.com Solutions Inc. - Repgen Features and Benefits

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The Repgen application generates the scripts required to setup, remove and monitor an Oracle database Advanced Replication installation. The implementation of primary key, replication triggers and multiple conflict resolution methods is included. As with the Installgen program, an external module allows site-specific customization of each generated file. These features and benefits are explained on this page.

Fast and Efficient Programming - Repgen generates all of the scripts required for implementing an Advanced Replication configuration within a few seconds. Every script is instantly generated from algorithms written in the Perl programming language every time the Generate button is pressed in the application. It will generally take hours or sometimes even several days to write these scripts manually, but Repgen does the job within a few seconds. It is far more efficient to make a change within the graphical interface, and then regenerate the scripts than it is to manually update the scripts. Repgen can type much faster than you can!

No syntax errors - As long as the table and site-specific information is correctly entered into the graphical interface, Repgen will always generate syntactically correct code containing no typo errors. This means that you can eliminate virtually all your SQL and PL/SQL debugging time and concentrate on the overall design of the replication setup. Repgen even helps you test your Oracle servers for proper configuration prior to setting up replication. This way you don't get part of the way through an installation without having met the Oracle recommended prerequisites.

Implement Oracle Best Practices - You do not have to sacrifice quality in order to achieve a quick implementation schedule. If you were writing these scripts manually, you would probably not include many of the features which are automatically included by Repgen. In fact extra care has been taken to include all of Oracle´s best practices into each script because the philosophy is to write the scripts once, but write them with the highest possible quality. This means adding 3 conflict resolution methods instead of the Oracle recommended 2 methods for each table. This means that extra scripts are generated to add primary keys, conflict resolution columns and triggers to each table. You might not need to use every one of these scripts for every implementation, but they are created for you at essentially no extra cost every time Repgen runs. This also means creating a separate documentation file which clearly describes exactly how all of the master sites are configured along with complete setup instructions for using the generated scripts. If you were writing these scripts manually, you might not be permitted to spend the time to write documentation which is this extensive. This means adding descriptive usage instructions and comments throughout every SQL output file which is created by Repgen.

Iterative Process - If you were writing these scripts manually, you would probably want to write them once and then not change them because the amount of time required. Because Repgen makes the process so efficient, you can quickly re-create updated scripts based upon schema changes and updated business requirements. The File Version field permits multiple numbered versions of script files to be created and saved for future use. The ideal development method is to implement a fully functional replication environment during the development process while the schema and database programming is taking place. There are many differences involved with using a replicated versus a non-replicated environment which can cause problems during a production implementation. These differences and the potential problems they cause can be be discovered and resolved earlier in the testing phase before the system goes into production. Repgen produces setup and removal scripts to allow for the quick setup and removal of multiple versions of a site´s replication setup.

Save Your Configuration - Repgen is the only tool available today permits you to create and save your replication configuration information. If you were going to set up a replicated environment of 80 tables for example, it would take 1 to 2 hours to enter the configuration information into Repgen. Then Repgen would generate all of the required scripts within a few seconds. You can save this configuration information into a file so that you can reload the information and update it at a later time.

Accumulated Knowledge - You don´t have to be the world´s greatest expert on Advanced Replication in order to implement and maintain a high quality and reliable replication configuration. Repgen incorporates the accumulated knowledge from Oracle´s instructor led training courses, tips, troubleshooting and setup recommendations from Oracle Worldwide Support, and the experience of DBAs who have spent years configuring and maintaining replicated Oracle databases. It is recommended that you should attend Oracle´s Distributed Database and Advanced Replication instructor led courses prior to attempting a production installation. The information presented in these courses and within the Oracle HTML documentation provides important information on the theory of operation and recommended best practices. You will have a much better understanding of the implications involved with entering information into each field within Repgen after attending these courses. However the scripts generated by Repgen will help you obtain a better understanding of the setup process and the required implementation steps even before you attend the classes.

