Report template versions

RtReports utilizes a strict scheme for creating report template versions. You can override the default scheme by manually setting effective dates with each version of a report template. However, the PI Server stores all associations created when released report template versions are generated within a context, regardless of new versions of the template.

The PI Server stores all report templates in the PI Module Database. Each report template has a release date, which remains in effect until the next version is released. This ensures that only the valid version of the report template can be run against a batch. If you run a report template against a previously manufactured batch, you will execute the report template version that was in effect for that batch's start time.

Default settings assign each new report template a version number of 1. The review date is set to the time when Version 1 is released and it is effective from the beginning of that time forward. When a new version of a report template is created and released, the review date is set to that new version's release time and the end effective date of the previous version is set to the review date of the new version.

You can override the default scheme for creating versions by manually setting effective dates for a report template version. This does not override the association of a released report template executed against a context.

Report template version release examples

The default version release process sets the end of the effective period for the current version to the release date of the new version.

1. You release the report template Version 1 at T0.

   You can run Version 1 against any context from T0 forward.

2. You then create Version 2 and release it at T10.

   Once you release Version 2, you can only run Version 1 against contexts from T0 to T10.

   After T10, RtReports uses Version 2 of the report template.

The alternative way to control your report template version releases is to manually set the beginning effective date for the new version. In this example, you release Version 1 at T0.

3. You release the report template Version 1 at T0.

   You can run Version 1 against any context from T0 forward.

4. You are ready to release Version 2 at T10. You want the beginning effective date for Version 2 to be T5.

5. Manually set the Begin Effective date for Version 2 to T5, then release the report template.

   You can now generate Version 2 against a context that began on or after T5.

It is important to note that if you had previously run Version 1 against a context later than T5, this association was made and stored. Manually setting the effective date will not affect this association. You cannot run Version 2 using a context that is associated with another report version.