Legacy Technology · Migrations
ClearCase to Git migration, including UCM and ClearQuest
GitLab’s own documentation says no tool fully migrates ClearCase to Git. The hard parts are the history model, builds that depend on dynamic views, and ClearQuest. We plan for all three.
- UK contract with Dreams Technologies Hub Private Limited (VAT registered)
- Engineers delivered from our own Coimbatore office, India
- Shortlist within 5 working days
- Building software since 2013
Why ClearCase migrations are hard
ClearCase versions individual files and directories, selects versions through config specs, and often builds from dynamic views with clearmake. Git versions whole snapshots and builds from a checked-out tree. Moving between them is a redesign of how your team works, not just a data copy.
We start by deciding what history matters, then rebuild your builds so they no longer need ClearCase, then move the data.
What’s in scope
Every migration starts with a full inventory. On this kind of move, that means:
- VOBs, their size and how they relate.
- Base ClearCase branches and labels, or UCM projects, streams and baselines.
- Config specs and the views teams rely on.
- Triggers that enforce policy.
- Builds using dynamic views, clearmake or winkin.
- ClearQuest records and their links to change sets.
- MultiSite replicas.
How we run the migration
- Assess. Inventory, dependencies and risks, delivered as our fixed-fee legacy estate assessment.
- Plan. Migration waves, test approach, cutover and rollback, agreed with you. Fixed price from here.
- Build the target. New environment built to your standards and automated where it helps.
- Port and test. Code, scripts and configuration moved and tested, with before-and-after comparison of outputs.
- Run in parallel. Old and new side by side until results match.
- Cut over. Planned, rehearsed, with a rollback ready.
- Hypercare. Our engineers stay on hand while the new platform settles in.
The problems we plan for
| What goes wrong | How we handle it |
|---|---|
| No converter handles everything. | History exported by script for the agreed window, imported into Git in order, then verified. |
| Builds depend on dynamic-view paths and clearmake. | Builds rebuilt to work from a normal checkout, with CI on the target platform, before the data moves. |
| UCM streams and baselines don’t map one-to-one. | Mapping agreed per project: integration streams to main branches, baselines to tags. |
| Triggers enforce rules that nobody wrote down. | Every trigger documented and replaced with Git hooks, branch protection or CI checks. |
| ClearQuest holds years of change records. | Records exported to Jira, GitLab, GitHub or Azure Boards, with links to commits where possible. |
| Very large VOBs with binaries. | Split into sensible repositories, binaries routed to Git LFS. |
What you receive
- Migration design: history window, repository layout, branch and tag mapping.
- Rebuilt builds and CI pipelines.
- Migrated repositories, verified against ClearCase.
- ClearQuest data in the new tracker.
- ClearCase left read-only for audit, and developer training.
How it’s priced
We start with a fixed-fee assessment so the scope is clear. The migration itself is then quoted at a fixed price, with any optional work listed separately. If you prefer, we can supply specialists to work inside your own migration team instead.
Why teams come to us for scarce skills
Finding thin talent pools is our core skill
Large service firms rarely staff a single Pro*C or HP-UX role quickly. We keep a vetted network of engineers who have these skills and want this work.
Screened by people who have done the work
Our own senior engineers run the technical interview. Candidates are tested on the platform you run, not on general programming.
UK contract, India delivery
You contract with our UK company. The work is delivered from our own office in Coimbatore with working hours that overlap the UK day.
AI-assisted code understanding
Our team works with Claude Code to read, document and test old codebases faster. Every finding is checked by an engineer before it reaches you.
Continuity built in
Every engagement keeps a runbook and code notes from week one, and a second engineer is briefed on your system. Losing one person does not mean losing the knowledge.
We also run the migration
When you are ready to leave the platform, the same team that kept it running plans and delivers the move.
Tell us what you’re running
Send us the stack and the problem. We’ll reply within one working day and, if it’s a staffing request, send a shortlist within five.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can we migrate all of our ClearCase history?
Technically, often yes, but it is slow and the result can be hard to use. Most teams choose a recent window and keep ClearCase read-only for older history.
We use UCM. Is that harder than base ClearCase?
It is different rather than harder. UCM’s streams and baselines give a clearer structure to map, but the mapping has to be agreed for each project.
Do you also migrate HCL VersionVault?
Yes. It shares ClearCase’s model, so the same approach applies.