Faster Than Replication Manager - Repgen does not need to connect to a database in order to generate its scripts, therefore it can be much faster than Replication Manager. Each folder tab pops into view instantly, even on slower computers. Scripts can be generated on your laptop even if you aren't connected to the database server. Executing the scripts generated by Repgen is also much faster than pointing and clicking your way through the Replication Manager interface to set up a typical replication environment. For example it would take approximately 8 hours of pointing and clicking your way through the Replication Manager interface to setup replication for approximately 80 tables within 10 replication groups. This was the time required adding each group, adding each table, and adding a minimum of 2 conflict resolution methods for each table. It would take approximately 3 days to write scripts manually to perform these same tasks (not counting debugging time to resolve typo errors). It takes between 1 - 2 hours to enter the initial configuration into Repgen for these same 80 tables. It will take Repgen a few seconds to generate the output files. Then you can save your configuration so that you never have to reenter it again. Future incremental updates are as simple as reloading the previously saved configuration file, changing the information, then pressing the Generate button to regenerate the scripts. The updated configuration information can be saved to file with a slightly different name in order to maintain historical documentation. Once the scripts have been generated it will take roughly 20 - 30 minutes to run these scripts on the database servers, with most of this time required for the task of generating replication support for the tables. This part of the task takes a significant amount of time even on an 8 CPU Sun E10,000 with 12G of RAM!
Note: This example does not consider the amount of time required to export/import data from the master def to the rest of the master sites. This example just represents the amount of time required to create and run the replication setup scripts/commands.

DBA Can Review/Modify Generated Scripts - Unlike some DBA tools which transparently send commands directly to the database, Repgen permits the DBA to review and manually update every script prior to executing it on the database server. Additionally, Repgen permits the DBA to change the way scripts are generated through adding Perl subroutines to an external module file.

Simple Graphical Interface - Working with an Oracle database is difficult enough without also requiring you to navigate a complex graphical interface. Repgen contains 3 simple folder tabs of information for you to enter. Online help is also available in order to provide descriptions of the information required for each field, troubleshooting tips and techniques and complete How To instructions.

Multiple Platforms Supported - The Repgen graphical interface runs on multiple platforms, even on platforms like Apple´s Mac OS X. You can work away from the database server or run Repgen on the database server itself (Solaris 8 is also fully supported). The generated scripts can be created on any computer, analyzed or even modified manually by the DBA and sent via your favorite network connection to the database servers.

Written In Perl - Perl is a fast, efficient and very easy to learn programming language which is very well suited to the task of processing the large amounts of text required of a program generator application. The Repgen graphical interface contains a block of approximately 3000 lines of Perl code which is written to the output directory and then executed in order to generate the output files. Customers who license Repgen Enterprise Edition also receive this Perl source code which they may use to customize the generation of output files. Subroutines may be copied from the main source file into the external repgen_custom.pm file and then customized. Customization of Repgen done in this manner will not be overwritten the next time Repgen is run and will be preserved the next time the Repgen application is updated. It is recommended that Perl 5.6.1 should be installed on the computer running Repgen, though older versions of Perl may work as well too. There are no additional external Perl modules required in order for Repgen to operate correctly.

Perl Source Code Provided [Repgen Enterprise Edition feature]- In order to facilitate customer modification of the file generation process, the Perl source code which generates the output files is provided to all licensed customers. After Repgen creates the output files, it leaves the Perl source file and Perl module files within the output directory. These versions of the files should not be modified because they will be overwritten the next time Repgen generates files. Customized versions of the Perl subroutines should be implemented within the repgen_custom.pm file, which should then be copied to the directory containing the Repgen application. The next time Repgen generates files, it will copy the version of the repgen_custom.pm file from Repgen´s application directory to the output directory, where it will be executed along with the main repgen.pl Perl program. The customization process is documented more fully within the Support section of the web site.

Well Documented Perl Source Code [Repgen Enterprise Edition feature]- Approximately 22% of the lines of Repgen Perl source code consist of comments. These comments provide overall revision history information and feature implementation notes (including notes about database version specific bug fixes and workarounds). These comments are designed to allow any customer to review the implementation process for correctness and the addition of site-specific enhancements.

