A repository is a central place where structured data is kept and maintained. The repository provides a model and the services necessary to keep, maintain, and manage your business rules and the associated data. A repository can contain any of the following elements:
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Projects
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Packages
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Template libraries
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Rule templates (for the creation of rules, decision tables, and decision trees)
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Business rules, decision tables, decision trees
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Ruleset parameters
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Functions
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Ruleflows
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BOM
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RuleApp
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Deployer
Repository elements are organized into projects that provide a container for the data provided by these elements. Projects are displayed in the Project Explorer panel of the Rule Builder, see Figure 3.1.
Figure 3.1 Rule Builder Displaying the Projects in a Repository
Projects normally reflect a particular area of business activity. Along with projects, the other top-level repository elements package and template library provide the structure on which the repository hierarchy is based.
Repository management concerns the creation, modification, saving, importing, exporting, and organization of all the elements that make up a ruleset. JRules provides a comprehensive set of functions that make it possible for you to manage your repository using the editors, and the pull-down and shortcut menus of the Rule Builder.
Modification of repository elements can occur frequently due to changes in the policy of an enterprise--new services may be required, new customers added and so on. To help manage this change, the Rule Builder offers the following repository services:
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Persistence
- A repository and all the elements in it can be persisted as either a set of files or in a database. Persisting a repository as a set of files enables you to manage the repository using a Source Code Control (SCC) system. For more information see Saving a Repository.
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Migration
- A repository from any previous version of JRules can be migrated to the current version. For more information see Migrating a Repository.
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Repository Repair
- This facility carries out a check when you save a repository, reports any problems it finds, and proposes a fix for certain types of problem. For more information see Using the Repository Repair Facility.
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Versioning
- Versioning enables you to create archived versions of business rules, decision tables, decision trees, BOMs, and templates in order to track the modifications of an element over time. For more information see Versioning Repository Elements.
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Queries
- The repository provides a query service that is accessible through the Rule Builder and allows you to query business rules using any rule property, including user-defined properties. For more information see Queries and Facilities.
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History
- The History enables you to view the history of changes that occur in the repository. Each operation performed on a repository element is logged and stored in the repository history as an event. For more information see Repository History.
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Source Code Control
- This service provides the possibility of integrating a file-based repository in an SCC system such as CVS, to enable multiple users to work on the same repository. For more information see Working with Repositories in CVS.
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Locking
- ILOG JRules provides a basic locking function that enables concurrent users to access the same repository and lock the part that they want to edit. For more information see Working with Repositories and Locking.
See Also
Top-Level Repository Elements | Other Repository Elements | Repository Architecture Reference
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