Analyzing Procedures Using Impact Analysis

How to:

You can use Impact Analysis to generate a list that identifies the procedures that access a specific Master File or field within a Master File. Impact Analysis helps you analyze the potential impact of modifying or deleting Master Files or fields and enables you to analyze data, control search criteria, save reports, and interactively open and edit procedures based on search results.

Impact Analysis searches Business Views in addition to WebFOCUS procedures. This enables you to see if changes in the original Master File will impact fields used in the Business View.

Impact Analysis is accessible from the Content and Data Servers development areas of the Configured Environments tree.

Note: You can launch Impact Analysis from the Configured Environments tree or from the Metadata canvas. When Impact Analysis is launched from the Metadata canvas, it searches files based on the application path of the Reporting Server. From the Configured Environments tree, it enables you to select applications or folders to be searched.
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Procedure: How to Use Impact Analysis From the Configured Environments Tree
  1. You can use Impact Analysis from the Configured Environments tree in the following ways:

    • From the Data Servers area, expand an application, right-click a Master File, and then click Impact Analysis from the shortcut menu.

    • From the Content area, right-click a folder and then click Impact Analysis to limit the search to the selected folder and its subfolders.

    • Right-click the Content node and then click Impact Analysis to search all folders within that node.

    The Impact Analysis canvas opens with the New Report tab displaying the selected Master File Name and default Search Paths.

  2. To search for all procedures that access a specific Master File or field, perform one of the following:
    • Selected Master File. The Master File you selected when opening the canvas will be searched by default. Proceed to step 3.
    • Different Master File. Click the ellipsis button (...) to the right of the File Name search field and select a different Master File in the Select a Master File dialog box that opens.
    • Single Field Within a Master File. After you select the desired Master File, click the ellipsis button (...) to the right of the Field Name search field and double-click a field name in the Master File context menu.
  3. Optionally, to search for procedures in directory paths not listed by default in the Search Paths pane, add more search paths by clicking the folder icon above the Search Paths area and selecting one or more folders in the Select Folder dialog box that opens.

    Note: You can also delete search paths by highlighting a search path and clicking the Delete icon above the Search Paths area.

  4. Click Analyze to display a report in the Impact Analysis Result pane.

    The following image shows the New Report tab of the Impact Analysis canvas populated with File Name search criteria, multiple Search Paths, and a report displayed in the Impact Analysis Result pane.

    You have options to edit procedures, delete a report item, export a report, and print the report.

    Exported reports are XML-formatted, have an .iar extension, and are saved in the following default directory (unless you specify a different location):

    drive:\ibi\AppStudioreleasenumber\bin
  5. Click the Saved Reports tab to access all previously created reports.

    All Impact Analysis reports are automatically saved in the following XML-formatted file:

    drive:\ibi\AppStudioreleasenumber\bin\IARepository.xml

    Information is appended to this file as new analysis reports are performed. You have options to view reports, import previously exported reports, and delete reports.

    Note: You can select an Impact Analysis report and click the Report Description icon, as shown in the following image, to display details of the report.

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