Incremental Admin Links

[jv_oz]

Hi,

We have multiple Contributor Apps that all are linked.  The business requires that the entire model be refreshed every two hours.  We initially tried to use Admin Links, however found that they transfer all data between the selected cubes, even if it has not changed in either the source or target.  Very frustrating, especially when we have a massive elist.

To overcome the problem, we are using Incremental Publishes to SQL Server and then using SQL to compare source to target and then running an Admin link via C8 to load the data only for the elist nodes that have changed data.  This seems to work well, but is somewhat fraught with risk.

Does anyone have any better ideas how we could achieve the objective of Incremental Updating between Contributor models?

Thanks!

[mrobby]

Pure theory here but isnt there a table in the live application that notes if an e list item has had changes or not?

If so, can you use the admin links with an allocation table that has been updated to only include changed e list items at the time you want to run the links?

[jv_oz]

Maybe!  Can I include an Allocation Table in an Admin Link tho?

[blackadder]

ykud, who also contributes to this forum, blogged a technique similar to the one you describe here:
http://ykud.com/blog/ep/incremental-administration-links

I've been meaning to try it (or a variation of it) for ages. See if this helps.

Out of interest, you mention the current approach is fraught with risk - what risks are you concerned about?

As for allocation tables in admin links, this is finally supported in 8.4.

[jv_oz]

Out of interest, you mention the current approach is fraught with risk - what risks are you concerned about?

Only that our solution involves publishing both source and target to SQL server and then using SQL to compare the two published tables and then load those that are different into the target.  The primary risk is that it involves a solution outside EP and involves hard coded SQL, so if the model changes then the SQL may break.  I know EP might break as well, however at least it would be all in the one environment.

[blackadder]

Ouch, cross-db joins. I can see why you don't like it.

I don't think you'll get away without doing an incremental publish on the source db, but then how about checking the lastpublisheddatetime in the IT_ table for the E-List?

You could then do an admin link from there to the target using the lastpublisheddatetime as a filter.

[mrobby]

I dont know how large your model is but....

In Analyst you have the option of running an Contrib App to Contrib App link.  It has to load the model into memory which means if you have a large model it wont work but it not, then  you would be able to use an a table in this link and create the a table based on the e list items that had been flagged as changed.

Yuri or Blackadder... do you know if the changed e list item table exists in the live model for all C8 Planning versions and if so what are there names?

[blackadder]

Yuri or Blackadder... do you know if the changed e list item table exists in the live model for all C8 Planning versions and if so what are there names?

8.2 onwards