Administering Satellites Guide and Reference

Testing Group Batches

When you have the group batches set up for the first level of the application version, it is probable that you will want to test them on a small number of satellites before promoting the batches to production. To perform this task, you first assign a subset of the satellites in the group to be test satellites. When a satellite is created, it is, by default, a production satellite. You must specify which satellites you want to execute the test batches. You performed this task in Creating Test Satellites.
Note: It is recommended that you maintain the same set of test satellites throughout the life cycle of the end-user application.

Enabling the Test Satellites to Execute the Test-Level Batches

The next task is to enable the test satellites to execute the test-level group batches. In Creating Test Satellites, you created the test satellites. When satellites are created, they are, by default, unable to execute batches. Before the satellites can synchronize, you must enable them. To perform this task:

In the Satellite Administration Center, open the satellite details view for the group.
In the contents pane, select the test satellites and click the right mouse button.
Select Enable from the pop-up menu. Click OK when you are prompted for confirmation.
The test satellites are now enabled to execute test batches.

When the test satellites synchronize, they will download and execute the batch steps that set up the database definition and data for this version of the end-user application.

Synchronizing Test Satellites to Execute the Test-Level Batches

At this point, you are ready to have your test satellites synchronize so that they can download and execute the test batches. The test satellites can synchronize using one of two methods:

If you performed the install interactively, the DB2 menu is available from the Start menu. Click Start and select Programs -> DB2 for Windows NT -> DB2 Synchronizer.
Open a command prompt window and enter the following command:
```
  db2sync
```

When the DB2 Synchronizer application opens, do the following:

Click Start.
The status indicator bar shows the progress of the synchronization.
If a problem occurs, you can click Log to open the Log Information window. This window shows the detailed log messages that are written during the synchronization session.
When the synchronization session is complete, click Close.

Note:

The first time that a satellite synchronizes to execute its group batches, its application version is recorded in the satellite control database. That is, the satellite details view in the Satellite Administration Center does not display the satellite's application version until it synchronizes. You cannot use the Satellite Administration Center to specify the application version of the satellite.

Checking the Results of the Synchronization Session

To determine the results of the synchronization session, perform the following steps:

Open the satellite details view, and locate the test satellites that have executed the batches. In particular, check the values under the State column. If the entry in this column is Results stored, the satellite has executed the batches and reported back the results of the execution.
If the entry in this column is Satellite failure, an error occurred when the satellite was synchronizing. The satellite does not execute any batch steps after encountering the error.
Regardless of whether or not an error occurs, you should check the logs of the test satellites that synchronized. To check the logs:
1. From the satellite details view, select a test satellite and click the right mouse button.
2. Select Show logs from the pop-up menu.
  The Log Details window opens for the satellite. If the satellite reported a failure, the last log entry for the satellite indicates the nature of the failure, and supplies additional information about the failure for diagnosis.

If a failure occurs, it is easy to identify which batch step you will have to modify, if necessary. If, however, no satellites report a failure, you will have to examine the database definition and the data on the test satellites to determine whether the batches produced the results that you intended. If a failure occurred or the results of the synchronization were not satisfactory, you can use one or more of the following actions to correct the situation using the Satellite Administration Center.

Correct the test batch step that produced the incorrect results. The next time the satellite synchronizes, it will begin executing the associated batch from this batch step. This method is appropriate if the batch step that failed did not leave the satellite in an inconsistent state, or did not produce an inappropriate change to the database definition. As an example, assume that you have an SQL statement that fails because of incorrect syntax. This error will not result in changes to the database definition on the satellite that must be undone. If, however, the SQL statement did run and resulted in a table being populated with incorrect data, this method would not be appropriate. Instead, you would use one of the following methods.
Note: If the test satellite failed, you must enable it.
In some situations, you must undo the results of the test batch step or steps. In this situation, you can use a fix batch to undo the results of specific batch steps:
1. Create a fix batch to undo the results of one or more batch steps.
2. Select the satellite from the satellite details view and click the right mouse button.
3. Select Fix from the pop-up menu.
4. On the Fix Satellite window, specify the fix batch that you want the satellite to execute.
5. Correct the batch step or steps that failed.
6. When the satellite has successfully executed the fix batch (and the batch steps that caused the problem have been corrected), promote the satellite back to executing its group batches. For information on promoting a satellite, refer to the online help for the Satellite Administration Center. When you promote the satellite, set the batch step at which the test satellite will resume executing the batch to be the first step of the batch that failed. In this way, the test satellite will re-execute the scripts when it synchronizes
You can also use a fix batch to undo not only the effects of the test batch steps in error, but also of all the batch steps that the test satellite has already executed. In this situation, after you fix the test batch steps, you set the execution starting point to step 1, and the test satellites will execute all the test batch steps in sequence the next time they synchronize. For information about setting the execution starting point for a satellite, see Setting the Execution Starting Point for a Satellite.

After fixing all the problems that occurred, you are ready to have the test satellites execute the test batches again. The next time that the satellites synchronize, they will begin executing each batch at the batch step that you specified when you set the execution starting point, or the batch step they stopped at when they last synchronized.

After the test satellites synchronize, check the satellite details view and the logs of the test satellites again. If an error occurred, or individual batch steps did not produce the required results, perform the necessary corrective action, and repeat the synchronization. Repeat this process until you are satisfied with the results that you obtain. When the database definition and the data that are produced by the batches meet your requirements, you are ready to promote level 0 and its batches to production.

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