Revised Functionality

In this section:

Starting with Release 7.7 DataMigrator has some functionality changes from previous releases. The following list describes these changes.


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Keep Server Connection Alive

The Data Management Console normally connects to the server for each request, for example, when running a flow or stored procedure. When the task completes the connection to the server is severed. This mode of operation is similar to a web browser and helps to keep server resources available to all users.

In previous releases the option Keep Server Connection Alive kept a constant connection to the server for the duration of the DMC session. This tied up the server resources regardless of whether they were being used or not.

However, this functionality allowed for tasks to be completed such as setting a value for a variable, issuing a SET or a FILEDEF command, or establishing a DEFINE FUNCTION.

These tasks can now be accomplished with the Edit my profile option. Add any needed commands to your profile and since the profile is run for every connection to the server, they will be in effect for each session.

Note:


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File Listener

In the previous release an agent based File Listener configured on the Web Console facilitated real time processing. While this allowed processing files to arrive in a specified directory, only Direct Load flows could be used and they could not be scheduled. The flow also did not complete until the agent was terminated, so the log could not be viewed, nor could an email message be sent after processing.

This facility has been replaced in the current release with a new adapter based file listener capability. All configuration is done in a synonym that describes the source files.

The new File Listener has added capabilities. It supports both Data Flows (SQL based) as well as Direct Load flows and these flows can also be scheduled. The flow completes when a file or time limit is reached, and an email message can be sent on completion.


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COMT and TABT Target Files

In previous releases a target with an Adapter of Formatted File could have Format of COMT. DataMigrator would create a comma-delimited file with double quotes around all character columns and the column names as the first line of the file. The TABT format used a tab character as a delimiter instead of a comma.

In Release 7.7 support for COMT and TABT files has be superseded with the support for Delimited Flat Files that allow any delimiter to be specified, not just comma and tab. The enclosure character for strings can also be specified as any character. Inclusion of the column names as the first line is now optional.

Any Data Flows created in earlier releases with a target type of COMT and TABT will still run. However, when they are opened in the Data Management Console they will be converted to have a target of Delimited Flat File, with the Header set to yes, Enclosure set to a double quote, and Delimiter set to a comma or tab.

Since previous releases did not permit mapping to a predefined synonym describing a delimited, they allowed adding columns to the target file in the Target Transformations panel. In the current release a synonym that describes a delimited file can be used as a target. Any columns needed in the target file can be included in the target synonym and assigned in the Target Transformations panel.


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Custom Reports for the Log and Statistics Tables

The capability to customize the standard log and statistics reports has been discontinued.


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Run Deferred (Legacy)

The capability to submit flows directly to the deferred execution scheduler has been discontinued.

Instead, use Submit or Submit with options and select Do not wait for completion to run at a specific date and time.


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Test Run and Run

The Run option has been replaced by Submit, which submits a flow to run on the sever.

Test Run has been replaced by Run on the browser context menu for flows and on the toolbar for flows.

As with Test Run when a flow is Run data is loaded and the output appears in the DMC console log (and not in the ETL Log or an email message).

However, Run is not subject to the Maximum number of rows for test reports limit found in the Run Options preferences. To limit the number of rows processed, set the limit from the Run with limits dialog box.


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Database Default Values

If a database column has a default value assigned in the database, and no value is assigned in Target Transformations, the database will now assign the default value.

In previous releases, fields with no value assigned in Target Transformations had a NULL value assigned for NULLABLE columns and a space or zero for NOT NULL columns.

Note: If a column is described as NOT NULL and has no default value, DataMigrator now requires a value to be assigned, the same as when using a database insert or update statement.


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Unassigned Fields

In releases prior to 7.7.04, if no value was assigned to a field in Target Transformations it was assigned an arbitrary value as shown. This value replaced the default value in the database if applicable.

Column Described As

Value Assigned

NULLABLE (MISSING=ON)

NULL

NOT NULL (MISSING=OFF)

Space or zero

In release 7.7.04 the assignment has been changed to correspond with expected relational database behavior:

Column Described As

Default Value in Database

Value Assigned

NULLABLE (MISSING=ON)

NO

NULL

NULLABLE (MISSING=ON)

Yes

Database default value

NOT NULL (MISSING=OFF)

No

Database error

NOT NULL (MISSING=OFF)

Yes

Database default value

To avoid an error from the relational database, assign a value for all NOT NULL fields.


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