Copying data within and between databases
Data can be copied between two master databases, between a master database and a transportable database, or between two transportable databases.
Copying and pasting
Objects are copied and pasted between databases in the same way as within a database, except that version controlled items can be copied.
Copying and pasting is recursive. When an object is copied, all descendants of the object are copied with it. For example, if you copy a stored query group, all queries and stored query groups contained in the parent stored query group will also be copied.
Version controlled items are not subject to this rule. You will be given the option of:
- copying version controlled items on their own or with children
- pasting a version controlled item as the next
version or pasting as a branch
There are two ways that you can use to copy the database:
- Copy between databases - this will copy the database or model group but retain the type of version controlled object, i.e., it will not convert to use the merge version control.
- Copy within databases and convert to merge model - this will copy and convert an entire database or model group to use the merge version control. Refer to Paste and Convert to Merge Model for details.
Note: This method only allows copying within databases. It does not allow copying between databases.
To copy data between databases:
- Make the master database that you want to copy from the current master database.
- Display the current master database in the Explorer window.
- Open another master database or a transportable database for copying:
- For a master database, select File | Open | Open another master database as guest and choose the required database. (Multiple guest databases may be opened.)
- For a transportable database, select File | Open | Open transportable database and choose the required database. (Multiple transportable databases may be opened.)
- In the Explorer window for the current master database, right-click
the top level of data you want to copy.
For example, you can choose a whole model group or any item in a model group (such as a network or a selection list group).
- For items that are not version controlled, select Copy | Select for moving from the context menu.
- For networks and other version controlled items,
select one of the two sub-menu options:
- On its own (copy the selected version controlled item only)
- With children (copy the selected version controlled item along with all its versions and branches)
- In the Explorer window for the database to be copied to, right-click the item that is to contain the copied data and select Paste from the context menu.
To copy within databases and convert to merge model:
- Select File | Master database settings and select the Use merge version control option.
- Ensure that networks and controls are checked in. Versions that are checked out will be excluded from the conversion.
- Display the current master database in the Explorer window.
- Open another master database or a transportable database for copying:
- For a master database, select File | Open | Open another master database as guest and choose the required database. (Multiple guest databases may be opened.)
- For a transportable database, select File | Open | Open transportable database and choose the required database. (Multiple transportable databases may be opened.)
- In the Explorer window for the current master database, right-click
the top level of data you want to copy, and then select Copy
from the context menu.
For example, you can choose a whole model group or any item in a model group (such as a network or a selection list group).
- For items that are not version controlled, select Copy | Select for moving from the context menu.
- For networks and other version controlled items,
select one of the two sub-menu options:
- On its own (copy the selected version controlled item only)
- With children (copy the selected version controlled item along with all its versions and branches)
- In the Explorer window for the database to be copied to, right-click the item that is to contain the copied data and select Advanced | Paste: [Model Group] and convert to merge model from the context menu.
All items of data at or below the selected level will be copied. Note that you can only paste the data into an item of the correct type. For example, if you copy a selection list, this must be pasted into a selection list group.
You can repeat this process as often as necessary, so that any combination of data items is copied to the database.
Notes
Between versions
- If you copy databases from the InfoWorks WS Pro version to the WS Pro for Info360 version, it does not copy checked in and checked out version controlled objects. A message window will appear detailing the items that will not be copied.
- You cannot copy databases from the cloud WS Pro for Info360 version to the InfoWorks WS Pro version - there is no Paste option.
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Data can be copied between databases that have different database versions. You can paste data copied from an older version of a database into a newer version but you cannot paste data copied from a newer version of a database into an older version, unless you update the older version to the same version as the newer database.
Paste and convert to merge model
The Paste and convert to merge model option will convert an entire database or model group to use the merge version control. A copy of the model group(s) is created while the original model groups are left unchanged. All versioned objects are converted to the merge model of version control. Runs and other objects are copied and modified to use the new objects.
Note: This method only allows copying within databases. It does not allow copying between databases.
