Connecting to a Repository

Before you can start the Team Coherence client application you must tell Team Coherence the location of a valid connection to a running repository. This can be done using the Connection Manager.

To start the connection manager select Start / Programs / MCN / Team Coherence / Connection Manager

The Connection Manager displays a list of known connections to repositories. If you want this dialog to be displayed each time you start Team Coherence, make sure that Prompt at startup is checked. It can also be displayed while running Version Manager by selecting Tools / Connection Manager... from the main menu.

To add a new connection, click on the Add button. To modify an existing connection, click on the Modify button. This will display the properties dialog box for the selected or new connection:

The Connection Properties dialog box allows you to specify the connection parameters to an existing repository. As well as a Name and Description for the connection, used to identify the connection, you must specify:

Host
The host is the address of the computer that is running the instance of the Team Coherence Server you wish to connect to. You can either use the HostName for the machine, or can specify a valid IP address.

Port
The Port is the port that the instance of the Team Coherence Server you are connecting to is listening on. This information will be available from the person responsible for maintaining the server.

Keep Alive
With some connections, particularly dial-up internet connections, the connection will drop after a certain period of inactivity. Checking this option will force Team Coherence to ping the server occasionally to make sure the connection is not dropped. You also need to enter the frequency with which to contact the server.

UUEncode transmitted data
When connecting remotely to the server, particularly when using VPN, binary characters transmitted by Team Coherence can be interpreted as handshake characters by the hardware. This is a known issue with a few routers and checking this option works around the issue by making sure that only ASCII characters are transmitted or received.

As there is an overhead (encoding/decoding the data), this option should only be checked if you have persistent connection issues with the server. For connections within your local LAN, checking this should not be necessary.

Dialup Networking
If you are accessing a remote repository via a dialup connection you can select an existing DUN connection to use from the list. You also need to enter a valid username and password for that connection.

Security
If the Team Coherence Server you are connecting to has had an additional security key assigned to it, you will also need to enter that key in the Security page. The key should be supplied by your system administrator.

Note that this security key is only required if a key has been applied to the server.

Once the parameters have been set for this connection, you can use the Test Connection button to check that the connection is valid. This will try and connect to the server and wait for a valid reply.