Glossary for Data Director

	Glossary for Data Director absolute path The route that is followed from the root directory to a specific file, for example a physical ASCII file or a log file. An absolute path always starts with, for example, \, c:\,/,or ${BSE}. action ID A sequence number of a database action in a transaction. The action ID is unique for each action per transaction. array A list of data items of the same type that have the same name and are identified by a number. ASCII file A text file that uses the ASCII standard code to represent characters and punctuation marks as numbers. The ASCII code also includes control characters to indicate carriage return, backspace and so on. audit procedure A procedure that can be used during a regular data export, for example in a multisite environment. The audit server creates export files. Only the changes on the data over a specified period are exported. This procedure reduces processing time. batch A set of table revisions that is processed as a unit. A batch contains a number of tables relations between LN tables and ASCII files that are imported or exported. Every table relation in a batch has a sequence number. batches to import A target batch that can be run because the source batch has been run. The files to be imported are ready. The batch to import is removed as soon as the files have been copied from the source site to the target site. You can also remove the batch to import manually. In such a case, an import done message is sent to the source site. The batches to import are stored at the target site in the same environment and company as the import batch. batch lines to import This entity contains the import batch lines of a batch to import, and is used by the import process to copy the files to be imported from the source system. For each batch line the source file is stored. Note The batch line is also known as table relation. BW A windows-based interface program between the user and the LN servers. The windows interface runs on the user workstation and communicates with the Bshell. change The creation, change (update), or deletion of an entity. For example, creating a sales order, adding or deleting order lines, or deleting a sales order. condition A piece of code in the LN programming language. Within a condition, all features of the LN programming language are available. As a result, you can perform calculations, read additional data by using embedded SQL, update the database, or call functions from existing Dynamic Link Libraries. Two types of conditions are used in Exchange: Boolean conditions. These conditions return either true of false, and are used to decide whether a specific action must be executed or not. For example, an overwrite condition determines whether existing records must be overwritten, or an execute condition determines whether a batch line must be executed. Value conditions. These conditions can return any value, for example, a string, a long or a double, and are used to determine the value for a specific field. configuration library A library from an LN application package that contains the configuration for a synchronization object. It defines, for example, which components and attributes must be included, which filters must be applied, and which transformations must be carried out. data warehouse A database, often remote, containing recent snapshots of corporate data. Planners and researchers can use this database freely without worrying about slowing down daily operations of the OLTP database. definition file A file where the complete format of an ASCII file is stored. This file contains the field names, type, length, and position of the fields in a record. environment A definition of a site in the Exchange module. The environment can be an application server on which one or more exchange schemes are stored for importing or exporting data. exchange link The relation between source and target sites in a multisite environment. The link is stored at the target site in the same environment and company that contains the import batch. Note If the exchange link is used on a single site, the source system must be equal to the system on which it is stored. exchange scheme A blueprint that defines the general parameters that are used during a data-exchange process, such as the location of files, the use of an audit trail, and other default settings. The exchange scheme contains all definitions of the data that must be exported and/or imported. The ASCII files, conditions, batches, table and field relations, ranges, and conversions that belong together are grouped in an exchange scheme. exchange subscription An arrangement for receiving an export batch. This means that an import batch exists that wants to import the results of the export batch. Whenever you run an export batch, the import batch is notified that the files can be imported. The subscription is stored at the source site in the same environment and company as the export batch. Note that the term "subscription" has another meaning in the context of the Synchronization Server. export procedure A transfer of data from a LN table to ASCII files. import procedure A transfer of data from ASCII Files to a LN table. increment A unit that is used to increase the value that is stored in a field when it is imported. For example If the start value for a field-relation serial number is 10 and it is incremented by 2, the value for this field in subsequently imported records will increase to 12, 14, 16, 18, and so on. index A list or a table that contains reference information pointing to a stored value. The index allows direct access to a multi element data-structure such as a database table without the need for a sequential search through the collection of elements. logical ASCII file An ASCII file that describes the structure and layout of the data that is exported or imported during an exchange process. The file also specifies the format of the physical ASCII file. multisite control A way of linking and synchronizing export processes and import processes. The export and import process can (but need not) be running on multiple sites. By using multisite control, you can link the batch that exports the data to the batch that imports the data. This mechanism ensures that the files created by the export process move to the target site and are made available to the import process. This procedure results in importing the exported data in the correct order. net change A combination of multiple changes on the same entity. Two updates on the same data can be combined into a single update. When adding an entity and then updating it, the net result is a new entity. When adding an entity and then removing it again, the net result is empty. For example, first create a sales order, then add two order lines, then update the order header, then update one order line and delete the other order line. In this case, the net change will be a new sales order having one order line. NetList In Baan 5.2a and earlier, a method of the Business Object Interface to retrieve the net changes on a business object since the last time the NetList method was called. non-regular An exchange of data that is not done according to schedule but only once. For example, to convert data or to test a batch that will run on a regular basis. The process is identical to the regular process, but it does not have the