Configuration Packs

The SimpleOne system allows exporting and importing configuration packs to keep unrelated instances synchronized.

Concept

In brief, the VCS configuration pack 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.

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 VCS Record (sys_vcs_record) table. Every record of this table contains 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:

Record versions

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

VCS Record form fields

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.

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

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:

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 Restore Version.

After that, a new VCS record is created in the current local pack; the Restored by field value of this record is equal to the ID of the version used for restoring.

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 recover. 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

The Protection Policy (policy) attribute is responsible for the possibility of the record changing (for example, overwriting). It it used, in particular, for data protection purposes.

How it works

When the record in the versioned table is created, its Record and Record Policy attribute values are equal to Open. After first updating, its Record and Record Policy attribute values changes to Changed.

Records with these two states for the Record and Record Policy attributes are freely modifiable.

Also, one more protection policy state for record is Protected. Records with this state cannot be changed or deleted.

Local Pack Exporting

After you are done with record versions collection within the task implementing, you need to export the changes for further import to other instances. For this, please complete the steps below:

1. Navigate to Configuration Pack → Local Packs.
2. Find the local pack to export. You can use list search for search criteria narrowing, or a Condition Builder.
3. Click on a desirable local pack to navigate into it.
4. Change the state value to Completed.
5. Click Export Local Pack link.

As a result, 

Merging Local Packs

Two local packs can be merged in one if necessary. For this, please complete the steps below:

1. Navigate to Configuration Packs → Local Packs.
2. Choose local packs you need to merge selecting the appropriate checkboxes and click the Merge button;
3. Fill in the name and description of the consequent local pack.
4. Wait until local packs are merged;
5. As a result, a new local pack is created referenced with the last versions of the VCS Record (sys_vcs_record) for every record;
6. Resulting local pack transits into the In Progress state.
7. The original local packs are removed;
8. If any versions were referenced to original local packs and didn't get into the resulting one, then this reference is reset.

Local Pack Importing

To deliver an exported local pack on a target instance, the import procedure should proceed. What is implemented within this procedure:

• The transactions stored in configuration pack (a local pack that was exported) are applied on a target instance.
• A local pack copy created on a target instance.

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

1. Navigate to Configuration Pack → Retrieved Packs.
2. Click New to create a new configuration pack and fill in the fields.
3. Attach previously exported .SOP file to this configuration pack.
4. Click Save or Save and Exit to apply changes.

VCS retrieved pack form fields

The import process includes three phases:

1. Preview
2. Import
3. Apply

Preview

During this phase, the import engine checks for the possible conflicts before the pack is imported. To preview the configuration pack, please complete the steps below:

1. Navigate to Configuration Pack → Retrieved Packs.
2. Find the configuration pack to preview (it should not be previewed before, so the state should be equal to New).
3. Click on it to navigate into it.
4. Click the Preview Local Pack link.

As a result:

1. The VCS Preview Log records are created and displayed at the related list appropriate for this configuration pack.
2. The configuration pack state changes to Previewed.

VCS Preview Log fields description

Import

After the configuration pack has been previewed, preview log records have been analyzed and possible collisions have been solved, you can proceed with further configuration pack importing. For this, please complete the steps below:

1. Navigate to Configuration Pack → Retrieved Packs.
2. Find the previously previewed configuration pack (the state should be equal to Previewed).
3. Click the Import Local Pack button.

As a result:

• VCS records are created on the target instance with the attributes as listed below:
  • Is Current = FALSE
  • Not related to any local pack in the system.
• The retrieved pack state changes to Loaded.
• The date and time of this operation are displayed at the Loaded at field.

Apply

The final import phase is an applying. For this, please complete the steps below:

1. Navigate to Configuration Pack → Retrieved Packs.
2. Find the previously imported configuration pack (the state should be equal to Loaded).
3. Click Apply Local Pack.

As a result:

• A local pack record on a target instance is created.
• All versions created on the previous stage are copied onto this local pack.
• The is_current attribute value for these records changes to TRUE.
• The retrieved pack state changes to Committed.
• The date and time of this operation are displayed at the Committed at field.

Snapshots

In version control systems (VCS), snapshot is the fixed system or database status description. To create a table snapshot, a table managing form can be used, and also, server-side API class SimpleVcs was implemented.

Role required: admin.

Option 1

1. Navigate to System Definition → All Tables;
2. Using the search bar and/or a Condition Builder, find the table you want to create a snapshot and navigate into it;
3. Click the Create VCS Snapshot button at the right top. This button is visible only when the versioning for this table is on (the is_vcs_enabled attribute is set to TRUE).

Option 2

1. Navigate to System Definition → Scripts;
2. Write down a script and call SimpleVcs#createTableSnapshot(tableName) method in it.

In both cases, the result is the snapshot, that is, the set of the VCS records for all the documents in this table that do not have such records at the moment of the snapshot creating.