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Administration Guide

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Managing the Liquid Data Server Repository

This chapter describes how to manage the BEA Liquid Data for WebLogic repository (also called the server repository). It contains the following sections:

You use the Administration Console to configure and manage the server repository. You must log into the Administration Console with sufficient permissions to perform the necessary operations in the file system on which the server repository resides. For more information, see Security in Liquid Data.

 

About the Liquid Data Server Repository

This section describes the server repository. It contains the following parts:

Contents and Organization of the Server Repository

The server repository is the central location for storing and sharing the following Liquid Data information:

The server repository provides a file system structure that organizes this information by category. Information is stored in separate folders in various formats. For example, stored queries are saved as XQ files in the stored_queries folder. You use the Administration Console to manage these folders and files, as well as to configure the server repository location.

Warning: Use the Repository tab on the Liquid Data node in the Administration Console—not file system commands or tools—to manage folders and files in the server repository.

Server Repository Location

By default, the server repository resides on a shared file system of the host Liquid Data server in the following location:

domainRootDir/repositoryRootDir

where

For example, the Liquid Data sample server repository (installed with a full Liquid Data installation) is located in the following directory:

BEA_HOME/weblogic81/samples/domains/liquiddata/ldrepository

If you use the domain configuration wizard to create a Liquid Data and WebLogic Platform domain, the default repository directory created is as follows:

BEA_HOME/user_projects/domains/platform/domainName/ldrepository

You use the General tab on the Liquid Data node in the Administration Console to configure the root directory of the server repository. You can specify a relative path (relative to the current domain directory) or a fully-qualified path. If you specify a location that has an existing server repository, the existing server repository is not overwritten. For more information, see Configuring Liquid Data Server Settings.

You configure only one server repository per Liquid Data deployment. The server repository must reside on a shared volume so that others can access it. In a clustered environment, all managed Liquid Data servers must be configured to point to the same server repository on a shared volume, such as on the local file system of the Administration Server host machine. For more information, see "Clustered Deployments" in Deployment Tasks in the Deployment Guide.

Server Repository File System Hierarchy

The server repository root directory contains the following folders:

Table 18-1 File System Hierarchy of the Server Repository 

Folder

Contents

custom_functions

Custom functions library definition files (CFLD) containing declarations of custom functions in an XML format. For more information, see Using Custom Functions in the Application Developer's Guide and Configuring Access to Custom Functions.

custom_lib

Java Archive (JAR) files containing the Java implementations of custom functions. For more information, see Using Custom Functions in the Application Developer's Guide and Configuring Access to Custom Functions.

data_views

Stored data view (XV) files created using the Data View Builder. For more information, see Configuring Access to Data Views and Designing Queries in Building Queries and Data Views.

delimited_files

Delimited files such as comma separated value (CSV) files. For more information, see Configuring Access to Delimited Files.

dtds

Not supported. Source document type definition (DTD) files. Source DTD files are associated with the XML data files stored in the xml_files folder. For more information, see Configuring Access to XML Files.

import_export

Exported Liquid Data configuration files. For more information, see Importing and Exporting Liquid Data Configurations.

schemas

Source and target schema (XSD) files. Source schema files are associated with the XML data files stored in the xml_files folder. For more information, see Configuring Access to XML Files.

sql_calls

SQL Call Description Files. These files configure access to stored procedures and other SQL queries in a relational data source. For more information, see the stored procedure chapter of Building Queries and Data Views.

stored_queries

Stored query (XQ) files created using the Data View Builder. For more information, see Designing Queries in Building Queries and Data Views.

web_services

Web Services Description Language (WSDL) files for Web Services used as data sources. For more information, see Configuring Access to Web Services.

web_services_gen

Application archive (EAR) files of Web Services that have been published through Liquid Data. For more information, see Generating and Publishing Web Services.

xml_files

XML data files used as data sources for views and queries. For more information, see Configuring Access to XML Files.


 

Considerations for Evolving the Repository

The server repository uses the underlying file system of the host machine. The server repository does not provide advanced features, however, such as file locking mechanisms or version control.

In a shared development environment, therefore, consider the implications of deleting, moving, or renaming files to which others or the Liquid Data Server require access. If possible, make server repository changes during idle periods to avoid file contention problems. In addition, consider implementing a third-party source control system to provide locking and version control for repository folders and files.

