To support Version Control System Integration (VCSI), a set of outbound integration endpoint options allow STEP to publish system configurations to a branch in Git, an external Version Control System (VCS) (refer to: https://git-scm.com). Using an inbound integration endpoint (IIEP), files from a Git branch can be combined, enriched with processing instructions, and imported on a target system as a joined STEPXML file using the STEPXML Joiner to directly update objects in the system. Alternately, the STEPXML Joiner for Change Packages can be combined with an IIEP to import the change package .ZIP imported on a target system as a joined STEPXML file so changes can be analyzed and scheduled for an appropriate installation window. VCS systems support automation capabilities to generate a .ZIP of a change package and send it to an SFTP to the IIEP of a target system.
This functionality allows for easy comparison of configurations over time and across systems in a Development, Test, Acceptance, and Production (DTAP) environment and is meant to aid customers who need to transfer configuration changes between different systems and/or ensure systems are in sync configuration-wise. Users can choose to configure a collection to group changes for scheduled or on-demand delivery or automated delivery when a change package is sealed using the two ‘Git’ options for delivery and the two ‘STEPXML Joiner' pre-processors.
Note: For on-premises systems, the 'configuration-management' add-on component must be activated to enable VCSI.
Configuration / Data
In STEP, the distinction between configuration and data is not always clear. While most of the objects and settings that can be found in the workbench System Setup tab are clearly configuration, the Tree tab holds both data and configuration. For example, objects like import, export, and bulk update configurations are configuration, but in addition, classification hierarchies, upper levels in the product and entity hierarchies, and entity structures used for modeling reference data, are widely regarded as configuration.
For the functionality presented in the related topics and in the topics of the Version Control System Integration (VCSI) documentation, there is no distinction between 'configuration' and 'data.' Instead, as described in the OIEP for VCS Integration with Change Packages or the OIEP for VCS Integration with Git Delivery topic, this can be configured. However, the functionality is not designed to handle vast amounts of data objects (e.g., SKUs or wide and deep hierarchies).
Additional Information
Refer to the following topics for more information: