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Visual SourceSafe (VSS) is a Microsoft version control product. It does not have the configuration management facilities which are an integral part of VC/m.

VC/m provides facilities for integration with a VSS database. This is primarily of use where VSS has been in use at a site prior to the installation of VC/m, and the users wish to retain the data in the VSS database. VC/m integrates with VSS by storing part or all of the library in the VSS database, rather than in its own library storage format. The physical location for the VSS database has a storage format of 'vss'.

VC/m uses a physical location with storage format vss in exactly the same way as it uses its own library, with storage format L. Multiple versions of objects can be placed into and retrieved from a VSS library. When placed in the library, each component is labeled with the object version which it belongs to.

The integration is set up as follows:

1. Using the Visual SourceSafe Administrator, create a user account which corresponds to the user account which VC/m will use to connect to VSS. For Caché on Windows, by default this user will be the local SYSTEM account, which is the user name of Caché background processes.
   
   Do not specify a VSS password so that the Windows access security is used.
   
   It is recommended that other user accounts are configured with read-only access.
2. If there is not an existing VSS database, create a new one. Use the Tools, Create Database option from the menu in the Visual SourceSafe Administrator function.
   
   If required, projects can be created with VSS, although this is not necessary.
3. At an Caché/M terminal on the VC/m server, enter the following and then enter the appropriate information for your system in the specified format.
   
   Note: By default, the directory containing the Visual SourceSafe script files will be the directory where VC/m is installed.
   
   do setup^%vclvss

Directory containing Visual SourceSafe script files (NB avoid spaces in path - use short name if necessary)? c:\progra~1\george~1\vcm\

Directory to contain temporary files (NB UNC not supported)? <:> c:\temp\

Path to Visual SourceSafe directory containing ss.exe? c:\program files\microsoft visual studio\common\vss\win32\

Setup complete
4. Set up a VC/m library location for the VSS database.
   
   Note: When testing, it is important to test that each user has the correct access rights from both the terminal and the web-based interfaces.

For extra security, a location can be set up which stores the information in VC/m's own library storage format as well as in the VSS database. This guards against data loss caused by corruption of the VSS database. Auto-transfers can be set up to keep the two databases in line.