Merging entities

Why merge entities?

Program entities can be collected by more than one collector type. Each collector type collects metadata specific to that collector type. In order to provide complete and correct relationship, charting, and impact analysis information, you need to merge program entities collected from different collector types that are logically the same program. For example, source program entities (collected from COBOL, PL/I, Assembler, or DDIO) should be merged with load module program entities (collected from JCL, CICS, or IMS). DevEnterpriseprovides both an automated and a manual process to accomplish this task. These processes are described below.

For example, the program entity named CWXTCOB can be collected by a COBOL collector that collects programs from source libraries. Also, the same program, named CWXTCOB, can be collected from an JCL collector that collects from JCL and load libraries. These two versions of CWXTCOB have relationships to entities specific to the collector type from which they were collected. These two versions of CWXTCOB are really the same program, thus we should merge these entities, so that we can relate entities collected from one type of collector to entities collected from another type of collector.

Before merging

This results in two separate program entities being created: one that has a source library (from COBOL) and one that has a load library (from JCL). The metadata collected by the JCL collector would indicate the following:

Meanwhile, the metadata collected by the COBOL collector would indicate the following:

The problem is that these two program entities each only show half the story. They need to be merged in order to provide correct relationship, charting, and impact analysis information.

After merging

Merging does this. It allows you to view a structure chart that shows the entire structure collected from both collectors. It lets you, for example, perform impact analysis on an Include entity collected from COBOL to see what job entities collected from JCL use this Include entity.

How to merge entities

Merging entities allows the Metadata Analyzer to provide correct relationship, charting, and impact analysis information.

There are two methods for finding candidates for merging and merging them:

• The Merge Rule Manager
• Manually merging entities

Using the Merge Rule Manager

A merge rule tells the Metadata Analyzer to merge separate entities with certain property combinations into one new entity. The Merge Rule Manager does the following:

• Suggests merge rules for you to consider so you don't need to actively look for matching program names that are missing a source library or load library.
• Searches the application's data in the database and finds them for you.
• Allows you to add individual merge rules that you find, and to edit or delete existing merge rules.

From the Tools menu, select Merge Rule Manager. The Merge Rule Manager dialog box appears and displays information about existing merge rules.

To search the database for merge rule candidates, click Suggest. The New Merge Rule Suggestions dialog box appears. Complete the fields as described below.

The Programs Matched column shows the number of programs found to have the same source library/load library combination. The Source Library and Load Library columns shows the source library and load library that the programs have in common. Click any column header to sort the table by that column.

If, instead of searching for candidates, you want to add a single merge rule for a merge rule candidate that you have identified yourself, click New on the Merge Rule Manager dialog box. The Merge Rule dialog box appears. Complete the fields as described below.

Merge rules are processed automatically when they are created, modified, or after a collection has been run. After the merge rule is processed, a new, merged entity is created that has the combined properties and relationships of the two entities that were merged. As new entities are added to the repository, they are compared to these rules and are automatically merged when applicable. The original entities are deleted from the repository.

Merging entities manually

As an alternative to creating merge rules to automatically merge entities, you can manually merge entities. In most cases, this is time-intensive, so you should instead define merge rules to automatically merge entities. Manually merging may be useful, however, if you want to merge specific entities without setting up a merge rule.

1. Select both entities in the Entities view.
2. Do one of the following:
   • Right-click the entity and select Merge Entities.
   • From the File menu, select Merge Entities.

Merge rule maintenance

Deleting a merge rule

Select the merge rule in the Merge Rule Manager dialog box, then click Delete.

Editing a merge rule

Select the merge rule in the Merge Rule Manager dialog box, then click Edit. The Merge Rule dialog box appears. Edit the fields as needed and click OK.

Renaming a merge rule

1. Open the existing merge rule by doing one of the following:
   • In the Entities view, select the merge rule. Then, from the File menu, select Open.
   • In the Entities view, right-click the merge rule and select Open.

The Merge Rule dialog box appears and is populated with information about the merge rule.

1. Click Rename, type the new name, and click OK.
2. Click OK to save the renamed merge rule to the repository.

Making a copy of a merge rule with a different name

1. Open the existing merge rule by doing one of the following:

• 
  
  • In the Entities view, select the merge rule. Then, from the File menu, select Open.
  • In the Entities view, right-click the merge rule and select Open.

The Merge Rule dialog box appears and is populated with information about the merge rule.

1. Click Save As, type the new name, and click OK.
2. Click OK to save the new merge rule to the repository.

To view the status of a merge rule

To check whether a merge rule has complete processing, from the Favorites menu, select Sample – Merge Rules Completed. (You may need to select Favorites>More to find the favorite.) The Entities view populates with information about merge rules that have a status of Ended, which means that the merge rule has finished processing.

If the merge rule does not appear in the Entities view, from the Favorites menu, select Sample – Merge Rules Not Completed. The Entities view populates with information about merge rules that have not finished processing, and will show one of the following statuses:

• Enabled: The merge rule has been created/modified and has yet been queued for processing.
• Pending: The merge rule is waiting to be processed.
• In Progress: The merge rule is currently being processed.
• Disabled: You have selected the Disable Merge Rule checkbox on the Merge Rule dialog and the merge rule will not be processed.