You can create an XML file to configure
the stagingprop utility to propagate only specific objects to the
production database. When you are running the stagingprop utility,
you can use the configuration file by specifying the filepath as the
value for the filterconfigfile parameter.
By
using a staging filter configuration file, you can publish only the
data that matches a custom staging filter condition. For example,
you can publish only changes for a specific store, or publish changes
for only the objects that are included within a specific Management
Center folder or category. By using staging filters, you can promote
data to production whenever you need to publish a specific set of
data between regular large staging operations.
The staging
filter configuration XML file defines the SQL for the utility to use
to retrieve and propagate filtered data. You can use the filterconfigfile parameter
when you run the utility to have the utility use the configuration
file to filter the data that is being published. For more information
about filtering data and using a staging filter configuration file
when you run the stagingprop utility, see Filtering data for the stagingprop utility to propagate.
Procedure
- Download the following sample configuration file into a
temporary directory. You can use this file as a base to create your
own custom configuration file.
This file defines custom staging filters to filter offer-related
data by a trading position container ID.
- Go to the following directory, which contains the sample
staging filter configuration XML file for use in propagating data
by custom filters. If the Staging directory does
not exist, create the directory.
WC_installdir/components/foundation/samples/Staging
WC_installdir\components\foundation\samples\Staging
WCDE_installdir\components\foundation\samples\Staging
- Create a directory within the Staging directory
to include your configuration file.
For example, if
you are creating a file to publish attribute data filter by store
ID, you can name the directory, Attribtute-ext.
- Copy the downloaded sample configuration file into the
new directory and rename the file.
For example, if you
are creating a file to publish attribute data filter by store ID,
you can name the file attributeFilterByStore.xml.
- Edit your new staging filter configuration file to define
how the stagingprop utility is to filter and process data.
- Open your new custom configuration file for editing.
By default, the file includes multiple <FilterDefinition> configuration
elements. Each element defines how the utility retrieves the filtered
data from a database table. The utility publishes this data into the
corresponding table in the production environment.
- Update the filter definition elements so that the stagingprop
utility retrieves only the data that you want to publish when the
file is used. Each element includes a definition for an
INSERT and UPDATE action.
Each of these definitions is used to generate the SQL statements that
the stagingprop utility uses to retrieve the data to be propagated.
This SQL also defines how the utility propagates the data. By using
this configuration file, you override the default stagingprop utility
behavior during the propagation phase of the stagingprop operation.
This override causes the utility to retrieve and use the SQL that
you define within your configuration file. You can
define how to filter data by identifying the ID to use explicitly
in the file or by including substitution parameters, {customfilterparametername},
in the definitions. When you run the stagingprop utility and identify
that the utility is to use this configuration file, the {customfilterparametername} substitution
parameters in the file are replaced with the value for the matching customfilter% parameter
that you include in the utility command. The value for the parametername and % must
match so that the value for the customfilter% parameter
can be passed from the command line into the SQL that is defined in
the configuration file. By using substitution parameters, you can
create a configuration file that you can reuse to propagate the same
types of objects by a different ID without needing to update the configuration file.
For example, if you are filtering data by store ID, you
can include the substitution parameter customfilterstoreid,
in your filter definitions, where storeid replaces parametername.
When you call the stagingprop utility, you can include the customfilterstoreid
10001 parameter and value. The ID value of 10001 is then
included in the SQL statements instead of the customfilterstoreid substitution
parameter.
- Remove any extra configuration elements that
you do not need in your file.
- Save and close your file.
What to do next
You can now use your configuration file with the stagingprop
utility. 
For an example that uses the provided
sample staging filter configuration XML file with the stagingprop
utility, see Example: Propagating filtered promotion data to the production database.
