1. Modeling Configurations for SCM
  2. Manage Workspace Versions

Manage Workspace Versions

A configurator model's version is its definition that exists at a specific point in time. If you release a workspace that includes a draft of the model into production, then Configurator creates a new version of the model and increments the model's version number.

A configurator model's version is its definition that exists at a specific point in time. If you release a workspace that includes a draft of the model into production, then Configurator creates a new version of the model and increment the model's version number.

What the Numbers Mean

Assume you need to import and work on the zCZ_CAR4DRSDN model.

  1. You import the zCZ_CAR4DRSDN from Product Information Management for the first time into a snapshot.

  2. The import automatically creates version 0 (zero) of the zCZ_CAR4DRSDN model in the Configurator Models work area.

  3. You create a new workspace named 4 Door Sedan and add the zCZ_CAR4DRSDN model to your new workspace.

    From this point forward, you make changes to different versions of the model in the workspace. You can't modify version 0.

  4. You use the Edit Configurator Model page to revise the model and save your changes. You click Release on the Workspace page, Configurator releases version 1 of the model, then updates the version of the zCZ_CAR4DRSDN model to version 2.

  5. You repeat step 4, except now you're working on version 2, Configurator releases version 2, then updates the model to version 3.

  6. You repeat step 4, except now you're working on version 3, Configurator releases version 3, then updates the model to version 4.

    This sequence continues every time you release the model.

Note

  • The model remains in Draft status while its a participant in a workspace that's in the In Development status.

  • Each version of the model includes the item structure and item attributes that you set up for the item in the Product Information Management work area. It also includes the supplemental structure, configurator rules, and user interfaces that you set up in the Configurator Models work area.

  • The version doesn't contain the same data that a copy of the model contains. A version contains only the changes that you make to the draft model since the last time you released the model.

  • The changes that you make to the draft are in effect only in your workspace until you release it and when the draft becomes a released version in your production environment. Your draft doesn't become a version until you release it to production.

  • The model is the only type of participant that Configurator versions.

Version Zero

Version 0 (zero) is the baseline version. It is an exact copy of the model that you import from Product Information Management. You can't modify version zero, and any change that you make to any higher version won't affect version zero, but you can view version zero and create a new version from version 0. You can use the baseline version to help you manage and troubleshoot your model. If necessary, you can always redo your development work starting over at the baseline version.

Assume you import the zCZ_CAR4DRSDN model into a snapshot, create workspace A, import the zCZ_CAR4DRSDN into it as a snapshot, then release workspace A. zCZ_CAR4DRSDN in workspace A is the baseline version. Next, you create workspace B, and add the zCZ_CAR4DRSDN to workspace B. At this point, you're working on a draft of zCZ_CAR4DRSDN in workspace B, and this draft uses the baseline version as a starting point.

Configurator tracks each change that you make in workspace B to the zCZ_CAR4DRSDN as a change on top of the baseline. Your production environment won't have any of the changes that you make in the draft zCZ_CAR4DRSDN until you release workspace B.

Version Number

Configurator numbers each version that it creates. It increments the version number on each release of the model, and each version is unique for that model. If you release a workspace that has more than one model, then it increments the version for each model independently of the other models. Use the Manage Models page to search for and view any version of a model, including released and draft versions.

Latest Version

Configurator creates a new version of each model that participates in the workspace when you release the workspace.

The latest version of a participant is the version that has the latest effective start date. Its the version that happens most recently in the version's history.

The latest version isn't necessarily the most recently released version because the release date of a version is different from and doesn't depend on the version's effective start date.

The latest version becomes the baseline version for each draft of each model in each workspace that you haven't released, and that also has an effective start date that happens after the latest version. If the effective start date on your draft model happens before the effective start date of the latest version, then the draft won't use the latest version as the baseline. If you want to use the latest version as the baseline, you must change the effective start date of the draft workspace so it happens after the effective start date of the latest version.

Versions for Referenced Models

Configurator versions a referenced model in the same way that it versions a model that isn't referenced.

The scheduled process that you use to release a model automatically examines how the release might affect models that are already in production. Make sure you examine the process log file for any conflicts that the process finds during the release.

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