Navigating Connection Manager
(Note: This topic is being revised for Prism 2.0. For information about using Connection Manager with Prism 1.14.7, download the linked PDF above.)
The Connection Manager area of the Prism Admin Console is divided into two dashboards: Prism Dashboard and Custom Dashboard. Each dashboard is organized into a set of tabs that enable user to configure replication between pairs of Prism servers.
| Dashboard | Description |
|---|---|
| Prism Dashboard | Enables you to manage Prism-to-Prism initialization and day-to-day replication. View initialization progress and replication data for individual Prism servers. You can select individual servers to initialize and start initialization. |
| Custom Dashboard | Dashboard for working with custom connections, such as to a third-party customization. |
Prism Dashboard
Prism Dashboard
Use the Prism Dashboard to:
- Launch Prism-to-Prism initialization
- View the progress of initialization, including number of records expected and received
- View Day-to-Day replication results
- View a list of connections and initialization batches for each
- View number of servers initialized and resources sent to each server in a batch
- Process and then reprocess links, if necessary
The Prism Dashboard is divided into the following tabs:
| Tab | Description |
|---|---|
| Connections | Add edit connections and link profiles to connections. |
| Profiles | Add/edit Prism-to-Prism profiles. |
| Day to Day | Displays a list of servers. Click a server to drill down to day-to-day replication results. Depending on the complexity of your corporate structure, there may be only a single server available or several. |
| Initializations | Select a server and view initialization batches. You can delete batches that are no longer needed. |
Sample Prism Dashboard:
Prism Dashboard - Connections tab
On the Prism Dashboard - Connections tab, users can manage connections and link profiles to connections:
- Filter the list simply by typing in search criteria for remotes in the search box
- Deactivate or disconnect connections
- Add a new connection to any of the other installations on your network.
On the Connections tab, select the connection you want to edit by clicking the checkmark in the left column.
- For the Prism HQ server (first server installed), a connection is automatically created to the source Retail Pro 9 on the machine.
- For store servers, the Prism-to-Prism server connection from the server to its POA is automatically activated when joining the Enterprise. The only connection that needs to be activated is the V9 Connection type.
Link Profiles to Connections
You must link a profile for both the directions (send/receive). Click the blue check box to link a profile to the currently selected connection. Make sure that profiles are linked to connections. If a profile is not linked for either side of a connection, data will not be replicated in that direction.
Connection Fields
Each connection consists of two IP Addresses: Local Address and Remote Address.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Connected | If selected, indicates the connection is established and currently connected. |
| Active | If selected, indicates the connection is active and available for use. |
| Remote Address | The IP address of the other half of the connection. |
| Remote Description | A description of the other half of the connection. By default, displays the IP address of the other half of the connection, but can be edited. |
| Local Address | The IP address of the user's server. |
| Local Description | A description of the local machine's part of the connection. |
Creating Connections to other (non-POA) Machines
There is no restriction as to the connections you can create. If you have credentials to another system, you can create a connection to it. At a store server, the connection to the POA is all you need to replicate data to other systems in the enterprise.
Inactive Workstations
If the Active flag is disabled for a connection, the workstation can reactivate the connection by setting the Active flag to true again if the same system is being reactivated. If on the other hand a new system is put in place of the old, such as with a hardware failure or upgrade, then this becomes a new workstation and should not be joined under the same controller number as the previous installation. Additionally, if a system misses replication data from the root authority for a time, there is no way to capture this data again when it becomes active as Prism has no way to initialize that system. This is a current gap in our features for Prism to Prism replication.
Prism Dashboard - Profiles tab
The Prism Dashboard - Profiles tab displays a list of the currently defined profiles. You can add/edit profiles for sending data FROM the server: Prism to Prism. The profile assigned to a connection determines which resources are sent/received during replication. Profiles enable you to fine-tune the types of data that are replicated from one machine to another. Profiles are typically used as filters for Day-to-Day replication. When doing an initialization, users typically select the "All Resources" default profile, which sends all resources.
To use a profile for day-to-day replication, you must link it to the desired connection. You do not have to link a profile to use a connection for initialization; however, it is necessary for day-to-day.
A profile can include:
- Individual resources to send/receive
- Filter criteria to limit the number of records sent/received
When setting up profiles, make sure that you select the desired resources for both Send and Receive on BOTH ENDS of the connection. If you forget to select the resources for either Send/Receive, then replication will not work.
Prism Dashboard - Day-to-Day tab
On the Prism Dashboard - Day-to-Day tab, you can see the results of day-to-day replication.
- If a user forgets to link the Prism D-2-D profile, then other stores will not get documents from that store. Remember, documents cannot be included unless this happens to be a PO.
- An RIL Oracle initialization must be completed successfully (because the documents require related tables in order process i.e. Customers, POS flags, inventory, etc.)
- POS Transactions can only be initialized from a POA to its child (currently there is no provision to initialize to a "grand child" - Initialize the POA first, and then the POA's child.
Sample Prism Dashboard Day-to-Day tab showing batches:
The data in the Identifier and Status columns is a link. The Date is the date of the initialization, not the date the record was created or updated.
If you click in the Identifier link it will take you directly to view the data which was sent. This view will show the last modified date/time for the record.
If you click on the Status link it will simply show the message in the status line. This is useful if there is a long message which cannot be seen completely within the width of the status column.
Prism Dashboard - Initializations tab
On the Prism Dashboard - Initialization tab, you can see Prism-to-Prism initialization batches and drill down to the resources included in the initialization. You can launch initialization, view errors and reprocess, if necessary.
A set of buttons enables you to start a new initialization or delete an initialization. If you need to delete an initialization, make sure that the initialization message queue has finished processing. If you delete an initialization while it is still processing, some messages will be stuck in the queue. Click the Delete button. A confirmation is displayed. Click Yes.
By default, Prism does not display successfully transmitted messages. If you have already edited the PrismMQService.ini file's PRESERVERSUCCESSRECORDS setting to true, then clicking the Show Successful Messages check box will display the individual records for that resource. If you click a SID, you can view detailed information for that single record in the batch. Use the Server List button and other buttons to navigate the batch hierarchy as needed.
Replication of Inventory Adjustments, Customer Credit
New and changed inventory items are replicated from Prism to Prism but currently there is no logic to handle quantity adjustments and other inventory-related events. Therefore the Prism POA does not replace the RIL Oracle Main system. The RIL connection should still be maintained so that inventory is updated accordingly. This is also true of Customer replication when it comes to customer credit.
Custom Dashboard
Custom Dashboard features:
- Day to Day only activity to and from a custom connection (e.g. a Prism customization)
- Status reporting for messages on the inbound side only
- Custom connections are not replicated to other systems
- Connection tab will only contain the Prism Connection information
- Profiles Tab contains Sender profiles defined on the Prism side; in other words, sending data From Prism to another system and from another Prism system to this system
- Custom connections are not replicated to other systems.
Sample Custom Dashboard:
