Surround SCM is a comprehensive software configuration management tool that gives teams complete control over source code and other digital assets. Supporting parallel development, Surround SCM facilitates team-based communication and collaboration.
Cross-platform Software Configuration Management
Surround SCM is a TCP/IP-based, multi-threaded client/server configuration management solution that includes native Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Solaris support. Users can also work with source files from Web browsers and WebDAV-enabled applications including Windows Explorer, Mac OS X Finder, and Linux Davfs. Available 64-bit server versions support the largest file repositories.
Secure and Reliable Access
Fast access from Surround SCM's light-weight client gives your team secure remote access to source files, protected by RC4 512-bit encryption (4x stronger than SSL!). Surround SCM also includes role-based security that can be applied at the server, repository, or branch level. Surround SCM's server logging enhances security by recording unusual activity, as well as critical and non-critical issues.
Advanced Branching
Branching provides easy and effective management of source files throughout the development lifecycle. Surround SCM does not impose a branching process on users-your use of branching depends on your company's needs and business processes.
Surround SCM gives you complete control over branching, promoting, rebasing, versioning and labeling changes. With mainline, baseline, workspace, and snapshot branches, Surround SCM makes it easy to manage simple or complex projects.
LDAP and Active Directory Support
Easily add new users to the Seapine License Server. Administrators can validate logins with LDAP or Active Directory, enable single sign-on, and retrieve user information from LDAP servers.
Changelists and Atomic Transactions
Group change actions together and view historic changelists to identify related changes. Ensure user actions either succeed or fail as a unit with atomic transactions. Users can also view the history of changelists and see which files were processed together.
Workflow and File States
While branching provides macro-level organisation over the change process, Surround SCM's workflow provides micro-level control and reporting over the change process of individual files. With Surround SCM, you know whether a file is new, has changed, has been reviewed, or is ready for the build, and who can work on the files based on their state. Surround SCM's configurable workflows let you define, control, and track the individual state of files undergoing change. File states can be displayed in the source file list window, and are supported in filters and reports, giving you the power to quickly determine the overall status of files in your change process.
Changes to a file state are logged in a file's history, including who made the change and when. Surround SCM supports an unlimited number of workflow definitions, allowing you to specify the appropriate process for each repository.
Custom Metadata
Custom metadata lets you attach custom fields to files (e.g., person assigned to work on a file, file description, who owns the file, or due date). These fields can be displayed in the source file list window and the file properties dialog, and can also be used with file filters. For example, with custom metadata, you can easily filter on all files assigned to you for review across all repositories.
Custom metadata changes are logged in a file's history. Surround SCM supports seven custom metadata field types, including text, integer, float, list, user list, date/time, and check boxes.
Triggers
Powerful in-application programmable triggers help you extend Surround SCM's functionality to better fit your company's change management process. Surround SCM triggers are defined by events, such as a file is being checked in, pre-conditions, such as the file being in a specific state, and actions, such as sending an email. For example, you can create a post-event trigger to assign files for code review after they are checked in.
Triggers can be used to automate state transitions in the workflow, enforce workflow rules, send email notifications, run external applications, modify custom fields, perform data validation, log information, and more. Use triggers to automate manual source file management tasks such as copying files to a Web server after they reach a certain branch level. Surround SCM includes complete control over the conditions under which a trigger fires.
Email Notifications
Facilitated by Surround SCM's triggers, customisable email notifications help you push change through your enterprise. Triggered by file actions, such as promote, rebase, or delete, email notifications keep everyone involved with the project informed of changes. For example, you can configure Surround SCM to send an email to a list of users when a specific design document is revised and checked in. Everyone is kept up-to-date without needing to monitor the repository. Hyperlinks in emails provide one-click access to the file that triggered the notification.
Hyperlink Access to Files and Branches
Hyperlink support provides one-click access to files and branches from URLs. Surround SCM hyperlinks can be included in emails and on Web pages, helping team members easily access repositories or files.
IDE Integration
IDE integration allows developers to check code in and out of the software repository from their preferred development environment. Surround SCM integrates with a variety of IDEs and build tools, including Ant, CodeWarrior, CodeWright, CruiseControl, Delphi , Eclipse, IntelliJIDEA, JBuilder, NAnt, Parabuild, PowerBuilder, Visual Studio, and WebSphere.
Integration with Seapine ALM Tools
Surround SCM seamlessly integrates with Seapine's application lifecycle management (ALM) tools. Integrate with TestTrack Pro, Seapine's issue management tool, to provide a complete change management solution. Your team can access bugs, feature requests, change requests, and source code files and digital assets from within either tool.
Integration with QA Wizard Pro, Seapine's automated testing tool, and TestTrack TCM, Seapine's test case management tool, allows you to you store and version automated test scripts and test data in the same location as your code and design documents.
Comprehensive Reports
Surround SCM includes a large amount of information about the items added to a database and the users who perform actions. Reports provide an easy way to access, analyse, and share this information. Surround SCM includes history, trend, file, branch, and custom reports.
In addition to creating dynamic filters and customised reports, you can can save them for future use and share them with team members. Filters and reports recognise workflow states and custom metadata, providing the flexibility needed to quickly and accurately find and report on the state of a project.
Guiffy Diff/Merge Utility
Surround SCM includes Guiffy, the leading cross-platform compare/merge utility. Guiffy supports more than 150 file formats and can compare/merge virtually any type of source file. Guiffy also provides sophisticated folder and file tree compare and synchronisation capabilities.
Image File Support
Surround SCM features thumbnail image previewing capabilities that allow users to view the contents of image files directly from within the Surround SCM. An image file diff utility lets users view two versions of a graphic file simultaneously to quickly identify changes.
Regulatory Compliance Support
Surround SCM can help you manage business processes for compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley, 21 CFR Title 11, and other regulations. Surround SCM maintains complete and accurate historical records of who changed what and when, and helps teams track and manage the documents that support a process.
Migration Assistance
Surround SCM includes utilities and documentation to help you completely migrate your digital assets, branches, and change histories from other SCM solutions, including PVCS, VSS, StarTeam, and CVS.
Surround SCM offers the flexibility of named licenses, floating licenses, or a combination of licenses. By selecting the license types best suited to your organisation's needs, you can provide access to the greatest number of Surround SCM users at the minimum cost.
Named/Dedicated licenses, which cannot be shared, are recommended for users who require daily access to Surround SCM. Purchasing named licenses ensures that key users, such as team leads or a department manager, have guaranteed access to Surround SCM.
Floating licenses, which are shared among a group users, are recommended for users who require less frequent access to Surround SCM. Keep in mind that users will be denied access if floating licenses are not available.
All Seapine product licenses, except for QA Wizard Pro, are managed by the Seapine License Server. The license server, which does not require a separate license, supports LDAP and Active Directory, making it easy to centrally manage and share user information.