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Export and Import the Model Configuration

Exporting and importing the model configuration is a manual operation required whenever you need to publish a SFHub Display to a different server and database.

Publishing a display requires aligning the target model with the source model when changes have been made to elements, connections, or layers.

This operation can be performed manually using the standard features available in PI System Explorer (Import/Export utility).

Note

SFHub Visualizer does not yet support this feature.

Target model alignment can be performed either before or after publishing the display.

Before the Display Publish

You can create a new version of the target model by:

  1. Using the Create a New Model Version feature, or
  2. Using PI System Explorer (New Version button in the Version tab of the model properties)

In both cases, ensure you assign the correct Effective Date to the model version.

  1. As a final step, align the configuration of the target model with the source model.
  2. Perform the Display Publish.

After the Display Publish

The new version of the target model is created by the Display Publish (see Publish Display). As final steps, you must:

  1. Align the configuration of the target model with the source model
  2. Perform the Sync Display with Model to synchronize the newly published display with the aligned target model configuration.

Consider the following scenario with two Sigmafine servers (development and production):

  • The Development server is used to build and test the Sigmafine model and SFHub display
  • The Production server is where the model and display are released

This section walks through the possible scenarios.

Important Note

The examples below use export and import of the model element to align the target model configuration. It is understood that the system administrator has the discretion to decide whether to export and import the entire database or individual entities (elements, templates, tables, models).

Target Database and Model are Empty​

This scenario applies when the Sigmafine model and SFHub display have been configured and built on the development server and you want to make them available on the production server.

Before publishing the display, you must copy the Sigmafine configuration from the source server, database, and model to the target server, database, and model.

On the Development server:

  1. Open PI System Explorer and select the Server and database to export
  2. Select the root node of the Library folder
  3. Select 'Export to File' and export the entire database
Note

Do not select the Include Security Settings option during export.

On the Production server

  1. Open PI System Explorer and select the target Sigmafine Server
  2. Select or create the target database
  3. Select the root node of the Library folder
  4. Select 'Import from File' and choose the .xml file exported from the development server

After the target database and model have been created, you are ready to publish the SFHub Display.

Target Database and Model Have an Existing Configuration​

This scenario applies when the Sigmafine model and SFHub display have been modified on the development server (e.g., new assets have been added to the model and display) and you want to align the modified model and display in the production environment.

You must align the Sigmafine configuration on the target server, database, and model with the changes made on the development server.

No Model Versioning​

This applies when model versioning is not used.

On the Development server:

  1. Open PI System Explorer and select the source Server and database
  2. Open the Elements folder and select the Model you want to export
  3. Select 'Export to File' to export the model configuration
Note

Do not select the Include Security Settings option during export.

On the Production server

  1. Open PI System Explorer and select the target Sigmafine Server and database
  2. Open the Elements folder
  3. Select 'Import from File' and choose the .xml file exported from the development server

This will override the production server configuration with the development server configuration.

Note

If the asset configuration contains references to a PI Data Archive different from the PI Data Archive used by the production environment, the export and import will also override the PI Point configuration.

With Model Versioning​

This applies when model versioning is used to manage changes in the model. In this case, you must export and import the database and model configuration properly.

On the Development server:

  1. Open PI System Explorer and select the source Server and database
  2. Set the Query Date exactly equal to the Effective Date of the model version you want to export
  3. Open the Elements folder and select the Model you want to export
  4. Select 'Export to File' to export the model configuration
Note

Do not select the Include Security Settings option during export.

On the Production server

  1. Open PI System Explorer and select the target Sigmafine Server and database

  2. Set the Query Date exactly equal to the Effective Date of the model version where you want to import the configuration

    info

    It is assumed that the target model version has already been created.

  3. Open the Elements folder

  4. Select 'Import from File' and choose the .xml file exported from the development server

Export and Import the model configuration

Export and Import of the model configuration is an operation that must be performed manually whenever you need to publish a SFHub Display on a different server and database.