Using this option, the lock version objects are converted to merge version objects as follows:
- Checked in versions become to commits in the merge tree.
- Checked in branch versions become branches in the merge tree.
- Items that remain checked out are not converted. A warning message will be displayed.
- The new merge tree’s commit history shows the origin of commits and branches.
Databases or model groups of versioned objects that are already in the merge style are copied without modification.
Runs and other objects are copied, and their references are updated. Baseline objects are copied but not converted. If runs or baselines reference items that exist in different model groups, then those items will also be copied, and they will be placed in copies of their own model groups.
Duplicate objects
All objects in an InfoWorks WS Pro database (master or transportable) are identified by a globally unique ID (GUIDA Globally Unique IDentifier, or GUID, is an automatically generated identifier that is guaranteed to be unique across all systems. It is generated using a complex algorithm based on the date and time and the individual computer's network card ID. GUIDs take the form {629810C2-3F6B-11D3-9BF3-00600891B690} and you will see them in a number of places where uniqueness is essential.).
InfoWorks WS Pro checks if objects being copied to a database already exist in the database. If there are duplicate objects, the Copying Of Duplicate Items dialog will be displayed:
- If you click OK to continue to paste the objects, items that already exist in the database will be duplicated there. The duplicate items are identified by appending an exclamation mark (!) to the item name to create a unique name from the old name and a new unique identifier is generated.
- If you click Cancel, no data will be copied (regardless of whether it is duplicate or not).
Objects are not overwritten.
Runs and simulation results
If runs or simulation results are copied between databases, any associated data needed to reproduce the run will also be copied as long as you follow the correct procedure.
Note: To copy associated data automatically, you must paste the run into a model group in the destination database. This includes the root (top level) model group.
If you paste the run into a run group in the destination database, then:
- if the associated data (for example the network) has previously been copied into the destination database, InfoWorks WS Pro will restore the relationships between the run and this data
- if the associated data is copied after the run, relationships will not be restored
See the notes on relationships, below. The recommended practice is to organise your data sensibly in model groups and then to copy entire model groups between databases.
When copying simulation results, the Copying Of Simulation Results And Ground Models dialog is displayed. This lists the simulation results that have been selected for copying. Note that you can choose not to copy simulation results or ground models. The ability to leave results and ground model data out of the copy operation is quite useful as this data is potentially very large. Any model data required to reproduce a run will always be copied.
Note: When copying simulation results that are stored locally, rather than on the server, the copy operation will be successful only if the two master databases share the same remote root directory. See Managing results if you do not know where your results are stored.
Relationships
When objects contain references to other objects, you should try to copy all the objects together so that these relationships are maintained.
If the objects are copied separately, the objects being referred to must be copied before the objects doing the referring.
If you attempt to copy data that refers to items that do not yet exist in the database being copied to, the Unresolved References dialog will be displayed. If you continue with the transfer, the reference data will be lost. You will not be able to restore the references later.
Workspaces
When you copy a workspace between master databases, InfoWorks WS Pro will automatically copy all the underlying data required to recreate that workspace in the new database. You do not need to select this data yourself. This extremely powerful feature enables you to transfer complete projects easily and simply between databases. Remember that checked out version controlled objects are not copied.
Baselines
When a baseline is copied between databases, IWLive Pro workspace information is not automatically copied. IWLive Pro workspaces contain layout, formatting, contents, and sizing settings for the windows that are currently opened in IWLive Pro.
These formatting parameters are saved per user and are stored in IWLive Pro workspaces so they can easily be re-used.
It is possible to copy IWLive Pro workspace information by right-clicking the source master database entry in the Explorer window and selecting Copy IWLive Pro workspace. Paste it in the target database by selecting Paste IWLive Pro workspace from the context menu.
Note: When copying baselines between databases, the baseline (or the model group containing the baseline) should be copied first, before the workspace is copied.
If the workspace is copied first and the baseline object does not exist in the destination database, a warning will be displayed.
