Synchronizing data using bashell

BIRT Analytics Loader provides a command-line tool named bashell that allows you to automate a synchronization process and run it in an unattended manner. Run bashell to synchronize an analytical database after loading data into FastDB. Table 2-3 lists the bashell parameters.

Table 2-3

bashell parameters

Parameter	Description
-site: <URL>	Specifies the web services URL of the BIRT Analytics application. For example, -site:http://localhost/qelectron.
-user: <login name>	Specifies the login name of the user who makes the request. It must be a valid administrator user in the BIRT Analytics application.
-pwd: <password>	Specifies the password of the user making the request.
-save	Causes bashell to save the current settings in an encrypted file named set.cfg that can be used for future requests.
-sync	Sends a request to the BIRT Analytics application to synchronize data.
-cacheoff	Removes cache files.
-help	Displays the help for this tool.

You can run bashell and authenticate with BIRT Analytics at the same time or you can create an encrypted authentication file and use it to automate the authentication. By default the authentication information is saved in a file named set.cfg.

How to run bashell

1	If you downloaded BIRT Analytics, open the 10-Tools folder and copy and paste the sub-folder named bashell and its contents to your desired folder.

2	Open a command prompt that is run as administrator in the bashell folder you created in the previous step.

3	Run the following command to synchronize the analytical database, where SYSTEM is an administrator user and PASSWORD is the password for that user:

bashell -sync -cacheoff -site:http://localhost/qelectron -user:SYSTEM -pwd:PASSWORD

How to create an authentication file

1	If you downloaded BIRT Analytics, open the 10-Tools folder and copy and paste the sub-folder named bashell and its contents to your desired folder.

2	Open a command prompt that is run as administrator in the bashell folder you created in the previous step.

3	Run the following command to create an encrypted authentication file, where SYSTEM is an administrator user and PASSWORD is the password for that user:

bashell -save -site:http://localhost/qelectron -user:SYSTEM -pwd:PASSWORD

4	Verify that the set.cfg file has been created in the bashell folder.

Once the set.cfg exists with a valid user and user password, you can use the tool without authenticating. For example you can run from command prompt or a batch file the following command to synchronize the analytical database and remove cache files:

bashell -sync -cacheoff

Copyright Actuate Corporation 2013

BIRT Analytics 4.2