Work with Metadata Configurations

What is a Metadata Configuration?

Metadata Configurations allow parameterizing Metadata for a given context when working in Semarchy xDI Designer.

For example, a database model defined in Semarchy xDI may exist in two contexts Production and Development and have two corresponding configurations. Used in the Development configuration it would point to a development server and used in the Production configuration it would point to a production server. Both servers contain the same data structures (as defined in the model), but not the same data, and have different connection information.

A configuration named Default is created by default and corresponds to the base properties that you define when creating a metadata. You may want to create additional configurations to reflect the various contexts and environments that you have.

Large Scale Deployments

Metadata Configurations defined in Designer are suitable when you manage all your environments and your deployment cycle from Semarchy xDI Designer. They work well for small teams with a reasonable number of environments.

Metadata configurations that you create in Semarchy xDI Designer are saved in the workspace and are used only in Semarchy xDI Designer. They should not be confused with the Metadata configurations that you can configure in Semarchy xDI Production Analytics for production purposes.

For larger teams and environments with higher security requirements, you should consider implementing a full Deployment Flow, automated with Designer scripts, Runtime commands, and possibly Semarchy xDI Production Analytics to manage the production environments.

Use Configurations in Designer

In Semarchy xDI Designer, you always work in a current configuration, selected and visible in the toolbar.

The current configuration is used:

  • To perform operations in the Designer, such as reverse-engineering, viewing data or running queries.

  • To run processes or mappings on runtimes from the Designer.

  • When building or publishing a delivery a delivery from the Designer.

You can switch the configuration currently used in Designer from the toolbar.

For configurations corresponding to sensitive contexts (for example, production configurations), make sure to set up a password and enable Execution Protection as well as Selection Protection to avoid unwanted executions or changes.

Create a Configuration

To create a configuration:

  1. In the Semarchy xDI Designer toolbar, click the Edit button.

  2. The Configuration Definition editor (conf.cfc) opens.

  3. Right-Click on the root node (Cfc), then select New > Configuration.

  4. In the Standard section, enter the new configuration’s properties:

    • Code: Code of the configuration. This code appears in the Configurations drop-down list in the Semarchy xDI Designer toolbar.

    • Description: Description of the configuration.

    • Password: Protection password for this configuration.

    • Execution Protection: Select this option to be prompted for the password when running a process or mapping in this configuration.

    • Selection Protection: Select this option to be prompted for the password when switching to this configuration.

  5. Press CTRL+S to save the configuration.

Configure Metadata

In a Metadata file, you can define configuration-specific values for certain properties. The following section describes the most common usage of the configurations in metadata files.

The properties for which you do not specify a configuration-specific value use the base value defined in the metadata.

Database Metadata

In database metadata files, you can customize the connection information to the data server as well as the data schema definitions using configuration.

To create a data server configuration:

  1. In the database metadata editor, select the root node corresponding to the data server.

  2. Right-click and select New > Server Configuration.
    A new Configuration node is added under the server.

  3. In the Standard section:

  4. Select the configuration in the Configuration Name field.

  5. Click a property name to unlock the field and set the value that is specific to this configuration.

  6. Repeat the previous operation for each property that has a configuration-specific value (Driver, URL, User, Password, etc).

  7. Press CTRL+S to save the metadata.

To create a data schema configuration:

  1. In the database metadata editor, select the node corresponding to the data schema.

  2. Right-click and select New > DataSchema Configuration.
    A new Configuration node is added under the server.

  3. In the Standard section:

  4. Select the configuration in the Configuration Name field.

  5. Click a property name to unlock the field and set the value that is specific to this configuration.

  6. Repeat the previous operation for each property that has a configuration-specific value (Schema Name, Reject Schema, etc).

  7. Press CTRL+S to save the metadata.

You can add configurations at all levels in the database metadata file. For example, to define configuration-specific structural features for the datastores, columns, etc.

File Metadata

In file metadata, you can customize the directory location as well as the file names depending on the configuration.

For example:

  • in the development configuration, the customers file is located in the C:\temp\ directory and named testcustomers.txt

  • in the production configuration, the same customers file is located in the /prod/files/ directory and named customers.txt

To create a directory configuration:

  1. In the file metadata editor, select the node corresponding to the directory.

  2. Right-click and select New > Directory Configuration.
    A new Configuration node is added under the directory.

  3. In the Standard section:

  4. Select the configuration in the Configuration Name field.

  5. Click a property name (for example, Path) to unlock the field and set the value (for example, the directory path) that is specific to this configuration.

  6. Repeat the previous operation for each property that has a configuration-specific value.

  7. Press CTRL+S to save the metadata.

To create a file configuration:

  1. In the File metadata file editor, select the node corresponding to the file.

  2. Right-click and select New > File Configuration.
    A new Configuration node is added under the file.

  3. In the Standard section:

  4. Select the configuration in the Configuration Name field.

  5. Click a property name (for example, Physical Name) to unlock the field and set the value (for example, the file name) that is specific to this configuration.

  6. Repeat the previous operation for each property that has a configuration-specific value.

  7. Press CTRL+S to save the metadata.

You can add configurations at all levels in the File metadata, for example, to define configuration-specific structural features for flat files.

XML Metadata

In XML files, you can customize the path of the XML and XSD files depending on the configuration using a schema configuration.

To create a schema configuration:

  1. In the XML metadata editor, select the root node.

  2. Right-click and select New > Schema Configuration.

  3. In the Standard section:

  4. Select the configuration in the Configuration Name field.

  5. Click a property name (for example, Default XML Path or XSD path) to unlock the field and set the value that is specific to this configuration.

  6. Repeat the previous operation for each property that has a configuration-specific value.

  7. Press CTRL+S to save the metadata.

You can add configurations at all levels in the XML metadata file for example to define configuration-specific structural features in the XML file.