About Lasernet Configurations

Configurations are an essential element of a Lasernet system. Each Lasernet configuration defines a workflow that a Lasernet environment can run. Configurations are “deployed” to Lasernet environments.

Note

For information about configurations in Lasernet 10, see the Lasernet Config Server and Deployment Guide.

What Is a Lasernet Configuration?

A Lasernet configuration defines a workflow. For an output management Lasernet system, this workflow typically receives or collects data, processes it to generate output files or data (such as PDF files or XHTML content) according to a predefined design, and then appropriately outputs the files or data (for example, by copying it to a folder location or attaching it to an email).

To describe this workflow, a configuration defines inputs, engines, modifiers, and outputs, and describes how they are linked. A configuration can also contain items that support that workflow, such as regional profiles, database commands, grab files, bespoke scripting code that runs in relevant parts of the workflow, and required resource files like images.

To run a Lasernet workflow, you must “deploy” the configuration (that defines the workflow) to a Lasernet environment. When that Lasernet environment receives data, it will pass that data through the workflow defined by the configuration that it is running. To “deploy” a configuration means to send it to a Lasernet environment, which will run it.

How Are Configurations Created?

You use Lasernet Developer to create new configurations and import configurations that were exported from other installations of Lasernet. After you open an existing configuration in Lasernet Developer, you use Lasernet Developer to modify it.

For information on how to use Lasernet Developer, see the Lasernet Developer Guide.

Where Are Configurations Stored and Do They Have a Revision History?

Lasernet Config Server is the central communication point for all the components of the Lasernet system. It centrally stores and manages Lasernet configurations and maintains a revision history for each one. Lasernet Developer communicates with the Config Server when you “commit” your changes to a configuration. Committing changes to a configuration creates a new revision of that configuration in the Config Server’s repository. You can view a configuration’s revision history.

To send the latest revision of a configuration to a Lasernet environment, you must “deploy” that configuration to the environment. The Config Server will send that configuration to the Lasernet environments that you select, which will begin to run them. Committing changes (and then “deploying” them to production Lasernet environments) is a part of the overall Lasernet configuration management process.

The Lasernet Configuration Management Process

The Lasernet configuration management process is a comprehensive workflow that begins with creating or loading a configuration and ends with deploying the configuration to a production Lasernet environment:

1. Create, import, or load a configuration in Lasernet Developer.

2. Modify the configuration in Lasernet Developer.

   Note

   Your changes are immediately sent to that configuration’s “workspace” on the Config Server. All modifications that you and other Lasernet developers make to that configuration are stored in that workspace until those changes are committed (to create a new revision of that configuration).

   As the workspace is a centralized shared area, the changes that you make are immediately pushed to other Lasernet developers who are working on that configuration.

3. If your changes include adding resources such as images to the configuration, use the Save Resources feature to send those resource files to the workspace.

4. Validate the configuration to check for errors and warnings.

5. Use the Deploy Workspace feature to send the modified configuration to a test Lasernet environment. Rigorously test your changes to ensure that they work as expected.

6. When the configuration has been tested and declared ready for use in a production environment, commit your changes to the configuration to create a new revision of it in the Config Server’s repository.

7. At an appropriate time, deploy that new configuration revision to the production Lasernet environment.

   • You can use the Lasernet Config web app to deploy any revision to a Lasernet environment.

   • You can use Lasernet Developer to deploy the latest revision to a Lasernet environment.

Example

Suppose that your Lasernet system has two environments (Test and Production) and you need to enable a particular option on a File Input module (in the configuration currently deployed to the Production environment).

Note

In this example, the stages of the process are done in Lasernet Developer. However, some stages of this process can also be done in other tools such as the Lasernet Config web app.

First, load that configuration in Lasernet Developer. Use the Modules view to locate the File Input module, and then access its Properties window to select the relevant checkbox for the option that you want to enable. After you click OK, Lasernet immediately sends your changes to the “workspace”, so that they are shared with other Lasernet developers who are working on this configuration.

It is important to test your change before you deploy it to a production Lasernet environment. To do this, click Deploy Workspace and select the Test environment’s checkbox, to send your currently untested configuration directly to the Test environment. When that environment runs the configuration, perform any tests that you need to in order to determine whether your configuration change is working correctly.

If you are satisfied that the modified configuration runs correctly and is ready for use in a live production environment, click Commit. The Config Server creates a new revision of the configuration.

At an appropriate time, click Deploy Commit and select the Production environment’s checkbox to deploy the latest revision of the configuration to the Production environment.

Can I Restore Objects from Past Revisions?

Yes, you can restore objects. For more information, see Revert Configuration Changes or Restore Objects from Past Revisions.