Handling configuration files Configuration files are used to store key information about a database and the information that it contains. Creating a configuration fileWhen creating a new configuration file, you will need to connect to your database. The steps required for this connection vary depending on the type of database you have. The connection dialogs you see are provided by the database system suppliers who provide their own online help.Connecting to an Access databaseTo connect to a Microsoft Access database:Connecting to a Microsoft SQL Server databaseWhen you have set up your initial connection, iBridge Designer also allows you to define a parameterized connection using the Edit Connection command on the Tools menu. If you encounter problems connecting to your SQL Server database, contact your System Administrator. Connecting to a Oracle databaseWhen an application communicates with an Oracle database across a network, Oracle's proprietary network protocol Net8 (previously known as SQL*Net) is used. This means that before you try to connect to an Oracle database within iBridge Designer, you must install and configure Net8 client software on each client computer. Editing the connection to a databaseIf you have moved your database to a different location, you must edit the connection information for any configuration files that are based on that database before you can open them again, either in iBridge Designer or iBridge.Opening a configuration fileYou may wish to open a configuration file if you want to make changes to it. Copy the file and make your changes to this local copy. You can then verify that your changes are correct before releasing the file to the analysts by issuing it and copying it back to the central location.Refreshing the database informationIf you change the structure of the underlying database, for example by adding a table, your configuration file will need to be updated to reflect this change. There are two methods of updating a configuration file: Showing and hiding database table typesYou can choose to show or hide all occurrences of a particular table type, for example you can choose to hide all system tables. To do this:Setting general propertiesThe General page of the Properties dialog can be accessed by selecting File > Properties and clicking the General tab. There are a number of general properties you can specify.Viewing issue historyEach time you issue a configuration file by selecting File > Issue, the issue number of the configuration file will be increased and you will be prompted to enter comments, for example what modifications have been made since the last issue.Viewing details of a selected issueYou can view the details of a selected issue number of a configuration file or connection by selecting an issue of a configuration file or connection on the Issue History page of the configuration's Properties dialog and clicking Details.Specifiying table types to includeYou can change the default table/view settings that are available in the tree view by moving the required entries from the list in the Available area into the list in the Included area. Tables that are not included will not be retrieved from the database. Setting time zone propertiesBy default Use Chart Time Zone is turned on. This means that when analysts chart items with this configuration the time zone of Analyst's Notebook is used.Setting advanced propertiesYou can change the type of the database that is selected in iBridge Designer. Closing a configuration fileTo close a configuration file, select File > Close. If you have made any changes since you last saved the file, you will be prompted to save them. Saving a configuration fileIf you have made any changes to a configuration file, even if you are not ready to issue these changes, you must save your work before exiting iBridge Designer or the changes will be lost.Validating a configuration fileAll configuration files must be validated before you can open them in Analyst's Notebook or before making them available to the analysts (issued and copied to a central location). The Save command will always validate your configuration, but you can choose to validate it without saving to obtain a report of any current problems with your configuration.Issuing a configuration fileTo make a configuration file available to the analysts, you must issue it and copy it to a central location. To issue a configuration file:Exporting a configuration fileiBridge Designer allows you to export your configuration in XML format. You may wish to do this if you are having problems creating a valid configuration or if you cannot open a configuration for any reason, for example if a table or field used in the configuration has been renamed or deleted. Exporting your configuration will allow you to send it to your supplier or a colleague for help in determining where the problems are. Importing a configuration fileYou may wish to import a configuration if you have previously had problems and exported the configuration to send to your supplier or a colleague. They may send it back to you after fixing any problems for you to re-import.Generating a configuration reportTo generate a report of the configuration you have created:Customizing a configuration reportThe content of a configuration report is controlled by the ReportConfiguration.xml file. You can alter this file to modify the content of any configuration reports produced by iBridge Designer.Distributing a configuration reportIf you want to distribute a configuration report to a third party, you can create a Web Archive file, in which all these files needed for the report are saved as one file.Fixing the Configuration after making changes to the databaseIf you are given a warning when you attempt to open your configuration file, it is possible that you have made changes to the database that affect the database model in the Types page. This means that the configuration file has become invalid, because some of the fields and/or tables modeled in iBridge Designer can no longer be recognized.Parent topic: iBridge Designer
