Upgrade > Upgrade the applications from version 9.60 > Applying the out-of-box patch and reconciling the differences > Reconciling differences

Reconciling differences

The next step is to reconcile any differences between your tailored objects and the updated objects introduced by the applications patch.

Use the RAD Comparison Utility to assist in merging changes in RAD applications. For all other types of objects, you can use the standard Service Manager tools, or the Merge utility.

Merging new objects with your tailored objects

After you have applied the out-of-box patch successfully, you are ready to reconcile the differences and merge the new objects with your tailored versions of the objects where necessary.

  • Use the Merge utility to view and merge simple objects.
  • Use the Merge utility to identify the changes necessary for records with complex data structures, such as formatctrl, joindefs, links, and structured arrays, but use the normal tool for tailoring these objects to integrate the necessary changes manually.

Caution Avoid merging changes in XML records where there are instance nodes with record IDs (such as, recordid=“svcCatalog”). Changes to instance nodes with record IDs can break the primary key for a record.

Follow these steps to use the Merge utility:

  1. From the Windows client, log in to your Service Manager server as a System Administrator.
  2. Go to System Administration > Ongoing Maintenance > Upgrade Utility > View/Merge Results.

  3. Enter optional search criteria, and then click Search.

    Service Manager displays the results of your search. For more information, see Description of View/Merge results.

  4. Open the record you wish to merge, right-click the detail page and then click Merge in the drop-down menu.

    Service Manager displays both objects side-by-side in the Merge Applications Patch Records view.

    Tip The XML for the new object is shown on the left side, and the XML for your tailored object is shown on the right side with the differences highlighted.

  5. For simple objects and elements, use the arrow buttons at the top of the pane to select individual changes and copy them from the new object over to your tailored object, or copy all changes from the new record to your tailored object. For complex objects, do the merge manually by using the appropriate tool for the object type.
  6. Click SAVE.
  7. Test the updated functionality of the merged object.
  8. When you are satisfied that the object is working correctly, right-click the detail page and then click Mark as Reconciled in the drop-down menu.
  9. Repeat this procedure for all changes that need to be merged.

Example of reconciling an object by using the Merge utility

For this example, before applying the patch, we tailored the displayoption record with a UniqueID of notify_email by adding some comments. After applying the out-of-box patch, the notify_email is one of the Renamed objects in the results list.

Follow these steps to merge the example form change:

  1. Go to System Administration > Ongoing Maintenance > Upgrade Utility > View/Merge Results.

    Service Manager displays the Applications Patch Results screen.

  2. Specify login.prompt.g as the object name, and then click Search.
  3. Right-click the detail page and then click Merge in the drop-down menu.

  4. Service Manager displays both objects side-by-side in the Merge Applications Patch Records view.

    After you compare the two forms, you decide to merge the new changes into your tailored form.

  5. Use the arrow buttons at the top of the pane to select the change.

  6. Click Copy All from Left to Right on the tool bar.
  7. Click SAVE.

  8. Log out from the Service Manager server, and then log in again.

  9. Confirm that the updated label is displayed on login.

  10. Go to System Administration > Ongoing Maintenance > Upgrade Utility > View/Merge Results.

    Service Manager displays the Applications Patch Results screen.

  11. Specify login.prompt.g as the object name, and then click Search.

  12. Right-click the detail page and then click Mark as Reconciled in the drop-down menu.

Reconciling differences between RAD applications

Use these guidelines when reconciling differences between a tailored RAD application and the new one.

  • If your company does not have a RAD license, you are not able to merge the changes using the RAD Editor. However, you can use the RAD Comparison Utility to compare the two objects and then automatically replace your tailored RAD application with the new one using the Merge option. For details, see Automatically replace Renamed RAD applications.

  • If your company has a RAD license, use the RAD Comparison Utility to compare the objects and use the RAD editor to merge the changes.

Note The codes for RAD applications for which "Current Release Level" is not marked as the current version "SM 9.61" (instead, it is still marked as the original version, "9.60" or "9.60.xxx"), are already current with the ones in Service Manager 9.61. Therefore, you should not change the "Current Release Level" field to "SM 9.61". There are two cases in which a RAD application's "Current Release Level" may be marked as "SM 9.61":

  • The RAD applications which are new in Service Manager 9.61.
  • The RAD applications whose code has been changed in Service Manager 9.61.

Automatically replace Renamed RAD applications

The Merge option enables you to automatically replace your tailored RAD application with the new one.

To use this option, perform the following steps:

  1. Navigate to System Administration > Ongoing Maintenance > Upgrade Utility > View/Merge Results.
  2. Locate a Renamed RAD application by performing a search.
  3. Click More or the More Actions icon and select Merge. Service Manager will automatically create a backup of the old object by renaming it OLDSM9.6<object_name> and then rename the new object by removing the prefix NEW9.61.00xx from the object name. The result is then marked as "Reconciled."

Example of reconciling a RAD difference

For this example, we have tailored the RAD panel approval.generate by adding the comment //TAILORED VERSION to the start panel. After we apply the out-of-box patch, the approval.generate is one of the Renamed objects in the results list.

Follow these steps to merge the panels:

  1. Open approval.generate (the tailored version) in the RAD Editor.
  2. Click More or the More Actions icon and then select Compare Applications.
  3. Enter NEW9.61.00xxapproval.generate in the field for New Application Name.
  4. Click Compare All on the tool bar.

  5. Make a note of the Unmatched and Deleted Panels (these are the panels that you would like to analyze when reconciling differences).

    In this example, the start panel appears in the Unmatched Panels column.

  6. On the current session, navigate to the Start panel.
  7. On another session, open NEW9.61.00xxapproval.generate, and then navigate to the Start panel.
  8. After you compare the two panels, you decide that you would like to keep your tailoring. Copy the tailored expression (//TAILORED VERSION) to the start panel of NEW9.61.00xxapproval.generate, then save and compile.
  9. Delete your old tailored RAD application, and then rename NEW9.61.00xxapproval.generate to approval.generate.
  10. Confirm the functionality of your change.

  11. Go to System Administration > Ongoing Maintenance > Upgrade Utility > View/Merge Results.

    Service Manager displays the Applications Patch Results screen.

  12. Specify approval.generate as the object name, and then click Search.
  13. Right-click the detail page and then click Mark as Reconciled in the drop-down menu.

Using the Mass Mark as Reconciled feature

During the patch upgrade process, you must mark conflicting objects as “Reconciled” after resolving each conflict. To help with this process, you can use the Mass Mark as Reconciled feature to mark multiple renamed objects as “Reconciled.”

To use the Mass Mark as Reconciled feature, follow these steps:

  1. Go to System Administration > Ongoing Maintenance > Upgrade Utility > View/Merge Results.

    Service Manager displays the Applications Patch Results screen.

  2. Select Renamed in the Result drop-down list, and then click Search.

  3. If more than two objects exist in the resulting search, click the Mass Mark as Reconciled button from the More Actions menu and then click Yes. After you click Yes, all objects that you selected will be marked as “Reconciled” and removed from current conflict list.