This documentation describes the changes on the component package "A" with the components IDL.KONSIS.FORECAST, IDL.XLSLINK and IDL.KONSIS.FORECAST Application Server in Relese 2018 compared to Release 2017 Update 1. The installation of this release may not be left out in the installation sequence of this component package. The minimum requirement for the installation of this version is the previous Release 2017 from September 2016.
The amendments in Release 2017 Update 1 as well as corrections for Release 2017 that have taken place up until the release closure are contained in Release 2018. Please take a look to the Amendments in Release 2017 Update 1, too, if you have not installed this Update 1 before.
You should always perform a database backup before you install a new release. To prevent a user from losing data, a notice on the necessity of backing up data will be issued by the installation program at the start of installation.
A new licence file is required for the work with release 2018. This file has to be requested in a contact form in the IDL Service Centre and then is sent to you. A corresponding note is given at download of the release.
The new licence file contains an additional parameter for the server where the IDL.KONSIS.FORECAST application server is installed. This entry is compared with the actual server name.
In addition, IDL provides for a program which determines the technical correct server name.
You must always perform the release migration for IDL.KONSIS.FORECAST (see ch. 2.1.1) first, after a new release has been installed. For this reason, a message will be issued when you start IDL.KONSIS.FORECAST for the first time after installation of this release to let you know that migration has not yet taken place. This message box contains the button 'Start migration now'. If you click this button, migration will start automatically. Following successful completion of the migration on this way, IDL.KONSIS.FORECAST does not need to be restarted again. All of the applications will be available immediately.
If migration is not started in this manner, for instance because the user logged in does not have access rights, all other applications will be locked. The only exceptions are the applications that are used to maintain authorization data, in case the logged-in user is not authorized to carry out migration, due to the use of individual authorisation groups. Following manual completion of migration, you will need to start IDL.KONSIS.FORECAST again to ensure that all of the application functions are available again.
Release 2018 uses version 8 of Java. For IDL.KONSIS.FORECAST Application Server IDL delivers the corresponding JRE (Java Runtime Environment) in the installation directory. This does not apply for remote internet clients connected to the IDL.KONSIS.FORECAST Application Server via web-start. There the JRE has to be updated by the users themselves (Java update to the most recent version due to automatic proposal).
However, the most recent version Java 9 is compatible with release 2018 but not to earlier versions of IDL.KONSIS.FORECAST (e.g. Release 2017).
The read and write functions of IDL.CONNECTOR are no longer developed since Release 2016. Running Excel worksheets may be continued to be used, however, there will be only limited support by IDL. Now only IDL.XLSLINK is supported for these purposes. Only IDL.XLSLINK can be used in connection with the 64 bit version of MS Excel (see documentation "Hardware and Software Requirements").
If you have many and extensive Excel maps with IDL.CONNECTOR formulae the transition to IDL.XLSLINK may be a major project. In this case it is recommended to arrange support by an IDL consultant.
Caused by the reorganisation of the installation to an application server some releases ago the directories "doku" (additional documentation) and "LieferBatch" (templates for commonly used but user specific data) are installed and refreshed only on the server device and therefore not accessible by the usual workplace devices (clients). For the purpose to repair this disadvantage the mini-portal was extended. Beside both tiles displayed below for the call of IDL.KONSIS.FORECAST or IDL.XLSLINK, respectively, two additional tiles allow for an access of the server directories "doku" and "LieferBatch". The mini-portal is the web page shown at start of the IDL applications with a webstart client. This page can be accessed by a browser using the URL of the application server.
The following English language documentations have been updated or supplemented in the documentation directory "doku" along with this release:
For a current version of the "Hardware and Software Requirements" please refer to the service centre of the IDL web site.
Beside numerous changes and extensions mentioned in the following chapters a focus of the development of Release 2018 pointed to improvement of performance, i.e. abbreviation of response times, reduction of memory demand and improvement of stability. In the following some striking examples in our testing environment are listed, however, the precise amounts depend on the respective data amounts, runtime environment and further parameters:
Release 2018 contains the following essential functional changes and enhancements: