Introducing Flat File Client

Micro Focus Databridge is a combination of host and (optional) client software that provides automated replication of DMSII databases and MCP flat files. All replications occur while the DMSII database is active. After the initial clone, Databridge updates the secondary database, copying only the DMSII data changes from the audit trail.

The Flat File Client (also known as PCSPAN) is simply a Windows implementation of the DBSPAN accessory on the MCP. As is the case with DBSPAN, rather than update the secondary database, the Flat File Client creates data files that contain the data records for the updates. This approach is useful when a Databridge Client does not exist for a particular database or platform or when the data has to be transformed before being loaded into a secondary database. The Flat Client has a very similar architecture to relational database clients such as the SQL Server and the Oracle Clients.

See Chapter 1 in the Databridge Client Administrator's Guide, Introducing Databridge Client, for a description of the Client/Server relationship and the system architecture.

The Flat File Client uses an ODBC database (e.g. SQL Server or mySQL) to store its control tables, which are used to keep track of the state of the replication process and to hold the descriptions of the DMSII and flat file record layouts.

The Flat File Client uses a configuration file that is very similar to the one used by the relational database clients. The main differences are the lack of a bulk loader section and a new section named PCSpan used to hold parameters specific to the Flat File Client.

See Client Configuration Files in the Appendix for a description of the Flat File Client configuration file, and Appendix C: Client Configuration in the Databridge Client Administrator's Guide for common parameters with relational database clients. The Flat File Client implements most of the commands that are used by the relational database clients, except for the generate, refresh, reorg and rowcounts commands..