Disconnected operation in a multi-user software development environment

Software Development Environments have traditionally relied upon a central project database and file repository, accessible to a programmer's workstation via a local area network connection. The introduction of powerful mobile computers has demonstrated the need for a new model, which allows for machines with transient network connectivity to assist programmers in product development. The authors propose a process-based checkout model by which process and product files that may be needed during a planned period of disconnectivity are prefetched with minimal user effort. Rather than selecting each file by hand, which is tedious and error-prone, the user only informs the environment of the portion of the software development process intended to be executed while disconnected. The environment is then responsible for prefetching the necessary files. The authors hope that this approach will enable programmers to continue working on a project without network access.