GRAM - a P2P system of group revision assistance management

Abstract

This paper focuses on general design and prototype implementation of a peer-to-peer (P2P) and a proactive mechanism based version management system called GRAM (group revision assistance management). It provides four special features in comparison with other version management systems: higher system reliability and robustness, effective revision collision prevention using proactive agents, context-aware environment for team software revision, a unified XML format for configuration and history files as well as system and agent exchange messages. Every peer holds a shared space synchronized with other peers' ones, and a workspace for a user's ordinary editing. GRAM is implemented using the JXTA technology that consists of the virtual JXTA network and basic peer group services. The system GUI and basic functions in the current prototype are also presented to show its basic usages. By using GRAM, version management of various software development projects can be comfortably conducted.