24Configuring Dock Objects for Siebel Remote
Configuring Dock Objects for Siebel Remote
This chapter describes how to configure docking rules for Siebel Remote. It includes the following topics:
About Dock Objects
This topic describes dock objects. includes the following information:
Synchronization is the process that Siebel Remote performs to allow a Siebel Mobile Web Client to connect to a Siebel Server and exchange updated data and files. This client typically operates on a remote laptop that is not connected to the Siebel Server. To support remote computing, Siebel Remote allows field personnel to share current information with members of virtual teams of other remote and connected users across an organization.
A dock object is an object that is a logical grouping of tables that contain special schema structures that synchronize data between a server database and a local database in a coherent manner.
When Siebel CRM updates data on the Siebel Server, Siebel Remote synchronizes the local database when the remote user connects to the Siebel Server and does a synchronization. Siebel Remote only synchronizes the data that it must download to the local database. During the synchronization, Siebel Remote uploads any updates that exist in the local database to the Siebel Server. For more information, see Siebel Remote and Replication Manager Administration Guide.
Types of Dock Object
This topic describes the types of dock objects.
Private Dock Object
A private dock object is a type of dock object that routes data that cannot be configured. It makes sure that Siebel Remote never routes the rows in the dock objects to any remote user. During synchronization, Siebel Remote does the following:
Uploads to the Siebel Server all records from tables that are part of a private dock object.
Does not download any of these records to the remote user.
Enterprise Dock Object
An enterprise dock object is a type of dock object that distributes records without restriction. During synchronization, Siebel Remote uploads to the Siebel Server all records from tables that are part of an enterprise dock object. Only an administrator must update these tables. Remote users typically download these tables from the Siebel Server but they do not upload them to the server. To minimize synchronization time, you must use an enterprise dock object only with the following tables:
Tables that contain small amounts of data.
Tables that contain static data or data that Siebel CRM modifies only occasionally.
Limited Dock Object
A limited dock object is a type of dock object that contains individual rules that identify the records that Siebel Remote must download to a user. For more information, see Dock Object Visibility Rule.
Dock Object Table
A dock object table is an object that identifies the tables that contain records that Siebel Remote transfers. It is a child of the dock object. Foreign keys in the data objects layer relate all the tables that appear in the Dock Object Tables list in Siebel Tools to the primary table that is defined in the Primary Table Name property of the dock object. A dock object table can reference other tables in the Table Name property of the dock object table.
For example, the Primary Table Name property of the Opportunity dock object is set to S_OPTY. Dock object tables that are children of the Opportunity dock object reference other tables, such as the S_NOTE_OPTY table and the S_OPTY_REL table. This example describes how a dock object is a set of logical records. In this example, opportunities are the logical records. Each logical record is a collection of one or more physical database records that are spread across multiple tables.
Dock Object Visibility Rule
A dock object visibility rule is an object that Siebel Remote uses to determine whether it must download records to the user. It is a child of the dock object. If you use limited dock objects, then Siebel Remote downloads different data to different local databases depending on the following items:
Employee identity of each local database owner
Position
Organization
Visibility to data from different dock objects
Relationship between dock objects
For more information, see Siebel Remote and Replication Manager Administration Guide.
Types of Dock Object Visibility Rules
The following table describes the values you can enter in the Type property of the dock object visibility rule when you use a limited dock object.
Table Type Property of the Dock Object Visibility Rule
| Type Property | Description |
|---|---|
Calendar |
Examines remote user access to the calendar of the user who owns the record. Applies only to calendar appointment records. |
Category |
Examines the category that is visible to the user. |
Check Dock Object |
Examines the relationship to another record that the user receives. For more information, see the section titled Check Doc Object Visibility Rule in this topic. |
Employee |
Examines the foreign key to the employee record of the remote user, and downloads data depending on the identity of the remote user. To find all candidate rules, Siebel Remote identifies all columns that Siebel CRM uses as foreign keys to the S_USER table, except CREATED_BY and LAST_UPD_BY. |
Employee Manager |
Examines the foreign key to the employee record of someone who directly reports to the remote user, and downloads data according to the employees who report to the remote user. To find all candidate rules, Siebel Remote identifies all columns that Siebel CRM uses as foreign keys to the S_USER table, except CREATED_BY and LAST_UPD_BY. |
Organization |
Examines the same business unit where the remote user resides. |
Position |
Examines the foreign key to the primary Position of the remote user, and downloads data according to the position of the remote user. To find all candidate rules, Siebel Remote identifies all columns that Siebel CRM uses as foreign keys to the S_POSTN table. |
Position Manager |
Examines the foreign key to the Position of someone who reports directly to the remote user, and then downloads data according to the positions that report to the remote user position. To find all candidate rules, Siebel Remote identifies all columns that Siebel CRM uses as foreign keys to the S_POSTN table. |
SQL |
Handles special exceptions through custom SQL. |
Check Dock Object Visibility Rule
Siebel Remote uses the Check Dock Object visibility rule to download data depending on data from other dock objects. The relationship between data in other dock objects and the current dock object determines the records from the current dock object that Siebel Remote downloads.
