STEPXML Comparison Tool Scenarios

The following examples highlight how the STEPXML Comparison Tool can be used.

Running and loading STEPXML generated via the comparison tool

It is advisable to run the STEP comparison tool when no one is using the system. The XML being loaded may require ‘Single-Update Mode’ and entering Single-Update Mode means users only have read-only access to the system.

If you load XML which requires Single-Update Mode and it cannot enter this state due the fact that there is an active process on the server. the import will enter a ‘wait’ state and will enter ‘Single-Update Mode’ when there are no active processes on the server.

If the XML being loaded is not set to go in to Single-Update Mode when imported the process will highlight it is required to go into Single-Update Mode but was not successful.

Configurations for Exporting the Data

When doing the first export where you select the configurations you require to be exported, it is advisable to save a configuration file. As there are a number of configurations, you could miss a vital configuration if a user manually sets this each time they do a configuration export.

  • Scenario 1 - In this scenario we need to identify what is different between our source and target systems and update the target with the necessary updates.

Checking what is different between system to generate STEPXML to update target system:

  • Back-up target system
  • Export XML from Source system excluding Assets, Classifications, Entities and Products
  • Run a Cross Context export if configuration is stored in more dimension points i.e., LOVs, attribute names etc.
  • Export XML from Target system as above
  • The compare tool will highlight what is on the Source system only and what is different
  • Generate STEPXML tool
  • Load into target system
  • Check execution report for errors and resolve
  • Use compare tool to identify what is different or only on the target system to remove or update
  • Scenario 2 - In this scenario we need to identify what only exists on the target system which will have to be manually removed or updated.

Removing configuration from a target system:

  • Back-up target system
  • Export XML from Source system excluding Assets, Classifications, Entities and Products
  • Export XML from Target system as above
  • The compare tool will highlight what is on the Target system only
  • STEP user will need to manually remove the specific configurations from the target system
  • Scenario 3 - In this scenario we need to compare the system only.

Compare configurations to identify if the source and target systems match each other:

  • Export XML from Source system excluding Assets, Classifications, Entities and Products
  • Run a Cross Context export if configuration is stored in more dimension points i.e., LOVs, attribute names etc
  • Export XML from Target system as above
  • The compare tool will highlight what is not identical
  • Scenario 4 - In this scenario, use the compare tool to generate XML for specific object types. For example, to move two product types from source system to the target, choose to compare the same file and decide the objects to generate XML for.

Generating valid STEPXML:

  • Export XML from Source system excluding Assets, Classifications, Entities and Products
  • Run a Cross Context export if configuration is stored in more dimension points i.e., LOVs, attribute names etc
  • Re-use the source XML in the target
  • The compare tool will highlight what is identical and you can choose to view the XML via the hyperlinks for the appropriate objects

Considerations for STEPXML Imports

When using the STEPXML Comparison Tool, review the following considerations.

Single-Update Mode

  • Configuration updates can require STEP to go into ‘Single-Update Mode’. The updates that require Single-Update Mode via the comparison tool are listed the STEPXML Comparison Tool Limitations section here
  • Change attribute to / from being free text searchable - Yes
  • Change attribute to / from being multi valued - Yes
  • Activate / Deactivate unique keys - Yes but only the configuration
  • Change reference type to / from being multi valued
  • Modify or Move classification-product link types
    (e.g., move from one type to another type)
  • Change classification-product link type to / from being multi valued
  • Remove child object type in product, classification, entity, or publication object type hierarchy

Removing valid object types from an attribute

Issues that can occur when removing validity:

  • Remove object types as being valid for an attribute are not allowed when data exists for applicable products. A warning is included in the execution report.
  • Users must manually insert the XML tag OnlyAllowValidUserTypes=’true’ in the STEP-ProductInformation tag.
  • Attribute changes from Text to Number validation may not be allowed if there is data within the system for products that do not conform to Number validation.

Preparation required in target system for a successful import

Issues that could occur during STEPXML import:

  • New users cannot be created by the import since a password is required.

  • Event queues and consumers are created with a disabled status in the target system.

  • If the configuration being loaded relies on an object that does not exist within STEP a warning is displayed in the execution report. Required nodes must exist to receive data being loaded.

For example:

  • Valid object types must exist when loading attributes
  • Dimension points must exist when loading linked contexts
  • Referenced objects must exist when loading privilege rules
  • Referenced user groups must exist when loading Stateflows
  • Classification nodes must exist to hold bulk update configurations, export configurations, import configurations, transformation lookup tables, and Web UI configurations
  • Collections must exist for product selections based on collections