With local packs, it is possible to collect all the necessary configuration changes in the same place and transfer them to another instance. Export the local pack and add it to the Retrieved Packs (sys_vcs_retrieved_pack) table of the target instance. When the pack is loaded, a new local pack is created on that instance. This local pack contains the imported from the first instance settings. This approach minimizes the risks of mistakes, errors, and conflicts that may affect the production instance during the application development.
All system configuration activities should be performed within a separate local pack. Do not use the default local pack for these needs.
A local pack is a record in the VCS Local Pack (sys_vcs_local_pack) table and it compiles relevant to the configuration changes done records from the VCS Record (sys_vcs_record) table. Use local packs to associate VCS records with a particular pack and export them as a complete set.
Only users with the admin role can:
- manage lockal packs: create, merge, import and remove them,
- and their records: create, edit and remove them.
Every single version is an atomic state of the versioned tables (those having the Is VCS Enabled checkbox selected). All records in this table contain JSON formatted changes and other attributes described below.
Application configurations are stored in configuration packs represented as a .SOP file. Administrators can create their own applications if needed.
There can be more than one local pack in the system, but the changes made, for example, within a specific task can be saved only in the local pack that is selected in the Admin Preferences menu at the right. That is, if the selected local pack is Default 3, all changes will be stored in the Default 3 pack.
On the form of the local pack, all the record versions are displayed in the VCS Record related list.
In the Admin Preferences menu, select the local pack that you are going to work on. This local pack will be saved as preferred: if you switch between the applications, this pack will be selected automatically for this application.
Only local pack in state In Progress can be selected as preferred. Once the state changes, the prefered pack in the Admin Preferences menu switches to the default one for this app.
Local packs form fields
| Field | Mandatory | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Y | Name of the local pack |
| Is Default | N | Select this checkbox to set the local pack as default. When moving versions from other local packs, selected VCS records will be moved to this default pack. |
| State | Y | Local pack states. Available options:
|
| Application | N | Application that this local pack relates to. One local pack contains only those records that belong to the same application. |
| Description | N | Local pack description |
If there is no need to assemble a separate local pack to export, all record versions can be stored in the default local pack. The default pack can also contain the VCS records moved from other local packs that are in the In Progress state, for example, when some records were created or moved to the local pack by mistake.
VCS Records
Use configuration packs to monitor changes in particular records.
After any action (create, update, or delete) on a versioned table object, a record is created in the VCS Records (sys_vcs_record) table for this object. The records displayes the state of the object after the action was done. The record version contains the information described below.
- VCS records cannot be created, updated, or deleted manually. These records are created automatically by the system and are only available to admin users for reading.
- Admin user can also edit the Local Pack and Is Strong Overwrite fields.
Note that removing of a record does not mean its 'deletion': the removed records are stored in the default local pack.
If a local pack includes unwanted VCS records, move them to the default pack by completing the following steps:
- Navigate to Configuration → Local Packs.
- Open the VCS Local Pack containing the VCS record you need to remove.
- Scroll down to the Related Lists area and open the VCS Record tab.
- Select a record or records to be removed by selecting the checkboxes and click Move to Default.
- These records will be removed to the default local pack of the same application.
As a result:
- Selected record versions are moved to the default pack.
- The record versions with the same Record ID as the selected ones are moved to the default pack.
VCS record removal is not available in the default local packs.
A default local pack is the local pack with the Is Default checkbox selected.
VCS Record form fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Table Name | System name of the target record table. |
| Record ID | Unique ID of the source record processed by the transaction. |
| Document Record | The target table ID and target record ID for which the current record is created. For example:
|
| JSON Copy | This field stores target record attributes in JSON format as an associative massive. 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 | Select this checkbox to make this version current. |
| Created by | The user who did the change. |
| Created at | Date and time of the record creation. |
| Local Pack | The local pack that contains this record. |
| Retrieved Pack | The Retrieved pack to which this record is related to. |
| Restored by | A unique ID of the version record from which the current record was restored. |
| Action | Action type. Available options:
|
| Record Policy | Current record protection policy after the transaction is over. Available options:
|
| Is Strong Overwrite | When the checkbox is selected, the current record will be written over the existing version with the Protected policy. |
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.
To restore one of the record from previous versions, complete the steps below:
- Open a record that you need to restore to a particular version.
- Scroll down to the Related Lists area and open the VCS Records tab.
- Open the record version you need to restore.
- Click Restore Version.
Another way to restore a record version is the following:
- Navigate to Configuration → VCS Records.
- Find the record to restore. You can use the list search boxes or the Condition Builder.
- Open the record you need.
- Click Restore Version.
After that, a new VCS record is associated with the current local pack and displayed in its VCS Records related list.
Some forms may not display the VCS Records related list by default. But you can add it to the versioned table form on your own. After that, all versions (previous and current) of the current record will be displayed on the record form.
To add a VCS Record related list, do the following:
- Open a record for which you need to add a related table.
- In the hamburger menu
, select Configure → Related List → Layout. - Move the VCS Record → Document Record element from the Available box to the Selected box.
- Click Save to apply the changes.
