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Concept

In briefshort, the VCS configuration pack provides version control in SimpleOne. Version control system allows:

• monitoring changes, tracking who updated the record and when 
• restoring record versions
• transferring record versions created when updating or developing applications between unrelated instances.

VCS records provide a way conception can be defined as an ability to transfer data from one instance to another , in an automatic or semi-automatic way. It is intended for application version control. Configuration packs help to automate transfer data and configurations from one instance to another, lessen the manual effort. The key point is configurations transfer, for not to reiterate it more and more on every instance, you can just import a configuration pack. So, this technology really is to make it easy and automate a migration update from one instance to another.

Application configurations are stored in configuration packs which are represented as a .SOP file containing a set of the application version records. In an OOB supply, the SimpleOne platform contains only the Simple application, but administrators (users with the admin role) can create their own Applications if needed.

Initially, the configuration pack should be assembled on the source instance (the instance containing source data) within the local pack related to the specific application. After that, the local pack can be exported to the configuration pack as a .SOP file.

. You can just import a configuration pack in order to avoid recreation of changes on every instance.This technology ensures easy update migration between instances.

For example, your team has created a new application on the development instance. Instead of copying scripts and recreating all elements one by one manually, they assemble a configuration pack and import it to the production instance. While importing this pack into the target instance, the system checks changes for possible collisions. This way, you can make sure that these changes work fine.

Configuration pack flow

Good practice is to develop new applications and implement changes into existing ones on a separate instance. This will lessen mistakes and risks for everyday processes on the production instance. Therefore, VCS records should be collected into one local pack within the relevant application.

The configuration management involves two main processes:

• Export – collecting VCS records into a local pack on Instance #1, the result of which is a Local Pack in the Completed state and a .SOP file.
• Import – uploading and deployment of the previously prepared configuration pack on Instance #2.

To learn more about version control in SimpleOne and more, see the following articles:

• Assembling and exporting local packs
• Importing configuration packs

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Local packs 

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local pack local pack

Local packs allow the development of application configurations on a separate instance, exporting it as a .SOP file, and implementing changes to the production instance. This approach minimizes the risks of mistakes, errors, and conflicts, which may affect the production instance during application development.

Using configuration packs allows deploying this configuration on other instances, or, if needed, rollback versions of the specified record or some local pack as a whole to the previous state.

Technically, the configuration pack is the set of the saved records of the Local pack is a record in the VCS Local Pack (sys_vcs_local_pack) table compiling relevant records from the VCS Record (sys_vcs_record) table. Every record of this table contains table. This allows associating VCS records with a particular pack and exporting them as a complete set.

Every single version is an atomic state of versioned tables (those ones which have the Is VCS Enabled checkbox selected). All records in this table contain JSON formatted changes and other attributes described below.

{"value": "Report Item", "policy": "Open", "sys_id": 159653803414986194, "column_id": 156941403909472422, "record_id": 159653803414985080, "language_id": 156628684306541141, "application_id": 155931135900000002, "sys_created_at": "2020-08-04 10:47:14", "sys_created_by": 155931135900000001, "sys_updated_at": "2020-08-04 10:47:14", "sys_updated_by": 155931135900000001}

The configuration pack transfer between instances can be also called "import". On the picture below, you can find the cross-instance configuration versions import flow:

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Application configurations are stored in configuration packs represented as a .SOP file. Administrators can create their own applications if needed.

All record versions in a local pack are displayed in the VCS Record related list.

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VCS Local Pack form fields

VCS Records

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VCS records VCS records

Configuration packs are also used to monitor changes in particular records.

After any transaction (create/update/delete) for the versioned table object, the record is created in the VCS Record Records (sys_vcs_record) table corresponding to the object state after the transaction. The record version contains the information described below.

VCS Record form fields

VCS Record form fields

Field	Description
Table Name	System name of the target record table.
Record	Unique ID of the source record processed by the transaction.
Document Record	Target table ID

FieldDescriptionRecordAn ID of the source record processed by the transaction.Table name

The table name for the target record.

Note
Please note that only system names for tables are used in this field, not titles. Right: sys_vcs_record. Wrong: VCS record.