The Foreign Key Table Name property of the table columns determines the candidate Check Dock Object rules that the Docking Wizard can find. For each foreign key, the following Check Dock Object rules exist regardless of where the foreign key column resides:
Rules that use the dock object as the destination dock object. To determine these rules, Siebel Remote uses the foreign keys on the primary table of one of the following objects:
The current dock object. To find this kind of rule, Siebel Remote uses an algorithm that finds all foreign key columns except columns that reference the S_USER table or the S_POSTN table. It finds these columns in the table of the current dock object. For these foreign key columns, the algorithm finds the foreign key table that these foreign key columns reference. The dock object of the foreign key table becomes the object for the Check Dock Object of the newly created Check Dock Object rule in the current dock object.
Other dock objects. To find this kind of rule, Siebel Remote uses an algorithm that finds all foreign key columns that reference the primary table of the current dock object, on any table that is part of a limited dock object. The algorithm adds the appropriate Check Dock Object visibility rules to these limited dock objects, with the current dock object being the object for the Check Dock Object.
Rules that use this dock object as the Check Dock Object rules. To determine these rules, Siebel Remote uses the foreign keys on the primary table of one of the following objects:
The current dock object
Other dock objects
The algorithm for these types of rules is similar to the algorithm for rules that use this dock object as the destination dock object. The main difference involves switching the source table or column and target table or column.
Example of a Dock Object Visibility Rule
The example in this topic describes how Siebel Remote compares the overall visibility strength of a set of dock object visibility rules to the strength of each dock object table. Siebel Remote then uses this comparison to determine the records that it downloads to the user.
A dock object visibility rule includes the Visibility Strength property. For most situations, the value for this property can be 0, 100, or any integer between 0 and 100. A visibility strength of 100 indicates full visibility. A visibility strength of 0 indicates no visibility. It is recommended that you use a value of 100 or less. If your configuration requires a higher value, then you can use any value up to 254.
To examine an example of a dock object visibility rule
In Siebel Tools, display the object type named Dock Object and all child objects of the Dock Object.
For more information, see Displaying Object Types You Use to Configure Siebel CRM.
In the Object Explorer, click Dock Object.
In the Dock Objects list, query the Name property for Opportunity.
In the Object Explorer, expand the Dock Object tree, and then click Dock Object Table.
Note the values in the Visibility Strength property.
For example, note the following:
Visibility strength for the S_NOTE_OPTY table is 100.
Visibility strength for the S_OPTY table is 50.
In the Object Explorer, click Dock Object Visibility Rule.
Note the following values for the first record that Siebel Tools displays in the Dock Object Visibility Rules list.
Property Value Sequence
1
Visibility Strength
100
Comment
You are on the sales team of the Opportunity
Note the following values for the sixth record that Siebel Tools displays in the Dock Object Visibility Rules list.
Property Value Sequence
6
Visibility Strength
50
Comment
Opportunity for an Account you have full visibility on
How Siebel Remote Processes the Rules in This Example
Siebel Remote evaluates each record in the Dock Object Visibility Rules list in ascending order according to the value in the Sequence property:
If a dock object visibility rules meets the criteria, then Siebel Remote stops evaluating the rules and uses the value in the Visibility Strength property of the rule that passed as the overall strength for the rule.
If none of the dock object visibility rules pass, then Siebel Remote uses zero for the overall strength for the rule.
In this example, Siebel Remote does the following:
Determines the overall visibility strength of the dock object visibility rules. For example:
If the user is on the sales team for the opportunity, then Siebel Remote uses the value in the Visibility Strength property of the first record in the Dock Object Visibility Rules list. This value is 100.
If the user is not on the sales team for the opportunity, then Siebel Remote evaluates each visibility rule in sequence until a rule meets the criteria. For example, assume visibility rules with 2, 3, 4, and 5 in the Sequence property all fail. Assume the user does possess full visibility to the account for the opportunity, so rule 6 meets the criteria. In this situation, Siebel Remote uses the value in the Visibility Strength property for the rule that contains 6 in the Sequence property. This value is 50.