Well Documented Process - The scripts created by Repgen provide a well documented and standardized process for the implementation of a Multi-Master replicated database implementation. Corporate IT departments may choose to standardize their replication implementations on the scripts and processes implemented by Repgen. A corporate-wide standardized approach toward replication makes it easier for all of the DBAs at an organization to manage and setup and maintain replicated databases. Without a standardized process, the setup and maintenance of replicated database servers becomes a unique specialty skill learned by a select few DBAs. Database server availability can be impacted if very few DBAs can maintain the servers.

Use Repgen To Document Existing Configurations - Repgen can be used to produce documentation files for existing replicated servers. This documentation can be written in a few seconds by Repgen during the script generation process and the configuration information saved for future use. The ability to produce high quality documentation on demand can be vital to passing an IT audit by a potential investor or new business partner.

Setup and Remove Replication Anytime - Repgen creates replication setup and removal scripts during the script generation process. The removal scripts can be especially helpful if major schema changes are required by developers. The replication configuration can be removed, schema changes made, tables added, then a new set of setup scripts can be generated by Repgen accounting for the schema differences. Use of the actual scripts does not require a high bandwidth network connection to the server as would be required with a completely graphical process.

Easy Repgen Installation and Licensing - There are no license keys or dongles required in order to install the licensed version of Repgen. .com Solutions Inc. trusts its customers to abide by the License Agreement and Copyright laws when using this application. This licensing method builds customer loyalty and greatly reduces the amount of time which is nonproductively spent by customers and software developers who manage and implement a license key system. This time can be much more productively spent by .com Solutions Inc. to implement new features requested by its customers. Repgen is licensed on a per-user basis. Repgen Standard Edition is licensed for usage by 1 user, on a single system at a single site, Repgen Enterprise Edition provides a 10 user, single site, single platform license. Installing Repgen is as simple as decompressing the downloaded file and moving the Repgen executable wherever you want to install it. There are no DLLs or registry entries, no fancy installer application and no restart of your computer required. On UNIX systems, just make the uncompressed application executable then execute "xhost + localhost" to allow X Windows to display the application window.

