Erwin Workgroup Edition - Mart Server - Best Practices for Difference Reconciliation (4292724)

Description:  How can we minimize the 'noise' in Differences Reconciliation during the three-way-merge?

Solution:  That can be controlled using some settings as follows:  

1.  Go to Tools | Options, Mart tab, and turn on Bypass Difference Reconciliation.  If there are no conflicts or no conflicting changes (Figure 1) the modeler will not get the difference reconciliation screen as the three-way merge screen will be bypassed.

Figure 1

2.  Go to the erwin Action log  (View | Panes | Action Log pane CTRL+L).  On the Action log will be the button for the Metamodel Filter (Figure 2).  That will bring up the Metamodel filter (Figure 3).  You can then choose to Clear All Items in Category for the Graphics item.  That will prevent the additional noise of graphical changes in your Difference Reconciliation.

NOTE:  You can also check off other items that you don't want in the comparison to further reduce any noise.

Figure 2.

Figure 3.

3.  Prior to saving model changes to a mart the user should do a refresh so the latest version of the model in the mart is being compared (Figure 4).  Then do a save to the mart.

Figure 4.

4.  When you get the Resolve Differences screen, 
Collapse all the rows in the window, then expand the model row to see all the categories
First, do the Automerge nonconflicting differences (figure 5)
Then, move all the graphical changes in one shot.
Finally, do your individual changes. 

Figure 5.

The above instructions should help reduce the noise and conflicts while saving changes to the mart server.