Compares the visibility strength it gets in the previous step to the Visibility Strength property of the first table that Siebel Tools displays in the Dock Object Tables list, and then does the following:
If the visibility strength from the visibility rule is greater than or equal to the visibility strength defined for the table, then Siebel Remote downloads all records from the table to the user.
If the visibility strength from the visibility rule is less than the visibility strength defined for the table, then Siebel Remote does not download any records from the table to the user.
Repeats the previous step for each subsequent record that Siebel Tools displays in the Dock Object Tables list.
For example, assume the overall visibility strength from Step 1 is 50. In this situation, Siebel Remote does the following:
Does not download any records from the S_NOTE_OPTY table.
Downloads all records from the S_OPTY table.
In this situation, the user receives all opportunity records but no notes for any opportunity. If the user is on the sales team of the opportunity, then the user receives all notes for the opportunities.
Configuring Dock Objects
This topic describes how to configure dock objects. It includes the following information:
For more information, see the following topics:
Reusing a Predefined Dock Object
Siebel CRM includes dock objects with a predefined Siebel application. Before you create a new dock object, review the predefined dock objects and associated visibility rules thoroughly to determine whether they meet your visibility requirements.
The following table lists some of the business components and their associated dock objects.
Table Some of the Business Components and Their Dock Objects
| Business Component | Dock Object | Primary Table | Visibility Level |
|---|---|---|---|
Action |
Activity |
S_EVT_ACT |
Limited |
Account |
Party |
S_PARTY |
Limited |
Asset Mgmt - Asset |
Asset |
S_ASSET |
Limited |
Contact |
Party |
S_PARTY |
Limited |
Employee |
Party |
S_PARTY |
Limited |
Opportunity |
Opportunity |
S_OPTY |
Limited |
Position |
Party |
S_PARTY |
Limited |
Internal Product |
Product |
S_PROD_INT |
Limited |
Service Request |
ServiceRequest |
S_SRV_REQ |
Limited |
The Party dock object represents the Employee and Position records. The visibility level for the Party dock object is Limited. The SQL rules in the Party dock object determine visibility for employee and position records as Enterprise.
To reuse a predefined dock object
In Siebel Tools, display the object type named Dock Object and all child objects of the Dock Object.
For more information, see Displaying Object Types You Use to Configure Siebel CRM.
In the Object Explorer, click Business Component.
In the Business Components list, locate the business component you seek.
For example, query the Name property for Opportunity.
Note the value in the Table property.
For example, Siebel Tools displays the S_OPTY table in the Table property for the Opportunity business component.
In the Object Explorer, click the Flat tab, and then click Dock Object.
In the Dock Objects list, query the Dock Object Table property for the table you identified earlier in this procedure.
If a dock object references the table, then Siebel Tools displays the dock object. For example, the Opportunity dock object references the same table that the Opportunity business component references.
If your query provides a result, then you might be able to reuse the predefined dock object. Do the following:
Note the value in the Name property.
In the Object Explorer, click the Types tab, and then click Dock Object.
Query the Name property for the value you noted in the first step of this procedure.
Examine the dock object and the child objects of the dock object to determine whether they meet your requirements.
Creating a New Dock Object
The Docking Wizard is a tool you can use to do the following:
Create a new dock object for a custom extension table that is not already in a dock object.
Create a new dock object table for a custom dock object.
Create new dock object visibility rules for a custom or predefined dock object.
The Docking Wizard creates or updates the following objects:
Dock object.
Dock object table.
Dock object visibility rule. For more information, see How the Docking Wizard Creates Visibility Rules.
You can use the Docking Wizard to create public, private, and limited dock objects.
For more information, see Guidelines for Using the Docking Wizard and How the Docking Wizard Behaves Depending on Where You Start It.
To create a new dock object
Review the predefined dock objects.
It might not be necessary to create a new dock object. If a dock object already references a table, then Siebel Tools disables the Docking Wizard menu item and you cannot choose it. For more information, see Reusing a Predefined Dock Object.
Make sure related projects are locked.
For more information, see Locking Related Projects.
In the Object Explorer, click Table.
In the Tables list, locate the custom extension table that you must associate with a docking object.
Optional. Start the Docking Wizard from a table:
In the Tables list, right-click the record, and then click the Docking Wizard menu item.
For example, right-click the CX_TEST_PRI table. You must choose a custom extension table that includes the CX_ prefix in the name column.
In the Add Table to Dock Object dialog box, enter the name of the dock object into the Dock Object field.
