Handoff versus VSS Import

[Beth]

Handoff is a feature that will pull in the lastest code from your VSS database to Vault. Vault will then retain a connection back to the original VSS database for historical purposes only. Users can view the history and perform Diffs against it, but cannot change the data in VSS. New changes to the code will go inside Vault.

Handoff is in the Vault admin web page under Server Settings.

A full VSS import will attempt to pull all of the code in VSS plus the history and labels. After the import is completed Vault will have no connection to the VSS database.

VSS Import can be found at this link. Please also read the articles about VSS Import in our KB articles.

Handoff

• Pro
  -- The Vault database starts out much smaller.
  -- Any VSS inconsistencies if they exist are not imported into Vault.
  -- The time to live is much smaller.
  -- Success rate is higher.
  
  Con
  -- The VSS database will be kept.
  -- One cannot perform advanced actions with historical data, such as branching from an old label.

VSS Import

• Pro
  -- VSS database never needed again after importing is completed.
  -- Can get and manipulate historical data.
  
  Con
  -- Vault database starts out larger than the VSS database.
  -- If there are any inconsistencies in the VSS database, that could either be imported into Vault or it might fail to import.
  -- Imports take a long time.