Error “Edit config file is not allowed for an active config file” (4300290)

Error “Edit config file is not allowed for an active config file”

When activating a config file, the following errors is  observed:

sp_ctrl (alvsupu15:5438)> edit config config1

   Edit config file is not allowed for an active config file

Editing of an active config file is not permitted.

In current versions of SharePlex it is not allowed to edit an active config file.  If the intent is to make changes to an active config file, the following workaround can be performed:

Make a copy of the currently active config file and edit the copy.

At a convenient time activate the copy.  If, for any reasons, the activation fails, then the previously active config will still prevail.

The reason it should be done at a convenient time is, if the amendment involves addition of new tables or removing of existing tables, or changing of routes of existing tables, the source table(s) may be locked. This can cause inconvenience to users. While the locking may be brief for route changes, it may still be result in downtime for users. Hence activating the copy is best done during downtime.

In older versions of SharePlex it was allowed to edit the active config but the problem was, first it caused inconvenience to users due to unexpected locking, and second, if the locking failed for source tables when the file was saved after editing, this failed lock would render the currently active config file inactive. Such failure would require a bigger downtime to resume replication. This was the reason to edit an active config file was done away with.