS provides capabilities to generate the change details so no additional efforts are required to generate report
- Automated method of version control with integration

Disadvantage:
- Changes will not be captured if integration is either not enabled or not selected

Reference URL: Click here

Manual Change capture

This is least preferred choice but more reliable if documentation is imposed on developers. Typically I document information in below format (example along with).

Change Request#	Object type	Object Name	Comments
CR-1XB2B	Business Component	Account	Modified to add new field from extension table.

Advantage:
- VSS provides capabilities to generate the change details so no additional efforts are required to generate report
- Automated method of version control with integration

Disadvantage:
- Changes will not be captured if integration is either not enabled or not selected
- If missed changes will not be captured

Reference URL: Click here

Using Siebel Tool 8.1

Siebel has added capability from Siebel V8.1 onward to find out the differences in SRF. I tried to use the same for 8.0 SRF and worked fine for me.

Find details below for using same.
- Install Siebel 8.1 Tools with Sample database
- Copy SRF for which you wanted to find out differences. Copy these two files in Tools bin directory.
- Use following command to invoke differences 
               
         d:\sba81\Tools\bin\siebdev /srfdiff siebel.srf siebel1.srf" d:\sba81\Tools\object /u sadmin /p sadmin /d sample

- or use Siebel Tools UI –> Menu –> Tools –> Utilities --> Compare SRFs

- Once all process is completed you will find log in output file as below.

Advantages:
- No need of manual tracking
- It will shows what is added or removed from one srf to another and vice versa.

Disadvantage:
- It captures one change per object and does not captured multiple changes against same object for different change requirement i.e. If object is changed for two change request then it will only capture as object changed and does not shows how many times it is changed.

Reference URL: Click Here