Skip to content

Getting Started

Your current deployment determines what you will need to do to implement Scenario Synchronization.

If you currently have a deployment similar to the one shown in Example 1 above, you first need to install a local aPriori server and database at the remote location and configure the clients to point to that site rather than to the central site. You also need to determine if you need to clone your existing database to the new site. If you plan to only synchronize new files going forward, you may not need to do this. But if you intend to sync existing scenarios, you will need to clone the original database. Once this work is done, then you can configure and start using Scenario Synchronization as described in this chapter and in the aPriori Server Installation Guide. (Installing aPriori servers and cloning databases is beyond this scope of this discussion. Please contact aPriori Customer Support at support@apriori.com for assistance with these procedures if necessary.)

If you currently have deployments similar to Example 2 above, then you just need to install and configure Scenario Synchronization as described in this chapter and in the aPriori" /> Server Installation Guide.

In either case, you must ensure that VPEs, users, and licenses are consistent across all sites in the realm, or that the sites share a common schema.

Configuring the scenario synchronization feature includes several steps which will be discussed in detail later in this chapter. In summary:

  • Plan and set names that are unique for each site in the realm. (You must do this before installing Scenario Synchronization, since the site name is set during installation.)
  • Plan Java compatibility between sites.
  • Synchronize all the database clocks within the realm.
  • Plan, create, and configure a realm repository – a shared folder that all sites in a realm can access and map for reading and writing data for synchronization. You configure the realm through the Scenario Synchronization UI.
  • Use the Scenario Synchronization web UI to schedule exports and imports for each site through the realm repository.
  • Determine a point in time after which all scenarios will be candidates for synchronization (sometimes referred to as time zero).
  • Schedule and start the synchronization process using the Scenario Synchronization UI.

Java compatibility

Scenario Synchronization currently requires Java 8. All sites within a realm must be running the same version of Scenario Synchronization.

Ensure that database clocks are consistent

Database clocks for all sites within a realm must be synchronized to the second per their local time zones.  For example, if a site server in New York (Eastern Time Zone, UTC -5.00) has a time of 16:23 and is synchronizing with a server in Los Angeles (Pacific Time Zone, UTC -8.00), the server in Los Angeles should have a time of 13:23. Consider configuring your servers to use a time synchronization service such as NTP or Windows Time Service.

Determine a realm repository location

Identify a file share that all sites in the realm can access and map. For example, at your company you might have a network share such as \corphq\common which can be accessed by all divisions in the company.

Note:

You must ensure that the "Log on as" account that starts the aPriori Tomcat" and "aPriori aServer" services has read/write privileges to this network drive. If necessary, change this account and restart the services

You will configure this realm in the next chapter, using the Scenario Synchronization UI.

Define Properties and Install

Before installing Scenario Synchronization, you must determine the value of some properties that are set with the Installation Wizard:

sync.site.name

This is a unique name that identifies each site in a Scenario Synchronization realm. Although you can use any name you choose, aPriori highly recommends that you choose either the host name of the server, or the aPriori deployment name. This ensures uniqueness and clearly identifies the site.

The only restriction is that a site name cannot include any of the following characters:

\ / : []()* ? " < > |.

Write these names down. You must specify the site name for each Scenario Synchronization installation in the Scenario Sync page of the Installation Wizard.

Change "Default" to the site name you have chosen.

Installation

Once you have determined these values, proceed with the installation. See the aPriori Server Installation Guide.

After you have installed the product, return to this guide and proceed to the next chapter.