Virtual Variable Refresh Package

In FastStats user's can create virtual variables. Each virtual variable has a definition that is stored on the FastStats Enterprise Server. A virtual variable definition may have a number of dependencies (external files, other variables). When a newly built system is deployed using the FastStats Designer deployment action it is possible to have the service refresh all the virtual variables so that they contain the latest data and are available to the user. This approach means that the newly system is available quickly after deployment but that users may have to wait for all the virtual variables to be processed before they can use them.

An alternative is to use the Virtual Variable Refresh Package post-load action. This action:

  1. Creates a package on service machine containing all the definitions and dependent files

  2. Transfers this package to the FastStats Designer machine

  3. The FastStats Designer machine then runs the virtual variable updates locally

  4. The system can then be deployed with the variables already refreshed

The tradeoff using the Virtual Variable Refresh Package is that the system will not deploy until the variables have been refreshed.

By default the package will process all the virtual variables found on the server but you can choose which variables to process. FastStats will automatically process all the required dependent variables to build the variables that you specify.

Using a Local Virtual Package

Instead of connecting to a live server to retrieve the virtual definitions you can use a local virtual package zip file. This is a static version of the virtual definitions and dependent files.

How do I get a virtual package file?

The virtual package file is saved into the 'virtual-files' directory as part of the 'Get virtual package from web service' option. This .zip file is extracted and renamed to a .bak file. You should run the 'Get virtual package from web service' option and then copy this file and rename it to .zip to get a local copy of the virtual package file.

Where should I place the virtual file?

The virtual package file should be placed on the local file system but should not be in the 'virtual-files' directory as the contents of this directory will be cleared as part of the virtual refresh process.