Initialize or update the meta-model of the Alfabet database

If you are using a new database, the database must be initialized via an ADBZ file delivered with the release to generate the required database tables. If you are using an existing Alfabet 10 database, you must update the meta-model of the database.

• Initialize a new database

  An Alfabet database that provides the initial state of Alfabet is delivered with the software as an ADBZ database archive file. This database archive file is required to initially populate the Alfabet database.

  To read the ADBZ file to the Alfabet database:

  1. Start the Alfabet Administrator from the Windows® Start Menu.
  2. Expand the Alfabet Aliases node in the explorer.
  3. Right-click the server alias that connects to the Alfabet database and select Restore Database Archive.
  4. In the dialog box that opens, select the file name and location of the archive file that you want to restore.
  5. The following options can be selected when restoring the Alfabet database:
     •  Include Audit: If the checkbox is selected, audit tables which are part of the ADBZ are restored in the target database.
     • Squeeze Audit Tables: If the checkbox is selected, the audit tables are scanned for obsolete entries. Any entries that were generated ,for example, during the batch update of data via batch utilities without documenting any audit relevant changes are deleted from the audit tables restored from the ADBZ file.
  6. Click Restore to start the restore process. It may take a few minutes before the restore process is completed.
  7. In the Info window that opens, click OK.
• Update the meta-model of an existing database

  Between Alfabet 10 and Alfabet 11, the configuration of the user interface has changed considerably. When you update the meta-model of an existing Alfabet 10 database, your customized configuration must be adapted to the changes. This is an individual process which requires customized restructuring efforts. During update of the meta-model, some configurations can be adapted to the new structure. But due to the significant changes to usability and the user interface in Alfabet 11, a one-to-one migration will not be possible. Please contact the Alfabet team in Software GmbH to help you plan your transition to Alfabet 11.

  The required changes to upgrade the meta-model to the new release are stored in an .amm file delivered with the new release. In addition, another amm file is included in the delivery for optional implementation of the Accellerator configuration.

  Update of the meta-model in your database must for this release be performed in the Alfabet Administrator tool.

  1. Start the Alfabet Administrator from the Windows® Start Menu.
  2. Expand the Alfabet Aliases node in the explorer.
  3. Right-click the server alias that connects to the Alfabet database and select Update Meta-Model.
  4. In the dialog box that opens, select the file name and location of the .amm file for upgrade to Alfabet 11.7.
  5. The following options can be selected when restoringMigration can be done in three different ways which depend on the setting of the Only migrate existing data option:
     • Do not select the option Only migrate existing data. in the Update Meta-Model dialog. During update of the meta-model, parts of your existing configuration will be automatically adapted to the Alfabet 11.7 configuration structure. A description of the configuration changes is part of the documentation.
     • Select the option Only migrate existing data. during update of the meta-model to Alfabet 11.7. Migration is done without changing the current configuration. All adaptations to the new way of configuring Alfabet must be done manually.
     • Select the option Only migrate existing data. during update of the meta-model to Alfabet 11.7. Afterwards, update the meta-model again with the Alfabet Accellerator configuration delivered in a separate AMM file. this option is recommended for customers who used an Alfabet Accellerator configuration without or with only minor customizations in Alfabet 10.15. The new Alfabet Accellerator 11 configuration is then fully available with your data.
  6. Click Update to start the meta-model update.

  If issues occur during update of the meta-model via the AMM file, a log file is created during update of the meta-model. The log file is written to the directory that contains the AMM file and has the name <Name of the AMM file>_<Time Stamp>.log. Consult the log file to view any issues that occurred during update.

  If configurations not matching the meta-model after update are detected in the database, the update meta-model process will write the problems into a Microsoft® Excel® file. The file is written to the directory that contains the AMM file and has the name <Name of the AMM file>_<Time Stamp>.xlsx. Open the Excel file and check for issues that require correction. The file consists of the following sheets:

  • Translation Errors: Lists issues detected during vocabulary update such as original strings that exceed the maximum allowed character number of 600 characters.
  • Queries: Lists all queries defined in Alfabet configuration that are no longer valid because of meta-model changes.
  • Class Settings Editor: Lists all class settings with an incorrect editor configuration.
  • User Profile Errors: Lists all user profiles with a missing or incorrect view scheme configuration. User profiles are listed here if the View Scheme attribute is either empty or set to a view scheme that does not exist. The view scheme configuration is required to apply the correct class settings to the user profile, thus ensuring that the correct settings are applied for the object class property and button configuration, for example.