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Data Merging in PAM 2000+

Merging Configuration Lists

Merging Configuration Lists enables you to

• set up your entire PAM configuration list items (eg, Crop types, varieties, fertilisers, chemicals etc)
• add missing items to your these configuration (pick list) items.
• update or insert missing information in configuration list records (eg. The prices of chemicals)

This is very useful

• for people using the MultiClient version. All client data sets can be updated simultaneously using this system.
• for people who are just starting and want to quickly set up their lists
• for distributors to have on hand when setting up their new clients for the first time.

How does it work?

PAM exports a text file which contains the list items. That file can then be sent (via email or floppy disk) to another PAM user who then imports the list data. Any missing items will be inserted. You can choose to update other information (costs etc) within each record.

How do you create a Configuration List file?

Steps:

1. From the Utilities sub-menu choose Export Configuration Lists…
2. Pick a folder or a destination (eg. a Floppy disk) to save the file to
3. Choose if you are exporting all lists or just a sub-set of them
4. Click the export button

   How do you import a set of Configuration List data?

   Steps:

5. From the Utilities sub-menu choose Import Configuration Lists…
6. Pick a folder or a source (eg. a Floppy disk) where the file resides
7. Choose if you are import ting all lists or just a sub-set of them
8. Choose if you are adding missing items or just updating the other data in the records (or both).
9. Click the import button

Data merging using PAM 2000+

Many times we have been asked if two or more people can enter PAM data simultaneously. While on the surface this sounds like a simple enough idea, it is in fact quite a difficult process to handle programmatically. We are pleased to announce that PAM can now do this (to a point). Any version of PAM 2000+ with a Build Number of 2.0 or greater has data merging capabilities.

To turn on Data Merging, go to the Configuration / Customise your PAM 2000+ program option.

On the Settings (1) tab you will find the section to do with Data Merging.

Please Note: The Merging of Configuration Lists option is also activated by this option. So if merging configuration lists is all your require you must turn on the option for Data Merging facilities as well.

Enable Automatic Email - What’s this?

The logged in and logged out data sets that are exported and imported by the computers involved in this process are very small. by design so they can be easily emailed. Under Configuration / Email Connection Settings you set up the settings for your email system. These are the same settings you will find in the configuration area of your Internet email system. All email setups have the same setting options. There is an Incoming Mail Server and an Outgoing Mail Server. There will be your email account name. There will be your account Password. Your internet/email service provider can tell you this information if you don’t know.

If you are a Remote user, you will find an option on your Configuration menu to set up the email address of the Master user. Use this to save having to type the email address each time you need to send your updated data to the Master.

How do you decide if you are the Master or Remote user?

Where there are only two computers it doesn’t really matter who chooses to be the Master.

Generally it will be obvious which computer is the Master. It will generally be the desktop computer in the main office. Typically a Remote user will be a laptop computer.

It doesn’t really matter which computer is the Master if it is not an obvious choice for you. It is a good idea if you leave the Master as the Master once you have made your decision.

When would you be both a Master and a Remote user?

If you happen to be in the middle! You may be a manager of a property and you need to send updates of your records to a city office. You may have a laptop computer or a sub-manager who enters data on the same property. In this case you will be a Remote to the city office computer but will be a Master to the sub-manager’s computer.

How does it work?

There are only 4 main options that handle the whole thing

If you are the Master you can either

1. Log out the data to a Remote user
2. Log the data back in from the Remote

If you a Remote you can either

1. Refresh your data from the Master
2. Update the Master with your updated data

 

Important issues:

1)

Livestock Data can only be entered on a single computer at a time… This is due the "Live" nature of the livestock data. That is, as soon as you move, sell, purchase, kill (whatever) your stock in PAM, the pick lists are automatically refreshed. It is impossible to automatically update mob-paddock picklists in two or more computers at once. Maybe one day when computers can be linked by radio.

Because of this limitation, you must make a choice when you log out the data. Who gets the "live" livestock data. The same applies with PocketPAM. Only none person can enter Livestock data where PocketPAM is involved as well.

If you get caught and need to enable livestock data editing on your Master computer while there is a data set logged out with its livestock data editing enabled, use the option on the Data Merging sub-menu Reset Livestock Logout Status only… Please be careful. This is a trouble shooting option only. If you have a Remote user with livestock data logged out, your livestock data changes will be overwritten when you log their data back in.

2)

PAM maintains a listing of datasets that have been logged out and information about them. This is done so that it knows how to handle the datasets as they are logged back in again.

If for some reason you need to erase this list of logged out datasets and their information, you can do so by selecting the option : Reset Logout Status

 

Back to the 4 options:

You will find these options on the Utilities / Back up and Restore Data Files sub-menu… then look for Data Merging as… options.