When deploying Liquid Data in a production environment, you can add items to the server repository without interrupting the run-time state of the system.

In general, the best approach is to populate and refine the server repository in a development environment, create a staging environment for testing and, when the repository is stable, then switch the staging server from development to production mode.

In a clustered environment, all managed Liquid Data servers must be configured to point to the same server repository on a shared volume, such as on the local file system of the Administration Server host machine. For more information, see "Clustered Deployments" in Deployment Tasks in the Deployment Guide.

 

Navigating to the Repository Tab

To navigate to the Repository tab on the Liquid Data node:

  1. In the left pane of the Administration Console, click the Liquid Data node.
  2. Click the Repository tab.

    3. The Administration Console displays the contents of the root directory of the server repository. For more information, see Server Repository Location.

    Figure 18-2 Repository Tab on the Liquid Data Node

    Repository Tab on the Liquid Data Node


     

 

Browsing the Server Repository

You browse the server repository by navigating the file system hierarchy. When you click the Repository tab, the Administration Console displays the root directory of the server repository.

Note: You must log into the Administration Console with at least read access to browse items in the server repository. For more information, see Defining Liquid Data Roles and Groups.

To navigate to a folder on the Repository tab:

To navigate to a parent folder on the Repository tab:

To perform an operation on a folder or file in the repository:

 

Working with Folders and Files in the Server Repository

This section describes how to work with folders and files in the server repository. It contains the following parts:

Note: In this section, the term item refers to both folders and files.

Downloading Files From the Server Repository

You can download server repository files, stored on a remote server, to a local system. You might want to download files to retrieve a local copy for editing purposes. After changing the local copy of the file, you can then upload it to the remote server again, as described in Uploading Files to the Server Repository.

Note: You must log into the Administration Console with at least read access to download files from the server repository. For more information, see Defining Liquid Data Roles and Groups.

To download a file from the server repository:

  1. Navigate to the server repository folder in which the file you want to download resides.
  2. Next to the file that you want to download, click the Download icon.

    3. Repository Tab on the Liquid Data Node


     

    The Administration Console asks you whether you want to save the file.

    Figure 18-3 Download Action Prompt

    Download Action Prompt


     
  3. Click Save.

    4. The Administration Console displays a File Save As window.

  4. Navigate to the target directory.
  5. Specify a different file name, if you want.
  6. Click Save.

    7. The Administration Console downloads the selected file to the target location.

Uploading Files to the Server Repository

You can upload files to the server repository that you have created or modified locally, such as XML schemas or custom function library definition (CFLD) files.

Note: You must log into the Administration Console with at least modify access to upload files to the server repository. For more information, see Defining Liquid Data Roles and Groups.

To upload a file to the server repository:

  1. Navigate to the target repository folder to which you want to upload files.
  2. Click the Upload icon.

    3. Download Action Prompt


     

    The Administration Console prompts you to specify the name of a local file to upload (see Table 18-4).

  3. Do one of the following:
  4. Click Upload.

    5. The Administration Console uploads the selected file to the selected directory.

    Table 18-4 Uploading a File To the Repository 

    Field

    Description

    Local File

    Name of the file to upload.


     

Creating Sub-Folders

You can create sub-folders in any folder in the server repository. For example, you might create sub-folders in the stored_queries directory to define a hierarchy of stored queries for different types of users. You could create a sub-folder named hr_queries to contain stored queries for confidential personnel data, and another folder named sales_queries to contain stored queries for sales data. Once created, you can assign separate security policies to each folder to ensure that only authorized users can access these queries, as described in Assigning Security Policies to Liquid Data Objects.

Note: You must log into the Administration Console with at least modify access to create a folder. For more information, see Defining Liquid Data Roles and Groups.

To create a folder in the server repository:

  1. Navigate to the repository folder to which you want to add a folder.
  2. Click the Create New Folder icon.

    3. Download Action Prompt


     

    The Administration Console prompts you to specify a folder name (see Table 18-5).

  3. Enter the name of the new folder.
  4. Click Create.

    5. The Administration Console creates the specified folder.

    Table 18-5 Creating a New Folder in the Repository 

    Field

    Description

    New Folder Name

    New name for the folder.

    The name must comply with the naming standards of your file system. For a folder name, do not use slashes (/) or periods (.) in the name.


     

Copying and Pasting Files in the Server Repository

You can copy files from one location in the server repository and paste them in a different location or in the same location with different names.