Record documentThis ID stores table name

and target record ID for which the current record is created. For example:

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JSON Copy	This field stores target record attributes in JSON format as an associative massive. Code Block language js theme Eclipse title Example {"value": "Report Item", "policy": "Open", "sys_id": 159653803414986194, "column_id": 156941403909472422, "record_id": 159653803414985080, "language_id": 156628684306541141, "application_id": 155931135900000002, "sys_created_at": "2020-08-04 10:47:14", "sys_created_by": 155931135900000001, "sys_updated_at": "2020-08-04 10:47:14", "sys_updated_by": 155931135900000001}
Is Current	This

attribute

checkbox is

responsible

a marker for

current

relevant version

relevance

records. When

its value is equal to TRUE, then

selected, the version corresponds to the target record

state

relevant for now, in other words, it is the most up-to-date version.

JSON CopyThe record version data in JSON format as an associative array. This array stores the target record object relevant state after the transaction.Action

Transaction type. Available options:

• Create
• Update
• Delete

Local packReference to the local pack containing this record version.Retrieved pack

Created by	Author of the changes.
Created at	Date and time of record creation.
Local Pack	Local pack to which this record is related.
Retrieved Pack	Retrieved pack to which this record is related

Reference to the configuration pack containing this record version

.

Restored by

The

Unique ID of the version record

version

from which the current

version has been

record was restored.

Platform versionThe solution platform version used for version creating.ApplicationA related application containing the target record.Is Strong Overwrite

Action

Transaction type. Available options: Create Update Delete

If this attribute value is equal to TRUE, then this version will take precedence over the existing version when the import process will go on.

Record Policy

The current

Current record protection policy after the transaction is over.

Local packs

Technically, a local pack is a record in the VCS Local Pack (sys_vcs_local_pack) table related to versions of the related records in a VCS Record (sys_vcs_record) table. Every single version is an atomic state of versioned tables (those ones which have the is_VCS_enabled attribute turned ON). All record versions in the local pack are displayed on a related list on a local pack form.

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To create a local pack, please complete the steps below:

1. Navigate to Configuration Pack → Local Packs.
2. Click New and fill in the fields.
3. Click Save or Save and Exit to apply changes.

VCS Local Pack form fields

Local pack state. Available options:

• In Progress
• Completed
• Ignored
• Rollback Previewed
• Rollbacked.

Restoring VCS Records

All the record versions – both previous and current – are stored in the VCS Record table. Current versions have the Is Current checkbox selected.

If you need to restore one of the record previous versions, complete the steps below:

1. Open the record which version you need to restore.
2. Scroll down to the Related Lists area and open the VCS Records tab.
3. Open the record version you need to restore.
4. Click Restore Version.

Version restoring

A non-actual version (the is_current attribute value is equal to FALSE) can be restored if needed. To perform this, please complete the steps below:

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After that, a new VCS record is created in associated with the current local pack; the Restored by field value of this record is equal to the ID of the version used for restoring.. It will be displayed in the VCS Records related list.

Default local pack

Default local pack is a local pack named "Default 1" created automatically after creating a new application. It is not recommended to use this local pack to store versions for the purpose of further import to other instances; create separate packs for these tasks.

If a version has been created in a default local pack erroneously, then you can move it to the required local pack. For this, please complete the steps below:

1. Navigate to Configuration Pack → Records.
2. Find the record to be recovered. You can use list search for search criteria narrowing, or a Condition Builder.
3. Click on a desirable record to navigate into it.
4. Click the magnifier icon on the left of the Local Pack field and choose the required local pack.
5. Click Save or Save and Exit to apply changes.

Protection Policy

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The Protection Policy attribute is responsible for data protection purposes. After creating a record in the versioned table, the Protection Policy for this record is Open. Once the record is updated, the Protection Policy becomes Changed. These values are transferred to the Record Policy field in the related VCS record, that is, the record version has the same Policy as the record itself.

Admin can update only the Local Pack and Is Strong Overwrite fields of records with any protection policy.

During the importing process, the records possible to overwrite can be updated. Both record policy values set in the system and in the configuration pack are taken into account. All possible policy combinations are described in the table below.

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