 

A Master Logs out the data to a Remote:

When the Master creates a logged out data set to refresh a Remote user the entire PAM database is exported into a highly compressed file using a "Winzip" compatible compression system. The file is saved to a folder under the PAM folder called Logout … typically it will be in C:\PAM\Logout.

Steps:

1. Choose a destination folder. If you are using email to transfer your data to the Remote user we recommend you let PAM use the default folder name on your hard drive. If you are using a floppy disk to transfer the data you must choose that destination drive.
2. Choose if Livestock data is to be editable on the Remote computer or not
3. Click on Logout to start the process … The data you currently have open will be logged out.

If you chose to enable automatic emailing of data on the Customise your PAM 2000+ program screen you will at this point see the "Send Email" dialog.

 

Steps:

1. Enter the email address of your Remote PAM user.
2. The attached file will already be listed as will the subject line of the email.
3. You can add a message if you desire.
4. Then click Send.

Please Note:

If you do not enable Automatic Email you will not see this dialog.

A Master Logs in data from a Remote:

If you have Automated Email enabled

As soon as you choose the menu option Log in Data from a Remote Dataset PAM will connect to your email system and look on your mail server for any PAM Log in datasets. This is a fully automated process.

If PAM cannot connect to your Internet Incoming Mail Server, it will pop up the Email Connection Settings dialog in anticipation that they may need changing. If they don’t, just click Cancel.

Please Note: Logged in datasets which have been retrieved automatically by PAM Automatic Email system can be found in the \PAM\EmailAttachments folder.

Other wise

If your Remote user has sent you their data on a floppy disk, select that drive letter. (Usually A:) or if you have copied the Log in dataset to another location on your ard disk, slect that folder.

Having selected the source folder or drive of your Log in data, you will see a list of those eligible for logging in.

Select the Log in datasets you want to log in and set the options at Step 3 you require.

Now click on "Log In" to begin the process.

A Remote Refreshes/Overwrites data using a dataset from the Master:

When the Master creates a logged out data set to refresh a Remote user the entire PAM database is exported into a highly compressed file using a "Winzip" compatible compression system.

If you have Automated Email enabled

As soon as you choose the menu option LRefresh/Overwrite Data from Master Data Store PAM will connect to your email system and look on your mail server for any PAM datasets. This is a fully automated process.

If PAM cannot connect to your Internet Incoming Mail Server, it will pop up the Email Connection Settings dialog in anticipation that they may need changing. If they don’t, just click Cancel.

Please Note: Logged in datasets which have been retrieved automatically by PAM Automatic Email system can be found in the \PAM\EmailAttachments folder.

Other wise

If your Master user has sent you their data on a floppy disk, select that drive letter. (Usually A:) or if you have copied the Refresh/Overwrite dataset to another location on your ard disk, slect that folder.

Having selected the source folder or drive of your Refresh/Overwrite data, you will see a list of those eligible for logging in.

Select the Refresh/Overwrite datasets you want to log in and set the options at Step 3 you require.

Now click on "OK" to begin the process.

Remote sends an update file back to the Master

Select the Create an Update for the Master Data Store menu option

If you have Automatic Email enabled, the destination folder of the output file could be set to \PAM\EmailAttachments. Otherwise if you intend to send the data to your Master on a floppy disk you should choose your floppy disk drive (A:) otherwise you have to select a hard disk folder.

If applicable, choose to keep Livestock editing on your Remote computer (this will leave the Master in Livestock View Only mode).

If you are sending an update to the Master and you want to continue to work on your Remote data as if it is still in Logged Out mode leave the "Do not keep recording changes to this data" unticked. This is unticked by default to ensure data editing and deleting changes continue to be logged. For confirmation on this issue, click on the "Help" button.

 

Now… click on "OK" to commence creating your update file.

When done,

if automatic email is enabled PAM will immediately attempt to send your updated data to the Master

otherwise you will find that PAM has saved the updated data file to your chosen destination.

Additional Information

Data Format and Storage

The Data Merging facility uses the XML (eXtensible Markup Language) format for both Master and Remote datasets. XML Data files are then internally compressed into ZIP compatible files. This produces a relatively small file for transmission.

ZIP Filenames for Master dataset log out files are prefixed "PAMLO_"

ZIP Filenames for Remote dataset update files are prefixed "PAMEx_"

Master files are by default stored in a "Logout" sub folder off the installed folder (eg c:\pam\logout)

Remote files are by default stored in a "Login" sub folder off the installed folder (eg c:\pam\login)

Email Facility Note :

If the email facility is enabled, then the Log In/Log Out functions will attempt to send/receive email messages containing the relevant data.

These email attachments (PAMLO_ files and PAMEx_ files) will be saved into the Users "Attachments Path" folder specified in the "Email Connection Settings".

This folder may be different to the default Log In / Log Out folders specified above.

The Log In/Log Out functions allow the User to specify from which folder to Log In from and Log Out to.