The publish of a 'display' requires the alignment of the target model with the source model if changes were made in terms of elements, connections, or layers.

This operation can be performed manually using the standard features made available by PI System Explorer (Import/Export utility).

Note

SFHub Visualizer doesn't yet make available this feature.

The target model alignment can be performed before or after the Display Publish.

Before the Display Publish

You can create a new version of the target model:

  1. Using the Create a New Model Version feature or,
  2. Using PI System Explorer (New Version button in the Version tab of the model properties)

In both the cases, you must take care to assign the correct Effective Date to the model version.

  1. As final step, you must align the configuration of the target with the source model.
  2. Perform the Display Publish at the end.

After the Display Publish

The new version of the target model is created by the Display Publish (see Publish Display). As final steps, you must:

  1. Align the configuration of the target with the source model
  2. Perform the Sync Display with Model in order to synchronize the new published display with the aligned target model configuration.

As an example cosider the following scenario where we have two Sigmafine servers (development and production):

  • The Development server is used to build and test the Sigmafine model and the SFHub display
  • The Production server is where the model and the display are released

The aim of this paragraph is to go throught the possible scenarios.

Important Note

The below examples use the export and import of the model element with the objective to align the target model confuguration. It is understood that it will be the system administrator's discretion to decide whether to export and import the entire database or rather export single entities (elements, templates, tables, models).

Target database and model are empty​

This is the scenario where the Sigmafine model and the SFHub display have been configured and build on the development server and now we want to make them available on the production server.

Before to publish the display, we must copy the Sigmafine configuration from the source server, database and model to the target server, database and model.

On the Development server:

  1. Open PI System Explorer and select the Server and database to export,
  2. Select the root node of the Library folder,
  3. Select 'Export to File' and export the entire database.
Note

Do not select the export Include Security Settings option,

On the Production server

  1. Open PI System Explorer and select the target Sigmafine Server
  2. Select or create the target database
  3. Select the root node of the Library folder
  4. Select 'Import from File' and select the .xml file exported from the development server

After the target database and model have been created, you are ready to publish the SFHubDisplay:

Target database and model have a configuration​

This is the scenario where the Sigmafine model and the SFHub display have been changed on the development server (e.g. new assets have been added in the model and the display) and now we want to align the modified model and display in the production environment.

We must align the Sigmafine configuration on the target server, database and model with the changes made on the development server.

No model versioning​

This is the case where the model versioning is not used.

On the Development server:

  1. Open PI System Explorer and select the source Server and database.
  2. Open the Elements folder and select the Model you want to export.
  3. Select 'Export to File' to export the model configuration.
Note

Do not select the export Include Security Settings option,

On the Production server

  1. Open PI System Explorer and select the target Sigmafine Server and database.
  2. Open the Elements folder
  3. Select 'Import from File' and select the .xml file exported from the development server

Basicly you will override the configuration of the production server with the development server.

Note

In case the assett configuration contains references to a PI Data Archive different from the PI Data Archive used by the production Enviroment, then the export and import will override the PI Point configuration as well

With model versioning​

This is the case where the model versioning is used to manage changes in the model. In such case you have to take care to export and import the database and model configuration in a proper way.

On the Development server:

  1. Open PI System Explorer and select the source Server and database.
  2. Set the Query Date exactly equal to the Effective Date of the model version you want to export.
  3. Open the Elements folder and select the Model you want to export.
  4. Select 'Export to File' to export the model configuration.
Note

Do not select the export Include Security Settings option,

On the Production server

  1. Open PI System Explorer and select the target Sigmafine Server and database.

  2. Set the Query Date exactly equal to the Effective Date of the model version where you want to import the configuration.

    info

    It is assumed that the target model version has alredy created.

  3. Open the Elements folder

  4. Select 'Import from File' and select the .xml file exported from the development server