Using the Configuration Tool
The IDX Configuration tool has a hierarchical configuration procedure that aims to simplify the configuration of complex Service/DM/slot/action interactions. This hierarchy of object interactions can be represented diagrammatically as follows:
In terms of the configuration tool, a general flow of configuration would be indicated by:
Start
Before performing any configurations, enter your IDX License and Software Maintenance keys to enable a number of usable Driver Modules.
1. Services Tab
Add and configure one or more IDX services if creating a new IDX platform database Note that existing IDX databases can be imported using the Database Utilities tab. Select one particular service from the list, if more than one service has been defined, and proceed to the DMs tab.
2. DMs Tab
Driver Modules may be added and configured as required. Note that these DMs are only added to the currently selected IDX service. Each DM has different configuration options and not all support DM actions, in which case, the DM actions tab will be greyed out. If a DM supports actions, select it now so that any actions defined under the DM actions tab are linked to that DM.
3. DB Slots
DMs have equal access to all slots that are configured. DB slots are managed using the tools provided under this tab. To add new slots, begin by defining a slot name and the slot type. Slots can also be imported from existing configuration files as well exported for use in other IDX databases. For large amounts of slots, the slot list can be filtered by a number of means to refine the slot list.
4. DM actions
Driver module actions are only available for DMs that support actions. The action is defined for the DM that was selected under the DMs tab. Actions are added as attributes to existing DB slots, which are presented in a slot action list. A slot that already has an action assigned to the currently selected DM will have a check mark beside it. A new action can be added by selecting a slot that currently does not have an action assigned to it. However, such a slot may already have an action assigned to a different DM to that currently selected. While it is possible to have many to one style action relationships between DMs and slots, this may or may not wish to be avoided, depending on the application.
5. Slot Utilities
Once all configurations are complete, the various Slot Utilities may be used to check the coherency of the database configuration. This is recommended prior to implementing an IDX gateway.
The configuration is process is usually a somewhat iterative process with changes often being made between starting and stopping IDX services. Changes made to IDX services after the first configuration can cause the running configuration and stored configuration to become unsynchronised. This will be evident as configurations that do not seem to take effect after restarting an edited IDX service. This is corrected by ensuring the running IDX configuration and stored configuration are synchronised.