Note: You must log into the Administration Console with at least read access to the source folder and modify access to the target folder. For more information, see Defining Liquid Data Roles and Groups.

To copy and paste a file:

  1. Browse the server repository and find the item that you want to copy.
  2. Next to the file that you want to copy, click the Copy button.

    3. Download Action Prompt


     

    The Administration Console displays a Paste link.

  3. Browse the server repository and select the target folder where you want to paste the selected item.
  4. Click Paste.

    5. The Administration Console prompts you to specify the target file name (see Table 18-6).

  5. Click Paste.

    6. The Administration Console pastes the selected item in the target location.

Renaming Folders and Files in the Server Repository

You can rename files or folders in the server repository. You might want to rename items if, for example, you wanted to assign new names to files or folders that you copied from another location.

Note: You must log into the Administration Console with at least modify access to rename an item. For more information, see Defining Liquid Data Roles and Groups.

To rename an item:

  1. Browse the server repository and select the item that you want to rename.

    2. Note: You cannot rename any of the default repository folders—only sub-folders that have been created within them, according to the instructions in Creating Sub-Folders.

  2. Next to the folder or file to rename, click Rename.

    3. The Administration Console prompts you to specify a different name (see Table 18-7).

  3. Enter the new name of the item.
  4. Click Rename.

The Administration Console renames the selected item with the name you specified.

Table 18-7 Renaming a Folder or File in the Repository 

Field

Description

New Name

New name for the selected folder or file.

The name must comply with the naming standards of your file system.

  • For a folder name, do not use slashes (/) or periods (.).

  • For a file name, do not use slashes (/) and use periods only to denote the extension.

Note: Do not change the filename extension for files, such as stored queries or data views.


 

Deleting Folders and Files in the Server Repository

You can delete folders and files from the server repository that you no longer need. You can delete only empty folders, so if you want to delete a folder, you must first delete its contents.

Notes: You must log into the Administration Console with at least modify access to delete an item. For more information, see Defining Liquid Data Roles and Groups.

To delete items from the server repository:

  1. Browse the server repository and select the folder or file that you want to delete.

    2. Note: You cannot delete any of the default repository folders—only sub-folders that have been created within them, which is described in Creating Sub-Folders.

  2. Click Delete.

The Administration Console deletes the specified file or folder and removes it from the file system.

Notes: If you delete a stored query for which caching is enabled, Liquid Data also deletes any cached results. For more information, see Configuring the Query Results Cache.

Configuring Secure Access to Items in the Server Repository

You must explicitly configure security for all items to which you want to limit access in the server repository. To configure security, you assign permissions to folders and files using security policies. You might want to assign security policies to folders, individual files, or for sub-folders in the default folders. For details on using security in Liquid Data, see Security in Liquid Data.

Permissions determine the tasks that users can perform on server repository items in the Data View Builder and the Administration Console. Users must be logged in with the following permissions:

Table 18-8 Permissions Required for Server Repository Items in the Administration Console 

Method (Access Level)

Description

All

Allows read, modify, and execute access to the object.

Read Configuration

Browse or view the contents of an item, or download from the repository.

Modify Configuration

Create, modify, rename, or delete files or directories, or upload items to the directory. This level implies read access.

Execute Query

Allows execute permission on the object. Whether a user can actually execute a query (either stored or ad-hoc) is determined dynamically at runtime based on whether a user has execute access to all of the resources the query requires.


 

To Assign Security Policies to a Repository Item

Perform the following steps to assign security policies to a repository item:

  1. Open the Liquid Data Administration Console and click the Repository tab.
  2. Browse the server repository to find the folder or file to which you want to assign a security policy.
  3. Click Define Security Policy or Edit Security Policy on the directory or object to which you want to assign security. If the object already has a policy defined, the link is labeled "Edit Security Policy"; if the object has no defined policy, the link is labeled "Define Security Policy."
  4. Assign security policies as needed to the repository object or directory. For details, see Assigning Security Policies to Liquid Data Objects on page 19-13.

 

Configuring the Results Cache for Stored Queries

You can configure the result cache for individual stored queries. Before you configure results caching, it must be explicitly enabled in the Cache Results field on the General tab on the Liquid Data node, as described in Configuring Liquid Data Server Settings. For more information about the results cache and the Cache tab on the Liquid Data node, see Configuring the Query Results Cache.

 

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