Perceive 3.0 Release Notes

Perceive 3.0 enhancements include:

 

Specify File Extensions for File Targets

When a user defines a target, and selects File in the Type drop-down field, an Extension field is now available. Specify an extension to determine the format that will be used to open the file. By default, the file extension is .dat.

Automate the Executable Permission Process for Reports Interface Import/Export Utilities

Previously, it was necessary to manually verify that executable permission was provided for the js-export and js-import shell script files, as well as for the js-import-export shell script file. If the executable permission was not provided, it was necessary to run the ./chmod gu+x*.sh command.

This verification has been automated by setting the executable permission for the script files.

Pre-Populate Source System Data Transfer Shared Directory Fields

Previously, when a user defined an Infogix Assure source system and selected the “Use shared directory” option on the Data Transfer tab, the Infogix Assure Path/URL and Infogix Perceive Path/URL fields had to be manually completed.

During installation, the data transfer directory is configured in the IV.properties file. The process of defining a source system has been simplified by pre-populating the Infogix Assure and Infogix Perceive Path/URL fields based on the data transfer directory configuration.

System-Level Support to Disable Extract and Report Events

A System Options menu option is now available. The settings defined on this page override the settings defined for individual events. DataView Admins and DataEntity Admins can disable all extract events and report events to prevent them from running.

This functionality is useful if an Infogix Assure or Infogix ER source system is down, and you do not want to manually disable each event, or revert all the changes that occurred in Infogix Perceive while the source system was down.

To access the system options, click View > System Options, and then select Disable Extract Events or Disable Report Events.

Additional Command Line Utilities: runreport, rollback

The following command line utilities have been added.

• runreport – runs a report from the Reports interface
• rollback – rolls back data from Recon, Control Quality Controls, and Output Entities

Display Extract Management Buttons only on Relevant Pages

Previously, the buttons associated with extract management, such as Extract, Load, Rollback, and Clear, displayed on the Reference Data Mappings, Relationships, History Mappings, Current Mappings, Activity Log Mappings, pages for data entities and output data entities.

The buttons did not enhance the functionality of these pages, and so they now only display on the Details, Outputs, Controls, Reports, and Jobs pages for data entities.

Remove Source System Inbound User Name and Password Fields

Previously, when a new Infogix Assure or Infogix ER source system was defined, Outbound User Name, Output Password, Inbound User Name, and Inbound Password were required fields on the Details tab.

However, inbound user names and passwords are not used internally; the source system uses the user name and password that is set in the IV.properties file to access other applications.

This enhancement removes the Inbound User Name and Inbound Password fields, and renames the Outbound User Name and Outbound Password fields as User Name and Password.

Roll Back and Clear Data Entities by Extract

Previously, users could only roll back data entity data for a specific date range, and could only clear all data that was associated with the data entity.

Users can now roll back by date or roll back by extract, and can clear all or clear by extract. To re-extract data for an entity that was previously extracted, you must roll back the entity data, and then clear the entity data. Clearing the entity data deletes the extract history data. The entity data can then be re-extracted.

This functionality is applicable to control data entities, job data entities, output data entities, and quality control data entities.

Source System Test Confirms Event Registration

Previously, if a source system was exported from one Infogix Perceive instance and imported into a different Infogix Perceive instance, testing the source system showed that it passed. However, after running an extract event that referenced the imported source system, the extract timed out after an hour.

Though the source system test had passed, the source system event was not registered in Infogix Perceive until the source system was re-saved.

The source system test has been enhanced to check the following:

• The connection to the source system is successful.
• The source system event is registered.
• The source system event process is initiated.
• The data transfer is successful.

Click View > Manage Processes to confirm that the source system event test passed.

Infogix Perceive Timeout Issue Resolved

Previously, when a user was working in the Reports interface, and did not refresh the screen within twenty minutes, the session timed out regardless of whether the ten-minute timeout warning message was acknowledged.

This behavior was due to the Reports interface using a different timing mechanism than the Data Management interface. The Data Management timing mechanism is set to thirty minutes by default, and can be configured in WebSphere. By contrast, the Reports interface timeout mechanism was previously set to twenty minutes; as it is hardcoded, it cannot be modified by a user.

The Reports interface timeout mechanism has been changed to two hours so that it does not interfere with the user-defined Data Management interface timeout setting. Therefore, it is not recommended to set the WebSphere default session timeout to more than two hours.

Output Quality Control Entities Available

With Infogix Assure quality control licensing, the following types of output data entities can be defined.

• Output Quality Control Data Entity—Contains final data quality results for a selected control point run.
• Output Data Element Control Report Entity—Displays summary-level quality and profile information for a single data element.
• Output Data Element Recap Report Entity—Summarizes quality measurement results for a Measurement or Assessment control point run.
• Output Value Profile Entity—Consists of details about the outcomes of Value Conformance checks.