checks to determine if previous exchanges were successfully. Online Analytical Processing Fast, interactive analysis of shared multidimensional information. Its objective is to analyze relationships in corporate data and look for patterns, trends, and exceptions, in order to make better decisions. OLAP software often makes use of a data warehouse. Acronym: OLAP. Online Transaction Processing Any processing by an application that results in changes to the database. Acronym: OLTP. operator A symbol or other character that indicates an operation that acts on one or more elements. In this case, the elements are the old value in the Value From field and the other value in the Range Value To field. parameter The ASCII file fields of a record that must be imported, are not automatically defined in a condition script. To use the value of an ASCII file field, you must define that field in the condition script. They are defined as parameters in the condition script. The parameter name must be identical to the name of the ASCII file field to which it refers. The data type must also be identical to that of the ASCII file field. physical ASCII file The ASCII file where the exported data, or data to be imported is actually stored on disk. PublishChanges A method to ask LN to start publishing change events on a requested data set for a business object. PublishList A method to ask LN to publish the requested data set for a business object. regular An exchange of data based on a schedule. This exchange can be used, for example, to replicate data in a multisite environment where it is important that no information is lost, overwritten, or exchanged in an incorrect order. Every time an exchange is carried out, the process is identified by a unique run number. This number makes it possible to separate the different exchanges This process also checks if previous exchanges were successfully. relative path A path that is relative to another (absolute) path. For example, if the default path is \data\exchange or /data/exchange, and the relative path is Myfiles, the resulting path is \data\exchange\Myfiles or /data/exchange/Myfiles. A relative path does not start with, for example, \, c:\,/,or ${BSE}. run number A consecutive number linked to an export or import run. The run number is unique for each combination of an exchange batch and an exchange type. Each exchange run is written to the log table by using the run number. The log table is then used to determine the run number of the next export or import run. In regular export or import, the run number is used to avoid importing the same ASCII file twice or overwriting existing ASCII files. In multisite control, the run number is also used to ensure that data is replicated in the correct sequence. run-time server A server that is running to collect and publish change events for a synchronization object source batch In multisite control, this is the batch that exports data that is to be imported by one or more target batches. source company In multisite control, this is the LN company in which the source batch is stored. The source company resides in the source environment. Note The target company does not need to be the same as the company to which the data is written during an import procedure. source environment The environment where the source batch is stored. An environment is defined by a system name and a BSE path name, or by a system name and a server name. source exchange scheme The exchange scheme that contains the source batch. An exchange scheme is a collection of batches that can be run as a whole during the exchange process. This collection contains general parameters and default settings such as the location of files and programs, the layout of the ASCII files and ASCII file fields, and so on. source file The name of the file that has been exported by the table relation at the source site. It includes the complete path name for the directory where the file is stored. Note Because this path name is expanded, it cannot contain terms like ${HOME} or ${BSE}. This is because the environment variables of the source site are not known at the target site. The source file does not contain the system name, such as host!/path/file, because this is stored in batches to import. source run The run number of the export process. This number is used to process the data in the correct order. source system The system that stores the source batch. The source batch contains the data that must be exported to the target batch. source try The run number of the exchange process. This number is used to process the data in the correct order. subscription An exchange subscription. synchronization object Object to be synchronized between LN and one or more other applications. This can be a business object, but synchronization objects can be configured flexibly. For example, for the Item business object, we can define two synchronization objects: PlannerItem and FrontOfficeItem. synchronization server A server that enables the publishing of change events on business object data from LN to other applications. The product is comparable to the Net Change Server in Baan 5.0 c. However, in LN clients do not pull (net) changes from ERP, but instead the change events are published. table relation A definition of the relation between a database table and an ASCII file. There are two types of table relations: Table relation (export) Table relation (import) A table relation contains field relations, which define the relation between a database table field and an ASCII file field. target batch In multisite control this batch imports data that has been exported by one or more source batches. target company In multisite control, this is the LN company in which the source batch is stored. The source company resides in the source environment. Note The target company does not need to be the same as the company to which the data is written during an import procedure. target environment The LN environment where a target batch is stored. An environment is defined by a system name and a BSE path name, or by a system name and a server name. target exchange scheme The exchange scheme that contains the target batch. An exchange scheme defines the general parameters that are used during an data-exchange process, such as the location of files, the use of an audit trail, and other default settings. The exchange scheme contains all definitions of the data that is to be exported and/or imported. The ASCII files, conditions, batches, table and field relations, ranges, and conversions that belong together are grouped in an exchange scheme. target run The run number of the export process. This number is used to process the data in the correct order. target system The system that stores the target batch. The target batch receives data from the source batch. target try The try number of the export process. This number is used to process the data in the correct order. transaction ID An identifier of a database transaction. The transaction ID is identical for all database actions in the transaction. try number A consecutive number that is unique within an exchange run. Each run starts with try number 1. When the same run is continued, reprocessed or restarted, the run number remains the same and the try number is incremented by 1. UnpublishChanges A method to ask LN to stop publishing change events for a business object.