	FmPro Script Diff FmPro Layout Diff FmPro Migrator CGIScripter

			Repgen Demo Available for download... The Repgen application generates the scripts required to setup, remove and monitor an Oracle database Advanced Replication installation. The implementation of primary key, replication triggers and multiple conflict resolution methods is included. As with the Installgen program, an external module allows site-specific customization of each generated file. These features and benefits are explained on this page. Fast and Efficient Programming - Repgen generates all of the scripts required for implementing an Advanced Replication configuration within a few seconds. Every script is instantly generated from algorithms written in the Perl programming language every time the Generate button is pressed in the application. It will generally take hours or sometimes even several days to write these scripts manually, but Repgen does the job within a few seconds. It is far more efficient to make a change within the graphical interface, and then regenerate the scripts than it is to manually update the scripts. Repgen can type much faster than you can! No syntax errors - As long as the table and site-specific information is correctly entered into the graphical interface, Repgen will always generate syntactically correct code containing no typo errors. This means that you can eliminate virtually all your SQL and PL/SQL debugging time and concentrate on the overall design of the replication setup. Repgen even helps you test your Oracle servers for proper configuration prior to setting up replication. This way you don't get part of the way through an installation without having met the Oracle recommended prerequisites. Implement Oracle Best Practices - You do not have to sacrifice quality in order to achieve a quick implementation schedule. If you were writing these scripts manually, you would probably not include many of the features which are automatically included by Repgen. In fact extra care has been taken to include all of Oracle´s best practices into each script because the philosophy is to write the scripts once, but write them with the highest possible quality. This means adding 3 conflict resolution methods instead of the Oracle recommended 2 methods for each table. This means that extra scripts are generated to add primary keys, conflict resolution columns and triggers to each table. You might not need to use every one of these scripts for every implementation, but they are created for you at essentially no extra cost every time Repgen runs. This also means creating a separate documentation file which clearly describes exactly how all of the master sites are configured along with complete setup instructions for using the generated scripts. If you were writing these scripts manually, you might not be permitted to spend the time to write documentation which is this extensive. This means adding descriptive usage instructions and comments throughout every SQL output file which is created by Repgen. Iterative Process - If you were writing these scripts manually, you would probably want to write them once and then not change them because the amount of time required. Because Repgen makes the process so efficient, you can quickly re-create updated scripts based upon schema changes and updated business requirements. The File Version field permits multiple numbered versions of script files to be created and saved for future use. The ideal development method is to implement a fully functional replication environment during the development process while the schema and database programming is taking place. There are many differences involved with using a replicated versus a non-replicated environment which can cause problems during a production implementation. These differences and the potential problems they cause can be be discovered and resolved earlier in the testing phase before the system goes into production. Repgen produces setup and removal scripts to allow for the quick setup and removal of multiple versions of a site´s replication setup. Save Your Configuration - Repgen is the only tool available today permits you to create and save your replication configuration information. If you were going to set up a replicated environment of 80 tables for example, it would take 1 to 2 hours to enter the configuration information into Repgen. Then Repgen would generate all of the required scripts within a few seconds. You can save this configuration information into a file so that you can reload the information and update it at a later time. Accumulated Knowledge - You don´t have to be the world´s greatest expert on Advanced Replication in order to implement and maintain a high quality and reliable replication configuration. Repgen incorporates the accumulated knowledge from Oracle´s instructor led training courses, tips, troubleshooting and setup recommendations from Oracle Worldwide Support, and the experience of DBAs who have spent years configuring and maintaining replicated Oracle databases. It is recommended that you should attend Oracle´s Distributed Database and Advanced Replication instructor led courses prior to attempting a production installation. The information presented in these courses and within the Oracle HTML documentation provides important information on the theory of operation and recommended best practices. You will have a much better understanding of the implications involved with entering information into each field within Repgen after attending these courses. However the scripts generated by Repgen will help you obtain a better understanding of the setup process and the required implementation steps even before you attend the classes. Faster Than Replication Manager - Repgen does not need to connect to a database in order to generate its scripts, therefore it can be much faster than Replication Manager. Each folder tab pops into view instantly, even on slower computers. Scripts can be generated on your laptop even if you aren't connected to the database server. Executing the scripts generated by Repgen is also much faster than pointing and clicking your way through the Replication Manager interface to set up a typical replication environment. For example it would take approximately 8 hours of pointing and clicking your way through the Replication Manager interface to setup replication for approximately 80 tables within 10 replication groups. This was the time required adding each group, adding each table, and adding a minimum of 2 conflict resolution methods for each table. It would take approximately 3 days to write scripts manually to perform these same tasks (not counting debugging time to resolve typo errors). It takes between 1 - 2 hours to enter the initial configuration into Repgen for these same 80 tables. It will take Repgen a few seconds to generate the output files. Then you can save your configuration so that you never have to reenter it again. Future incremental updates are as simple as reloading the previously saved configuration file, changing the information, then pressing the Generate button to regenerate the scripts. The updated configuration information can be saved to file with a slightly different name in order to