You must use the DOX prefix. For example, DOX PRI.
Choose a project for the dock object.
Siebel Tools displays all locked projects in the Project list.
In the Visibility level section, choose Private, Enterprise, or Limited.
If you chose Limited, then the Docking Wizard creates the visibility rules. For more information, see How the Docking Wizard Creates Visibility Rules.
Optional. Start the Docking Wizard from a table column:
In the Object Explorer, expand the Table tree, and then click Column.
In the Columns list, locate the column that you must associate with a dock object.
A custom extension column includes an X_ prefix in the Name property.
Right-click the record, and then click the Docking Wizard menu item.
The Docking Wizard menu item is active only if one of the following situations is true:
The column name includes an X_ prefix.
The table name includes a CX_ prefix and a dock object already references the table.
You can start the Docking Wizard multiple times regardless of how many times you start it for a column.
Click Next, review your modifications, and then click Finish.
Siebel Tools creates the dock object.
Verify that Siebel Tools created the new objects.
For more information, see Verifying That Siebel Tools Created Dock Objects.
Rebuild the databases.
For more information, see Rebuilding the Databases After You Run the Docking Wizard.
Guidelines for Using the Docking Wizard
If you use the Docking Wizard, then use the following guidelines:
For a custom extension table, make sure a dock object does not already reference the table. If a dock object does already exist, then do not start the Docking Wizard from the table.
Do not start the Docking Wizard on a predefined Siebel table.
You can start the Docking Wizard from a custom extension column that is added to a predefined table.
You cannot add a custom intersection table to the dock object of a table that Siebel Remote downloads. If you require this functionality, then see Getting Help From Oracle.
You can create a new dock object for a custom table that includes a mandatory foreign key to another custom table that is already part of a custom dock object. You can add it to the predefined custom dock object. This configuration depends on your business requirements.
The Docking Wizard creates rules with the following visibility strengths:
Visibility strength of 50 for a dock object visibility rule
Visibility strength of 50 for a custom dock object table
Visibility strength of 100 for a check dock object
You must get assistance from Oracle to modify these strengths. For more information, see Getting Help From Oracle.
How the Docking Wizard Behaves Depending on Where You Start It
The behavior of the Docking Wizard differs depending on if you start it from a table or a table column.
If you start the Docking Wizard from a table, then the following applies:
If the custom table is a stand-alone table, then you must create a new dock object for the table, and then create the dock object visibility rules.
If the custom table includes foreign keys to other custom tables that already exist in some dock objects, then you can do one of the following:
Create a new dock object.
Add the table to a predefined custom dock object.
If you start the Docking Wizard from a stand-alone custom table, then only the Create a New Dock Object option is active in the Add Table to Object dialog box. The Add the Table to an Existing Dock Object option is not active.
If you start the Docking Wizard from a column, then you do not need to make any choices. The Docking Wizard adds the following dock object visibility rules:
For a regular foreign key, the Docking Wizard adds the following dock object visibility rules:
One rule from the dock object of the table to the dock object of the foreign key table
One rule from the dock object of the foreign key table to the dock object of the table
These rules are for a Check Dock Object visibility type.
For a foreign key to the S_POSTN table, the Docking Wizard only adds a position dock object visibility rule.
How the Docking Wizard Creates Visibility Rules
You do not manually create new dock object visibility rules. Siebel Tools adds visibility rules to the dock object depending on the visibility type of the dock object and the structure of the tables involved. Siebel Tools does this in the following situations:
You use the Docking Wizard to add a dock object table to a custom dock object.
You start the Docking Wizard from a custom extension column that is a foreign key to another table.
You can use the Docking Wizard to create the following types of limited dock object visibility rules:
Employee
Employee Manager
Position
Position Manager
Check Dock Object
For more information, see Dock Object Visibility Rule.
Locking Related Projects
The Docking Wizard creates visibility rules on associated dock objects. If another project requires a new visibility rule, and if that project is not locked, then Siebel Tools displays a dialog box that prompts you to lock the project. Note the following requirements:
If you create a new dock object for a stand-alone custom table, then you must lock the project that the new dock object references before you create the new dock object.
If you create a new dock object for a custom table that is not a stand-alone table, then you must do the following before you create the new dock object:
Lock the project that the new dock object references.
Lock all projects for the dock objects where the parent table of the custom table resides.
Adding a Dock Object Table to an Existing Dock Object
You can add a new dock object table to an existing dock object. If the user possess access to the parent record in the existing table, then Siebel Remote downloads records from the new dock object table.
