Tool Overview

This chapter provides an overview of the core functionality offered by DATPROF Subset, along with a brief description of the main screens. It aims to familiarize users with the key features and interface elements of the tool, helping them to navigate and utilize DATPROF Subset effectively.

Open new or existing project

After launching the application, the initial screen displays options for the user to either start a new project or open an existing one. There are three options available:

New Project: This option allows the user to create a new project. The user will be prompted to provide a project name and select a location to save the project files. Once confirmed, the new project is created and the Project Settings screen is displayed.
Recently Opened Projects: On the right side, up to four recently opened projects are listed. Clicking on any of these projects will open the selected project directly.
Open Existing Project: By selecting this option, the user is taken to an explorer screen where they can browse and open a previously saved project.

Project Upgrades

When opening an existing project, DATPROF Subset checks the version number of the project file. If the project's version is lower than the version of DATPROF Subset being run, an upgrade is required. A dialog box will appear to prompt the upgrade process.

Upon clicking the OK button, the following steps occur:

A copy of the project and its associated scripts is created in a subfolder within the project directory. The project is then upgraded to the latest version. After the upgrade is complete, a message will confirm that the project has been successfully upgraded.

You can find the backup in:

^{<project>\backups\BACKUP_<ModelVersion>_<Year>_<Month>_<Day>_<Hour>_<Minute>}

If you click on Cancel the project will remain unchanged.

When a higher version number is detected the project cannot be opened.

The Status bar

At the bottom of the screen a status bar is shown, presenting the name of the product, the DATPROF Subset version, the licensed user and the status of the Subset process.

The Three "Functional" Tabs

DATPROF Subset has three core functions, which are accessed via Tab screens: Project Settings, Development, and Deployment. These screens represent the different stages of the Subset process.

Project Settings: This tab is where you configure the foundational aspects of your project, such as database connections, metadata import and schema mapping.
Development: Here, you design and configure the rules and filters for data subsetting, including defining the tables and relationships for the subset.
Deployment: This tab is where you execute the subset process, deploying the data to the target database according to the configurations set in the previous stages.

Above the tabs, a Menu bar is displayed, providing access to additional options and functionality throughout the process.

Tab: Project settings

In the Project Settings screen the Source and Target database connections are defined. This is also where the Metadata can be imported and synchronized.

The left aspect of the screen shows the defined Database connections. Depending upon the type of database additional information is requested. I.e. Oracle requires a “Database link” as part of the Target connection.

The right part of the screen shows the (user)schema the data will be sourced from and written to. If no connection is defined this part of the screen will be complete or partially empty.

Tab: Development

The Development screen specifies the actions which will be performed during Deployment of the Subset project.

The upper part of the screen is used to choose a Start table (from the drop-down) and define a Filter which will select the rows which will become the foundation of the Subset project. The definition of the Start table can be further refined or adjusted using additional scripts or expressions.

The lower section of the screen is used for the Classification of the remaining tables where a table can be classified as Subset, Full, Empty or Unused. A table classified as Subset will only select records related to the filtered records in the Start table or other related tables as defined by the Foreign Keys. Full selects all records while Empty will select nothing and might empty the Target table. Unused will ignore the tables at deployment.

Additional Foreign Keys can be added to create relationships between tables. If the database does not provide Foreign Keys these self defined (virtual) Foreign Keys will therefore allow further tables to be classified as Subset. User defined Foreign Keys are only known and used within DATPROF Subset and are not applied to the database at any time.

The selection of the Start table and the Filter specified has a direct impact on the content of the resulting Subset so care should be taken in defining the filter. The "Count start filter" option will give you a good insight into the rows which will act as the foundation of the subset.

Within the "Properties" context you can specify expressions and define how data can be manipulated before inserting it into the target database.

Tab: Deployment

The Deployment screen is used to Start the subset project, Pause or Abort it.

Why would you abort?

Sometimes you may want, or need, to stop the subsetting process. This is generally because the process is perceived to be "long-running" and you may wish to refine your Start table filter and attempt the subset again. Poor filtering can sometimes result in a subset "explosion" where a significant percentage of the source database will be selected into the target database.

During Deployment a green progress bar will show the actual state of the process.

At the lower aspect of the screen options are available to manage the execution process. You can also view the logging of the last run to be executed.

Menu bar

The Menu bar gives access to four groups of functions:

File
Project
Visualize
Help

These are described below.

File

New Project: Opens the dialog to create a new project.
Open existing project: Opens the dialog to open an existing project.
Save: Saves the changes in the current project.
Save as: Saves the changes in the current project as a new project with a user specified name.
Close project: Closes the current project, then opens the Open existing project dialog.
Exit: Closes the application.

Project

Import and synchronize: Starts a wizard to import and synchronize the Metadata.
Export Metadata to DME-file: Opens a dialog to export (parts of) the data model to a file using a generic DATPROF format. Other DATPROF products are capable of importing files using this DME format.

Generate comments report: Creates a webpage using all comments specified in the project.
Generate for Runtime: Creates a zip-file for DATPROF Runtime.
As at DATPROF Subset version 3 you can separate the development and deployment of a Subset project.
You can generate a package containing all of the required Subset actions which can be installed within your DATPROF Runtime application.
When you select this option a zipfile named <projectname>-<version>-sub.zip is generated and saved in the subfolder dpfgen of your project.

Every “Generate” empties the dpfgen folder therefore removing existing packages.

DATPROF Runtime is a separate product not contained in the Subset distribution.

DATPROF Subset packages generated as of version 3.2.9 require DATPROF Runtime version 3.9 or higher to run, should you deploy them this way.

Additional scripts: Opens the Script Manager to create SQL or OS scripts. This is described in detail in a later section of the help subsystem.

Visualize

Data model: Shows a graphical representation of the imported data model.
Process model: Shows a graphical representation of the Subset process.

Help

Help: Opens this User manual. (Latest version on https://docs.datprof.com/subset)
Enter license key: Opens a dialog to submit a new or replacement license key.
About DATPROF Subset: Shows a window with information about the current Subset application.
Debug: Opens a Developer Logging with a list of threads.