Deploying a Zim Application
Deploying a Zim application running in Zim 9 means making the application available for general use by one or more users. In other words, it means “transporting” a Zim application system that is in the development environment to the production environment.
A deployed application is different from an application under development because users don’t create new objects, nor change or remove existing ones. Usually, all Zim programs are compiled and accesses to data are restricted to programs functionality. Also, development tools, special files and specific portions of the database might not be needed under normal usage conditions.
Since Zim 9 is much simpler to use, there are only two alternatives to deploy a Zim application:
1) Deploy the application as it is in the development environment with little or no concern for what is going to be visible by users. In essence, the deployed application is just a “copy” of the development environment (with no data, of course). Zim programs can compiled or not compiled. Zim Data Dictionary files are also present;
2) Deploy only the portions of the database required for production. All programs are compiled. The following chart describes what is going to be deployed:
|
Zim Component |
Files |
|
|
Zim Directories |
zim0001 and other files |
Needed |
|
Data Dictionary |
zim0002 to zim0019 (except zim0014) |
Optional |
|
Users |
zim0014 |
Needed |
|
Compiled Forms |
zim0099 |
Needed |
|
Compiled programs |
zim0001.ws and other directories |
Needed |
|
Data Files |
Usually zim0100 and up |
Needed |
|
Source Code |
Files with Zim programs |
Optional |
|
Configuration files |
zimconfig.zim, areas.zim, dirs.zim |
If required |
The optional portions, above, have some exceptions:
- If the application system will have ODBC Driver access from thirty party tools, then the Data Dictionary files must also be included because the ODBC Driver inquiries the existence of entity sets and relationships at connection time;
- If the application can suffer modifications (like program modifications or data dictionary modifications) then both the Data Dictionary and source code must be present. Zim 9 allows data dictionary modifications while users are running, thus requiring these files as well (see the command SET DATABASE ACCESS).
In either way and regardless the above discussion, a Zim application is run with Zim Server running and:
- on Unix, users run the application using the ZIM executable;
- on Windows, users run the application using the ZIMTC executable.