Infogix Visibility API Enhancements

The Infogix Visibility API, previously named Infogix Insight Gateway for Infogix ACR, has been enhanced so that it can be configured to connect Infogix ACR with Infogix Insight, Infogix Perceive, or both Infogix Insight and Infogix Perceive.

Report Event Reports Listed Alphabetically

Previously, when a user defined a report event, clicked the Reports tab, clicked the picker icon next to the Report Template field on the Report pop-up window, and navigated through the report tree structure, the reports in the tree structure were not listed alphabetically. This has been corrected so that the reports are listed alphabetically.

Support Secure FTP Data Transfer for Infogix Assure Source Systems

Previously, when defining an Infogix Assure source system, the Secure API Scheme check box could not be selected if Use FTP was selected on the Data Transfer page.

This functionality has been enhanced so that secure FTP connections can be defined for Infogix Assure source systems.

Increase Length of Name Fields for Infogix Perceive Objects

Previously, users were limited to 20 characters when defining names for Infogix Perceive objects.

To enhance usability, the character limit has been increased to 40 characters for the following object names:

• Source system
• Target system
• Reference data
• Data view
• Report event
• Extract event

Infogix ER Starter Reports Use Correct Currency Symbol

Previously, when a user ran an Infogix ER starter report, question marks (??) erroneously displayed in place of dollar signs ($$).

This has been fixed so that the appropriate currency symbol displays in the starter reports.

List the Table Fields Being Added During Synchronization

Previously, the Synchronization page listed only the fields that were modified or deleted during the process. The current version will also list the fields that are being added during the process.

Output Job Execution Entity Available

With Infogix ACR licensing, a new type of output data entity can be defined: the output job execution data entity. This entity defines the Infogix ACR job execution data that was automatically loaded into the Infogix ACR Repository in Infogix Perceive.

Remove “java:” Prefix from Infogix ER Data Source Field for JBoss Deployments

Previously, when a user defined an Infogix ER data source on the Data Transfer tab of a new source system, the JNDI name format for JBoss deployments was java:MyDatabaseDS.

The IV.properties file already defines the appropriate JNDI prefix for each type of application server. Therefore, the “java:” prefix does not need to be included for Infogix ER data source JBoss deployments. The JNDI name format is MyDatabaseDS.

Infogix Perceive Integrates with Infogix Assure Data Quality

Infogix Perceive can now extract and store Infogix Assure quality control data for reporting purposes. After defining an Infogix Assure source system, Infogix Assure quality control data entities, and Infogix Assure quality control data views in the Data Management interface, Infogix Assure quality control data views, data sources, and starter reports are created in the Reports interface. Like with Infogix Assure and Infogix ER data views, the Infogix Assure quality control data can also be used in ad hoc reports.

Manage Report Resources from the User Interface

Previously, reports and report resources could only be imported and exported using command line utilities.

This functionality has been enhanced so that reports and resources can be imported and exported from the user interface. To do so, click Manage > Report Resources in the Data Management interface.

Manage Job Repository

With Infogix ACR licensing, a new menu option is available: Manage > Job Repository. After the Infogix Visibility API used to connect Infogix ACR and Infogix Perceive is installed, configured, and implemented, Infogix ACR data is automatically loaded into Infogix Perceive. The data is stored and managed in the Job Repository.

Infogix Perceive Integrates with Infogix ACR®

Infogix Perceive can now extract and store Infogix ACR data for reporting purposes. After defining an Infogix ACR source system, Infogix ACR job data entities, and Infogix ACR data views in the Data Management interface, Infogix ACR data views, data sources, and starter reports are created in the Reports interface. Like with Infogix Assure and Infogix ER data views, the Infogix ACR data can also be used in ad hoc reports.

Infogix Perceive Integrates with Infogix Insight®

Infogix Perceive can now access Infogix Insight data in real time for reporting purposes. After defining an Infogix Insight source system and creating an Infogix Insight data view in the Data Management interface, Infogix Insight data view, data source, and Case Management starter reports are created in the Reports interface. Like with Infogix Assure® and Infogix ER® data views, the Infogix Insight data can also be used in ad hoc reports.

Prevent Infogix Assure Data Delimiter Collision

When Infogix Assure records are extracted in Infogix Perceive, the records previously failed to extract if they contained fields that used the tab “\t,” as that was reserved as a field delimiter in Infogix Perceive.

This has been corrected by using the CSV format with a comma delimiter and a CSV parser to read exported files. This prevents the delimited collision with Infogix Assure data.

Load Reference Data into WebSphere Instance that was Exported from JBoss Instance

Previously, when a user exported reference data from a JBoss instance, and then attempted to load the reference data into a WebSphere instance, the load failed.

The failure occurred because the Infogix ER data source JNDI name specified in the Infogix ER Data Source field on the Data Transfer tab was prefixed with “java:” when the source system was defined in the JBoss instance. The “java:” prefix was then persisted when the data was imported to WebSphere, though the IV.properties file already defined the appropriate JNDI prefix for each type of application server, thus resulting in a duplicate prefix.