maintain historical documentation. Once the scripts have been generated it will take roughly 20 - 30 minutes to run these scripts on the database servers, with most of this time required for the task of generating replication support for the tables. This part of the task takes a significant amount of time even on an 8 CPU Sun E10,000 with 12G of RAM! Note: This example does not consider the amount of time required to export/import data from the master def to the rest of the master sites. This example just represents the amount of time required to create and run the replication setup scripts/commands. DBA Can Review/Modify Generated Scripts - Unlike some DBA tools which transparently send commands directly to the database, Repgen permits the DBA to review and manually update every script prior to executing it on the database server. Additionally, Repgen permits the DBA to change the way scripts are generated through adding Perl subroutines to an external module file. Simple Graphical Interface - Working with an Oracle database is difficult enough without also requiring you to navigate a complex graphical interface. Repgen contains 3 simple folder tabs of information for you to enter. Online help is also available in order to provide descriptions of the information required for each field, troubleshooting tips and techniques and complete How To instructions. Multiple Platforms Supported - The Repgen graphical interface runs on multiple platforms, even on platforms like Apple´s Mac OS X. You can work away from the database server or run Repgen on the database server itself (Solaris 8 is also fully supported). The generated scripts can be created on any computer, analyzed or even modified manually by the DBA and sent via your favorite network connection to the database servers. Written In Perl - Perl is a fast, efficient and very easy to learn programming language which is very well suited to the task of processing the large amounts of text required of a program generator application. The Repgen graphical interface contains a block of approximately 3000 lines of Perl code which is written to the output directory and then executed in order to generate the output files. Customers who license Repgen Enterprise Edition also receive this Perl source code which they may use to customize the generation of output files. Subroutines may be copied from the main source file into the external repgen_custom.pm file and then customized. Customization of Repgen done in this manner will not be overwritten the next time Repgen is run and will be preserved the next time the Repgen application is updated. It is recommended that Perl 5.6.1 should be installed on the computer running Repgen, though older versions of Perl may work as well too. There are no additional external Perl modules required in order for Repgen to operate correctly. Perl Source Code Provided [Repgen Enterprise Edition feature]- In order to facilitate customer modification of the file generation process, the Perl source code which generates the output files is provided to all licensed customers. After Repgen creates the output files, it leaves the Perl source file and Perl module files within the output directory. These versions of the files should not be modified because they will be overwritten the next time Repgen generates files. Customized versions of the Perl subroutines should be implemented within the repgen_custom.pm file, which should then be copied to the directory containing the Repgen application. The next time Repgen generates files, it will copy the version of the repgen_custom.pm file from Repgen´s application directory to the output directory, where it will be executed along with the main repgen.pl Perl program. The customization process is documented more fully within the Support section of the web site. Well Documented Perl Source Code [Repgen Enterprise Edition feature]- Approximately 22% of the lines of Repgen Perl source code consist of comments. These comments provide overall revision history information and feature implementation notes (including notes about database version specific bug fixes and workarounds). These comments are designed to allow any customer to review the implementation process for correctness and the addition of site-specific enhancements. Well Documented Process - The scripts created by Repgen provide a well documented and standardized process for the implementation of a Multi-Master replicated database implementation. Corporate IT departments may choose to standardize their replication implementations on the scripts and processes implemented by Repgen. A corporate-wide standardized approach toward replication makes it easier for all of the DBAs at an organization to manage and setup and maintain replicated databases. Without a standardized process, the setup and maintenance of replicated database servers becomes a unique specialty skill learned by a select few DBAs. Database server availability can be impacted if very few DBAs can maintain the servers. Use Repgen To Document Existing Configurations - Repgen can be used to produce documentation files for existing replicated servers. This documentation can be written in a few seconds by Repgen during the script generation process and the configuration information saved for future use. The ability to produce high quality documentation on demand can be vital to passing an IT audit by a potential investor or new business partner. Setup and Remove Replication Anytime - Repgen creates replication setup and removal scripts during the script generation process. The removal scripts can be especially helpful if major schema changes are required by developers. The replication configuration can be removed, schema changes made, tables added, then a new set of setup scripts can be generated by Repgen accounting for the schema differences. Use of the actual scripts does not require a high bandwidth network connection to the server as would be required with a completely graphical process. Easy Repgen Installation and Licensing - There are no license keys or dongles required in order to install the licensed version of Repgen. .com Solutions Inc. trusts its customers to abide by the License Agreement and Copyright laws when using this application. This licensing method builds customer loyalty and greatly reduces the amount of time which is nonproductively spent by customers and software developers who manage and implement a license key system. This time can be much more productively spent by .com Solutions Inc. to implement new features requested by its customers. Repgen is licensed on a per-user basis. Repgen Standard Edition is licensed for usage by 1 user, on a single system at a single site, Repgen Enterprise Edition provides a 10 user, single site, single platform license. Installing Repgen is as simple as decompressing the downloaded file and moving the Repgen executable wherever you want to install it. There are no DLLs or registry entries, no fancy installer application and no restart of your computer required. On UNIX systems, just make the uncompressed application executable then execute "xhost + localhost" to allow X Windows to display the application window.

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