Concept of Draft Mode

Unidata system uses drafts for secure work with data and data structure. Drafts create a safe environment for new changes, allow changes to accumulate and protect data from incomplete changes that could affect data integrity.

Some changes may be long-lasting, drafts also allow you to save intermediate results of the work.

Drafts are used for the following system objects:

  • Data model.

  • Record.

  • Matching rules

  • Quality Rules.

  • Workflows (for Standart & Enterprise Editions).

Main Features

  • All changes to the data model are made only in draft mode.

  • There can be several drafts. Each draft has a name, an owner, and a creation/update date, which allows you to distinguish drafts from each other and switch between them.

  • All changes you make are saved until you do something else with the draft: publish or delete it.

  • Changes to a draft can be made in several working sessions, for example, some entities are created on one day and some on another day.

  • A draft can be deleted. In this case, the changes made will be erased.

  • At the time of creation, the draft becomes a snapshot of the system object at the time the draft was created. For example, a snapshot of the data model. Over time, the actual (published) system object may change through the publication of other drafts, but the unpublished draft will keep its historical state.

  • A draft can be published. Two publication methods are available: simple or publication with priority. Once published, the draft is deleted.

  • Import/export of a data model does not affect the draft.

  • Before publishing a draft, the data being modified is automatically validated. It is not possible to publish with errors, so any errors detected must be corrected.

  • Data model. Publishing a draft increases the version number of the data model.

  • Record. When a new record is created, a draft is automatically created. A record can be created only after the draft is published.

  • Record. A workflow can be configured for a record publication event, which triggers the record matching procedure.

Enabling Draft Mode

To switch to draft mode, click the image1 “Draft” button located at the top of the entity/lookup entity list. The button will change state, and a list of drafts will open (Figure 1). You can create a new draft in the list or open an existing one.

To disable draft mode, click the image2 “Draft” button again. The button will change its state to its original, and the published data model will be displayed in preview mode.

Switching to draft mode

Figure 1. Switching to draft mode (with data model draft as an example)

Publishing Draft

To publish the draft, click the image3 “Publish” button located at the bottom of the list of objects (Figure 2).

In the window that opens, select the publication method:

  • Simple is used if the model has either not been changed by other users or has changed insignificantly during the draft. If you try to publish a draft after significant model changes, some conflicts in the model may cause an error and stop publication.

  • With priority ignores any previous changes and overwrites the model. For example, if draft2 was published after draft1 was created, then priority publishing of draft1 will cancel all changes to draft2.

Draft publication button in the "Data Model" section

Figure 2. Draft publication button in the “Data Model” section