The “java:” prefix for Infogix ER data sources is no longer required for installations that are deployed on JBoss, allowing cross-application server import/exports to be completed without error.

 

Infogix Administrative Console: Health Checker

The Infogix health checker will be available for certain Infogix applications. For this release, the feature is available for Infogix Assure.

New Additions to Installation Documentation

The installation documentation set includes two new guides: the Infogix Installation and Upgrade Troubleshooting Guide and the Infogix Administrative Console Guide.

Troubleshooting Guide

Previously, the Infogix Server Installation Guide and the Infogix Server Upgrade Guide each contained a Troubleshooting chapter. The information in that chapter along with additional information is now contained in a new guide, the Infogix Installation and Upgrade Troubleshooting Guide.

This guide describes errors, warnings, and problems that you might encounter during the various steps of the installation or upgrade process. The information includes causes and resolutions.

Infogix Administrative Console Guide

A guide that documents the functionality of the Infogix administrative console will be included on the installation documentation CD. This guide provides an overview of each platform feature in the administrative console and walks you through the tasks that you can perform.

Interested stakeholders who do not have access to the administrative console can use this guide to learn about the new functionality.

Standalone Database Validator

Upgrade problems can result if your database is not in an upgrade-ready state. It may not be easy to determine whether your existing database is in the correct state, and it is possible to perform what appears to be a successful upgrade, only to experience problems later.

The new standalone database validator enables you to test the state of your existing database schema before you begin the actual upgrade process. The validation script checks tables, columns, and constraints to make sure that they exist and that they are the correct size and type. The script checks to see that the database has not been changed.

Enhancements to the Validation Process

When you run the script to validate the configuration settings, the system tracks errors and warnings but allows the process to complete. You can then resolve all validation errors prior to running the script again. See the Infogix Installation and Upgrade Troubleshooting Guide for detailed information about validation errors and warnings.

Infogix Administrative Console: SQL Console

The SQL console is a new feature for this release. This feature enables a customer to execute an SQL SELECT statement and export the results to a CSV file.

Typically, the services of a DBA are required to execute an SQL query. Now, Infogix Customer Support can provide the select statement to the customer, the customer can execute the statement, and the customer can then send the exported results to support personnel.

The SQL console limits the number of generated results to 1000. Additional results that meet the requirements are not displayed in the console.

The following security features have been implemented. First, the SQL console does not support the manipulation of data. Only SELECT statements can be executed. Second, the SQL console is enabled by default, but the feature can be disabled through the SQL_CONSOLE_ENABLED property in the appserver.advanced.properties file.

Externalize WebSphere Queues

The default process for a WebSphere deployment automatically creates and configures the required JMS queue connection factories, the JMS queues, and the JMS activation specifications.

If you re-deploy or upgrade, the JMS components (connection factories, queues, and activation specifications) are deleted. However, you can use external message queues, which are not deleted or overridden during a redeployment or an upgrade.

To externalize queues, you must be familiar with the WebSphere Console and know how to create JMS queue connection factories, JMS queues, and JMS activation specifications.

Within each product-specific properties file, the WEBSPHERE_EXTERNAL_QUEUES property lists the required queues for that particular product. The property resides in the Do Not Change section, and by default, is commented out. If you leave the property as is, the system follows the default process to automatically create connection factories, queues, and activation specifications. You can choose to externalize all queues or only some queues.

Infogix Administrative Console: Thread and Heap Dumps

Previously, thread and heap dumps were generated from the same screen. The two features are now separate features on the menu and each has its own screen. The functionality has not changed.

Infogix Administrative Console: Audit Trail

SQL statements are logged as an audit event in the admin-console-audit.log file. You can access this file from the View Configuration and Log Files screen.

Infogix Administrative Console: Database Details

This feature provides information that can be useful to estimate the time it will take for an upgrade.

The View Database Details screen lists the name of each database table, the number of rows for each table, and the size of the database table. Additional information includes the database type, detailed version information, and the name of the database schema. The information can be exported into a CSV file and sent to Infogix Customer Support. Support personnel can use this information to help you plan for your upgrade process.

Infogix Administrative Console: Subsystem Logging

You can enable debug logging by subsystem rather than individual categories. A subsystem bundles sets of logging categories that span multiple components and classes. Managing logging by subsystem simplifies the process and is less prone to error.

Database Upgrade Process

Changes to the database upgrade process ease the process of upgrading from a previous release.

Previously, the upgrade process did not save completed tasks so any failure required that a user complete the process again from the beginning. The new process allows a user to restart the process from the last successful task. However, if needed, a user can choose to override any changes to the database and can restart the upgrade process from the beginning.

The new process tracks the progress of the upgrade procedure; throughout the process, progress notes show the current task and its status, and where possible, the number of records processed.

The new procedure continues to support both the express and custom upgrade processes. Script names have been renamed to clarify their purpose and the process enforces the correct order for running the scripts.