The Docking Wizard adds new dock object visibility rules for a predefined dock object. Siebel Remote uses the new dock object visibility rules to determine to download or not download records from an existing table to the Remote user. This configuration is appropriate in the following situations:
If the new table acts as a parent to the primary table of another, limited visibility dock object.
If the new table includes a foreign key to the primary table of another limited visibility dock object.
To add a dock object table to an existing dock object
Complete Step 1 through Step 4 in To create a new dock object.
In the Tables list, right-click the record, and then click the Docking Wizard menu item.
For example, right-click the CX_TEST_PRI table. You must choose an existing extension table that includes the CX_ prefix in the name column.
In the Add Table to Dock Object dialog box, choose the Add the Table to an Existing Dock Object option.
Choose an entry from the Dock Object list.
Siebel Tools displays a list of all Dock Objects that contain the tables that the new table references as a foreign key.
Choose an entry from the Source Column list.
This list allows you to choose a column from the new table that is a foreign key to the parent table that is contained in the chosen Dock Object Table. Typically, Siebel Tools only displays one column, but there might be more in some situations.
If you choose the Source Column, then Siebel Tools displays a value in the Target Table field.
Click Next, review your modifications, and then click Finish.
Siebel Tools creates a dock object table object, and then displays it in the Dock Object Tables list.
Verify that Siebel Tools created the new objects.
For more information, see Verifying That Siebel Tools Created Dock Objects.
Rebuild the databases.
For more information, see Rebuilding the Databases After You Run the Docking Wizard.
Verifying That Siebel Tools Created Dock Objects
After you create a new dock object, dock object table, or dock object visibility rule, you can verify that Siebel Tools created the new objects.
To verify that Siebel Tools created dock objects
Display the object type named Dock Object and all child objects of the Dock Object.
For more information, see Displaying Object Types You Use to Configure Siebel CRM.
In the Object Explorer, click Dock Object.
In the Dock Objects list, locate the new dock object.
In the Object Explorer, expand the Dock Object tree, and then click Dock Object Table.
In the Dock Object Tables list, locate the new table.
In the Object Explorer, click Dock Object Visibility Rule.
In the Object Visibility Rules list, locate the new visibility rules.
For more information, see Dock Object Visibility Rule and Siebel Remote and Replication Manager Administration Guide.
Rebuilding the Databases After You Run the Docking Wizard
After you run the Docking Wizard you must rebuild the following databases:
Visibility database, which uses the dobjinst.dbf file
Visibility ID database, which uses the visdata.dbf file
This rebuild operation allows database extract and download to work properly. For more information, see Siebel Remote and Replication Manager Administration Guide.
To rebuild the databases after you run the Docking Wizard
Stop the Siebel Server services.
Delete or rename the following files, if they exist:
ORACLE_HOME\bin\diccache.dat ORACLE_HOME\bin\dicdata.dat
Start the Siebel Server services.
Stop the Transaction Processor component.
Stop the Transaction Router component.
To rebuild the dobjinst.dbf file, start the Transaction Processor.
To rebuild the visdata.dbf file, start the Transaction Router with the IdDbRecreate parameter set to TRUE.
Reextract the Remote clients.
Make sure the tables now include data that references extraction and download information.
Cleansing Dock Objects
Dock object integrity might be compromised in the following situations:
If you delete a custom table, column, or dock object.
If you redefine a foreign key column to reference a different table.
In these situations, you must cleanse the dock objects before you can use the Docking Wizard again or before you can use Siebel Remote.
To cleanse dock objects
In Siebel Tools, in the Object Explorer, click Dock Object.
In the Dock Objects list, click Cleanse.
Siebel Tools does the following:
Examines all dock objects in the Dock Objects list.
Prompts you to make sure all the dock objects are clean. If they are not, then Siebel Tools deletes some objects.
If the projects are not locked, then Siebel Tools prompts you to lock them. After Siebel Tools finishes, it repeats the previous step.
Creating a Table for a Dock Object
You can create a table for a dock object.
To create a table for a dock object
In Siebel Tools, make sure related projects are locked.
For example, lock the project that the new dock object will reference, such as Dock Opportunity. For more information, see Locking Related Projects.
Click the File menu, and then click New Object.
In the New Object Wizards dialog box, choose the Table icon in the General tab, and then click OK.
In the first General dialog box, do the following:
Enter the name of your custom extension table with a CX_ prefix.
You must include a CX_ prefix. For example, CX_TEST_PRI.
Choose the project.
Choose the type of table.
Click Next, and then click Finish. Siebel Tools creates the table, and then displays the Tables list.