Loading an Application

Loading an application inserts various objects into the metadata repository. An application is best defined as a set of objects that are shipped to allow the inclusion of those objects into a remote repository.

During the load of an application, a number of cross-environment mappings need to be resolved. These are:

Connections

Connections are normally unique for each metadata repository. They provide the path to the source data and this nearly always varies. Even though an application can ship a set of connections, these connections will nearly always need modification. Alternatively, a connection shipped with an application may map to an existing connection, and this can be done as part of the load process. If you are unsure whether or not a connection is required, it can be added and later modified.

Object Changes

The application may ship objects that already exist in the metadata. In such a case, the process during the load is to create a version of the existing object and then replace it with the new object. At the start of the load, a check is made to see if any objects will be replaced. If the application is a patch or an upgrade of an existing application version, then this will be normal. The load can be stopped at this point to allow for further investigation.

Table Changes

If the load replaces table objects, it may in turn need to alter the physical table in the database to match the new definition. Again, if this is a patch or an application upgrade, this may be desirable. If not, the proposed actions should be reviewed before proceeding.

Procedure Changes

New procedures, scripts, or modifications may be loaded as part of the application load. In the case of procedures, the procedures need to be recompiled. The load can perform this action, but any failures or issues need to be resolved after the load has been completed.

The following section covers the actual application load process.