Migrating to ARSXML Content Manager OnDemand V8.5 and later versions

Content

Content Manager OnDemand V8.5 come with an updated version of ARSXML. This version contains some changes which might require modification of your XML processing procedures. Here is a list of changes to help the migration.

Native application
The Java® environment requirement was removed. In order to address some of the performance issues with prior versions of ARSXML, the new version was written in native code. There are now no requirements with the Xerces Java Parser or a Java Runtime Environment.

Schema changes
In order to help address issues surrounding performance, error detection, and reporting, the schema definition for ARSXML was modified in V8.5. Legacy input files might need to be modified to bring them into compliance.

Object order
Prior versions of ARSXML allowed objects to be listed in any order within a single input file. While this allowed flexibility in how input files were built, it meant that in some scenarios ARSXML would have to jump around the input file and processing some objects out of order. In V8.5 a strict object order is now enforced.

The object order is as follows:

1. <user>
2. <group>
3. <printer>
4. <storageSet>
5. <applicationGroup>
6. <application>
7. <folder>
8. <cabinet>
9. <hold>
   
   

This new order allows ARSXML to process objects as they are encountered in the input file. To bring your existing input files into compliance, move the objects around in the input file to match the order listed above. Placing objects out of order can cause an error during processing.

Folder child objects moved
Another change to enhance the error detection and reporting of ARSXML was to move some of the folder child objects to other locations. The following list shows the folder child objects as they existed prior to V8.5 and their new location after.

Example XML prior to version V8.5:

<folder name="folder1">
   <field name="field1">
      <fieldInfo user="u1"/>
      <mapping dbName="m_field1" appGroup="ag1"/>
   </field>
</folder>

Example XML version V8.5:

<folder name="folder1">
   <field name="field1"/>
   <applicationGroup name="ag1">
      <mapping fieldName="field1" dbName="m_field1"/>
   </applicationGroup>
   <permission user="u1">
      <fieldInfo name="field1"/>
   </permission>
</folder>

The <fieldInfo> object has moved from below the <field> node of <folder> to under the <permission> node of <folder>. Similarly, the <mapping> node has moved from under the <field> node of <folder> to under the <applicationGroup> node of <folder>.

What does this mean to you? You not only have to move the objects to their new location, but you must remove two attributes and add another. For <fieldInfo> you must remove the user or group attribute. Since <fieldInfo> is now under the <permission> node we already know this information. This now means that you need to add the name attribute to specify the field this <fieldInfo> is associated with.

The other node move was for the <mapping> node. Here you must make some attribute changes. Because it is now under the <applicationGroup> node you must remove the appGroup attribute and add another attribute called fieldName.

Attribute removal
In order to increase security, the passwordEnc attribute was removed from the <user> object. This attribute was used to export a user from one server to another and keep their current password. Users created this way did not have to change their password after logging on for the first time. Due to security issues, this attribute was removed and all references to it in XML input files must be removed. New users must change their password after logging on the first time.

New validate command
A new ARSXML action was added to help determine if your input files are valid according to the new schema definitions. To check your input file run this command:

arsxml validate -i input_file

This command only checks the conformance of the file as it relates to the schema definitions.

_ALL attribute value

The _ALL attribute value for name attributes can now only be specified on top level objects and only for an export operation.