Specifications
142 CHAPTER 7 Master Data Services
Model Deployment
When you have nalized the master data model structure, you can use the model deploy-
ment capabilities in Master Data Manager to serialize the model and its objects as a package
that you can later deploy on another server. In this way, you can move a master data model
from development to testing and to production without writing any code or moving data
at the table level. The deployment process does not copy security settings. Therefore, after
moving the master data model to the new server, you must grant the users access to func-
tional areas and congure permissions.
To begin the model deployment, you use the Create Package wizard in the System Admin-
istration area of Master Data Manager. You specify the model and version that you want to
deploy and whether you want to include the master data in the deployment. When you click
Finish to close the wizard, Master Data Manager initiates a download of the package to your
computer, and the File Download message box displays. You can then save the package for
deployment at a later time.
When you are ready to deploy the package, you use the Deploy Package wizard in Master
Data Manager on the target server and provide the wizard with the path to the saved pack-
age. The wizard checks to see whether the model and version already exist on the server. If so,
you have the option to update the existing model by adding new items and updating existing
items. Alternatively, you can create an entirely new model, but if you do so, the relation-
ship with the source model is then permanently broken, and any subsequent updates to the
source model cannot be brought forward to the copy of the model on the target server.
Programmability
Rather than use Master Data Manager exclusively to perform master data management
operations, you might prefer to automate some operations to incorporate them into a custom
application. Fortunately, MDS is not just an application ready to use after installation, but also
a development platform that you can use to integrate master data management directly into
your existing business processes.
TIP For a code sample that shows how to create a model and add entities to the model,
see the following blog entry by Brent McBride, a Senior Software Engineer on the MDS
team: “Creating Entities using the MDS WCF API,” at http://sqlblog.com/blogs/mds_team
/archive/2010/01/29/creating-entities-using-the-mds-wcf-api.aspx.
The Class Library
The MDS API allows you to fully customize any or all activities necessary to create, populate,
maintain, manage, and secure master data models and associated data. To build your own
data stewardship or management solution, you use the following namespaces: