Overview
If you have two Spotfire systems set up, such as a test and a production environment, you may want to transfer Library contents between these two systems. You may also want to do this automatically on a schedule.
In TIBCO Spotfire Automation Services, there are a number of tasks that can be set up and configured to perform such a transfer. How to set up jobs to perform these tasks are described in the TIBCO Spotfire Automation Services User's Manual.
The Automation Services tasks will export the Library Items of interest, or the entire Library, from the one system, import it to the other, and remap any Data Sources connection strings according to settings in the job file.
Before you set up these jobs, there are however a number of considerations that need to be addressed. These considerations are described in this article.
Setting Up the Two Systems
In order to make the transfer of Library contents run as smoothly as possible, it is important that you set up the two systems as identical as possible. The two Spotfire systems should have the same configurations and setups, and, if Spotfire Database Authentication is used, the same users and groups set up. The databases referred to by Information Services must be identical with regards to structure and use the same kind of database engine. For safety, you should if possible set up the first Spotfire System, clone the relevant databases and use them in the second Spotfire System.
If these conditions are not met, the transfer may fail or the result may be erroneous. See the respective installation manuals for detailed instructions on how to set up the different applications.
Using a X.509 Client Certificate to secure Data Sources Connection Passwords
The Data Sources connection strings contain passwords used to connect to Data Sources. In order to protect the security of these passwords when exporting and importing, they are encrypted and decrypted using a X.509 client certificate. You can acquire such a certificate from any certificate issuer, or create one yourself, using certificate issuing software. For instructions on how to acquire or create such a certificate, see the instructions from the respective issuer or issuing software.
Installing a X.509 Client Certificate
The certificate must be installed on two machines: The one where you are running the Automation Services server, and the one where you are running the Automation Services client, (part of Spotfire Professional).
Job Builder Machine
Install the certificate using Internet Explorer. For exact instructions on how to do this, see the documentation from the respective certificate issuer or issuing software.
Automation Services Server Machine
Install the certificate using Internet Explorer. For exact instructions on how to do this, see the documentation from the respective certificate issuer or issuing software.
You must also make sure that the account running the Automation Services server, default NETWORK SERVICE, has the right to access and read the certificate.
Changing the access rights on Windows Server 2008 is done using the Microsoft Management Console.
- Make sure you have installed the certificate properly.
- Start the Microsoft Management Console.
- Add the Certificates snap-in for the Local Computer.
- Select Certificates (Local Computer) > Personal > Certificates.
- Right-click the installed impersonation user certificate and select All Tasks > Manage Private Keys...
Click Add...
- Locate and select the account NETWORK SERVICE.
- Grant the NETWORK SERVICE account Read permissions.
Click OK.
For detailed information about X.509 Client Certificates, see the TIBCO Spotfire Server – Installation and Configuration Manual.
Increasing the Timeout of the Automation Services Tasks
The Automation Services tasks that handle Library export and import take longer to execute than other Automation Services tasks. It is therefore important that you increase the timeout period of the export and import tasks before you attempt to run them.
This is done in the Automation Services server configuration file Spotfire.Dxp.Automation.Launcher.exe.config, located in the directory <Automation Services installation folder>\webroot\bin. Locate the element
<appSettings file="Spotfire.Dxp.Automation.Launcher.user.config">
and add the following lines in it:
<!-- Timeout (seconds) for the library import operation for the Import Library task -->
<add key="Spotfire.Automation.LibraryImport.TimeoutInSeconds" value="300"/>
<!-- Timeout (seconds) for the library export operation for the Export Library task -->
<add key="Spotfire.Automation.LibraryExport.TimeoutInSeconds" value="300"/>
In the above example, the timeout periods are set to 300 seconds (5 minutes). How high you should set them is depending on how large your Spotfire Library is.
Setting Up the Automation Services Tasks
Once you have set up the two systems and installed the client certificate on the two machines, you can set up, schedule and run the tasks in Automation Services. For detailed instructions on how to do this, see the TIBCO Spotfire Automation Services User's Manual.