Linking defects to requirements breaks traceability matrix in baselines

ALM Siemens Polarion ALM
, , , , , , ,
1

We’re facing a serious traceability issue in Polarion ALM 2310. When we link defects to requirements, the links appear correctly in the live project view. However, when we create a baseline and view the traceability matrix for that baseline, the defect links completely disappear.

This is causing major compliance problems because our audit reports rely on baseline traceability to show requirement coverage at specific release points. We’ve verified the links exist before baseline creation, but the matrix shows gaps afterward.

The link type we’re using is the standard “verifies” relationship (defects verify requirements). Has anyone seen link types not persisting properly in baseline traceability matrices? This is impacting our ability to demonstrate requirement validation for regulatory compliance.

2

Thanks for the input. We’re using repository baselines, so that should capture everything. I checked the matrix configuration and “verifies” is included. Here’s what I’m seeing in the baseline comparison:


Baseline: RELEASE_2.1 (2025-08-20)
Requirement REQ-001: 3 defects linked (live view)
Requirement REQ-001: 0 defects linked (baseline matrix)

The links definitely exist at baseline creation time but aren’t appearing in the matrix view.

3

I’ve encountered baseline traceability issues before. First question - are you creating document baselines or repository baselines? Document baselines only capture the documents themselves, not necessarily all the link relationships. You might need to use repository baselines which capture the entire project state including all work item links and relationships.

4

I ran into exactly this problem last quarter. The issue was that our defects were in a different project space than the requirements. Even though cross-project links worked in live view, they weren’t being included in baseline traceability calculations. Check if your defects and requirements are in the same project context. If they’re in different projects, you may need to adjust your project configuration to enable cross-project baseline traceability.

5

Your issue stems from how Polarion handles link types and baseline synchronization in traceability matrices. Let me address each aspect systematically:

Link Types Configuration: The “verifies” link type needs proper bidirectional configuration for baseline traceability. Check Administration > Work Items > Links and verify:

<link-role id="verifies" opposite="verified_by">
  <allowedSource type="defect"/>
  <allowedTarget type="requirement"/>
</link-role>

Ensure both directions are explicitly defined. Baseline traceability relies on the opposite role being properly configured.

Matrix Cache Synchronization: Baseline matrix calculations use a separate cache from live views. After creating a baseline, you must force a cache rebuild:

  1. Administration > System > Clear Caches
  2. Select “Traceability Cache” and “Baseline Cache”
  3. Navigate to your baseline: Documents > Baselines > Select your baseline
  4. Click “Rebuild Traceability” (this forces recalculation)

The rebuild process can take several minutes for large projects. Without this step, the baseline matrix shows stale or incomplete data.

Baseline Sync Timing: Critical point - links created AFTER baseline creation won’t appear in that baseline’s traceability. Verify the timestamp of your defect links versus the baseline creation time:

  1. Open a requirement in the baseline view
  2. Check the “History” tab to see when links were added
  3. Compare with baseline creation timestamp

If links were added after baseline creation, you need to create a new baseline to capture them.

Project Configuration for Cross-Space Links: If your defects and requirements are in different project spaces, add this to your project configuration:

<traceability>
  <crossProjectLinks enabled="true"/>
  <baselineScope includeLinkedProjects="true"/>
</traceability>

Without this setting, cross-project links are excluded from baseline calculations even though they appear in live views.

Traceability Matrix Settings: Verify your matrix configuration includes the correct link direction. Edit your traceability matrix document and check the query:


SELECT * FROM requirement
WHERE project.id = "your_project"
LINKED BY verifies, verified_by

Include BOTH link directions (verifies and verified_by) to ensure bidirectional traceability in baselines.

Compliance Reporting Workaround: For immediate compliance needs, generate a custom report that queries links at the baseline date:

  1. Create a LiveReport with date filter: created <= baseline_date
  2. Query defect-requirement links with that filter
  3. Export to PDF for audit documentation

This provides accurate historical traceability while you resolve the baseline matrix issue.

Verification Steps: After applying these fixes:

  1. Create a test baseline with 2-3 requirements that have defect links
  2. Wait 5 minutes for background processing
  3. Clear caches and rebuild traceability
  4. Open baseline traceability matrix
  5. Verify defect links appear correctly

If links still don’t appear, check polarion.log for baseline calculation errors during the rebuild process. The root cause is usually either cache synchronization or cross-project configuration.

6

Also check your traceability matrix configuration. In the matrix settings, you need to explicitly include the link types you want to display. Go to the matrix configuration and verify that “verifies” is listed in the included link types. Sometimes default matrix templates don’t include all custom or bidirectional link types, which could explain why they’re not showing in baseline views.

7

This sounds like a matrix cache issue. Polarion caches traceability calculations for performance, and sometimes the baseline cache doesn’t refresh properly. Try clearing the traceability cache: Administration > System > Clear Caches > Select “Traceability Cache” and “Baseline Cache”. Then regenerate your baseline report to see if the links appear.