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 from 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

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 update, 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.

Another protection policy state for record is Protected. Records with this state cannot be changed or deleted.

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

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 → Local Packs.
2. Click New and fill in the fields.
3. Attach the file you need by clicking the attachments button .
4. 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 → VCS 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 open 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.

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 → 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.

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 → 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. Open the hamburger menu and navigate to Export → As a New Application.

Local Pack Merging

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

1. Navigate to Configuration → Local Packs.
2. Choose local packs you need to merge by selecting the appropriate checkboxes, then 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 Import

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

• The transactions stored in configuration pack (a local pack that was exported) are applied to the 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 → Retrieved Packs.
2. Click New to create a new configuration pack.
3. Attach previously exported .SOP file to this configuration pack.
4. Click Save or Save and Exit to apply changes.
5. Click Load pack button on the top right to load records from the attached .SOP file to temporary table.

After records are loaded, additional UI actions appear on the retrieved pack record form:

1. Reload pack
2. Prepare changes
3. Import pack

VCS retrieved pack form fields

The import process includes two immanent phases described below:

1. Previewing pack and preparing changes
2. Importing.

Preparing and importing

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 → Retrieved Packs.
2. Find the configuration pack containing previously loaded records to preview (you can filter the list by the Previewed state).
3. Click on the selected pack to navigate into it.
4. Click the Retrieved Records tab.

On this tab, you can find all records loaded from the configurations file. The Retrieved Records functionality allows to filter records out by state, fix errors if necessary and go on with importing without reassembling the .SOP file.

Retrieved record form field

Use case

After loading a .SOP file into a retrieved pack record, some VCS records have thrown errors due to some reasons (for example, the translation records on the target instance are different from the ones in retrieved pack, what causes data inconsistency, or any other reason). In this case, a person implementing import should follow the steps as described below:

1. After navigating onto the configuration pack being imported, click on the VCS Preview Log tab.
2. Find the erroneous records (filter out the Good state).
3. Click on such a record.
4. Read the text in the Error Text field to get the error cause.
5. Make necessary changes to the record in the JSON Copy field and save the record by clicking the Save or Save and Exit button to apply changes.
6. Click the Prepare changes button.
7. Make sure that record state has been changed to Good.
8. (optional) Repeat these steps for every erroneous record if there are more than one.
9. After you are done, click the Import Pack button on the retrieved pack form.

After a pack is finally imported:

• A local pack record in the 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.
• All records from this pack are created in the target instance in relevant tables.
• Temporary records from the Retrieved Records table are deleted.
• The retrieved pack state changes to Committed.
• The date and time of this operation are displayed at the Committed at field.

VCS Preview Log fields description

Collisions processing

Snapshots

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

Option 1

1. Navigate to System Definition → All Tables.
2. Using the search bar and/or a Condition Builder, find the table for which you want to create a snapshot, and navigate to it.
3. Open the hamburger menu and navigate to Configure → Table.
4. 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 createTableSnapshot(tableName) method in it.

Rollback

Rollbacks in brief

1. Any completed local pack can be rolled back.
2. Rollback will restore the versions of all the records in this local pack as they were before the start of the update collection within this local pack, or before committing this local pack.
3. Deleted records are restored, and created records are deleted.

Example

• Before local pack committing, the record had a version X.
• After the local pack committing, it has version Y.
• And after rollbacking, it will have version X again, even if after local pack completing it had any other version.

How to rollback a local pack

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

1. Navigate to Configuration → Local Pack.
2. Click on the local pack you need to rollback and navigate into it.
3. Click Rollback Preview to preview the list of the records that are going to be backed out.
4. Review the contents of the local pack, fix the possible collisions if required. After fixing the collision, please complete the steps below:
   1. Navigate to Configuration → VCS Preview Log.
   2. Click on the record that was causing the collision.
   3. Click on the State choice list and select the allowed value.
   4. Click Save or Save and Exit to apply changes.
5. Click Rollback to perform the rollback.

6. Resolve the issues encountered.

This process both record updates and dictionary changes. Some changes caused by the rollback may lead to data loss.

Here is the expected result of the process: