QDF containers in cloud

[bmenicucci]

Hello everyone,

I have a question for you: is that possible to create containers or use QDF scripts stored in cloud drives like Google Cloud Storage, Dropbox etc.?

Thanks a lot!

Brunello

[Magnus_Berg]

1. that will store all QDF scripts, and I'd like to ask you if that's part of current QDF dev version for cloud, or if it is already available. In this case, may I ask you how to load or access it... maybe I'm missing something? QDF needs some redesigning to work with Qlik Cloud. The initiation script will point to a cloud container (example Onedrive) this will become the shared container, that stores QDF scripts, Container Map and other custom scripts and settings. 
4. "no additional URL is needed" but in point 7. you say Container map will use URL field to map containers in any cloud storage When using Qlik Cloud spaces as a containers there is no need for any additional URL's, but when adding additional containers using other providers like OneDrive, the URL to this container need to be in the container map.
6. in my experience current connections to clouds storage (OneDrive, Google Drive, GCP, S3) have some limitations such the use of wildcard sign, that prevent QDF scripts to identify the different folders and thus I bet this is the main part of your development, is it? This is why we should recommend spaces as containers for data as they have not these limitations, also we need to adapt the QDF scripts to mitigate the limitations in best way possible

[bmenicucci]

Thank you @Magnus_Berg . However, for what I know, QDF scripts adaption is still on going, right?

Any foreseen release date?

Thank you again!

Brunello

[Magnus_Berg]

Hi Brunello, no real timeline. the problem is finding time ( as I do this outside the ordinary work) to complete a  code-base that works as discussed above. When this is done everyone can provide improvements using Github. Regards Magnus

[bmenicucci]

Ok, thank you so much

[bmenicucci]

Hello @Magnus_Berg ,

chances are you have any update on this topic? My best wishes for a Happy New Year!

[Magnus_Berg]

Hi,  Im so sorry for taking long time. My work and family has made this project to suffer, sorry for this. I have uploaded a QDF for cloud Alfa version here https://github.com/QlikDeploymentFramework/Qlik-Deployment-Framework-Cloud
There are several thinks to take in consideration:
This is an early alfa with several bugs and limitations in Qlik Cloud.
* Shared container is a must and need to be mapped within the reload script, as seen below:
SET vG.SharedBasePath='lib://Drive name/path/Shared';
$(include=$(vG.SharedBasePath)/InitLink.qvs);
* In this release all container folders in external drives (folders you want to QDF to identify as Global Variable path) need to include the Info.txt file, as this file identifies the folder as a Global path
* external drives are really picky on trailing slash, for OneDrive no trailing slash is possible
* To identify containers stored in external drives, the base URL need to be specified in vG.SharedBaseVariablePath/ContainerMap.csv
* To identify spaces as containers just add the space name under vG.SharedBaseVariablePath/ContainerMap.csv
* Qlik Cloud spaces has limited support for subfolders, so adding QDF containers to spaces (by same name) only vG.BasePath and vG.QVDPath will work
* To identify spaces as containers just add the space name under vG.SharedBaseVariablePath/ContainerMap.csv* Qlik Cloud spaces hav limited support subfolders, so adding QDF containers to spaces (by same name) only vG.BasePath and vG.QVDPath will work

[bmenicucci]

Hello Magnus,

thanks a lot for letting me know this: much appreciated!

I'm a bit lost though, since I've not yet figured out how to make it work properly: in a standard windows environment all we have to do is create a container using the appropriate tool and then put the scripts in the "Custom" folder. Here, in cloud, it's not clear to me HOW I am supposed to copy/create the standard QDF folders (e.g. 1.Dev or 2.Prod containers, that include the Application/QVD/Include/Config set of folders) to let InitLink.qvs recognise them... It seems I'm not able to create a connection to OneDrive as a folder, if you see what I mean

May I ask you to elaborate further on this, pretending I'm going to use OneDrive as external repository?

Thank you so much,

Brunello

[Magnus_Berg · Accepted solution]

Hi Brunello, as stated in the read me this is an alpha version that is not part of the deploy tool yet. You need to create your containers using deploy tool (or use a copy of containers you already have), you need after to replace the scripts with the new versions (git). You also need to modify container map to work with aOneDrive, as alternate path. Remember that its the path to the QDF root that you point, not the container itself (as the container name already exists in containermap.). Remember not to use excel when editing container map as this coverts it unreadable for QDF, instead use notepad.. Hope this helps..

[bmenicucci]

Thank you, Magnus!
Will give it a try and let you know.
Brunello

[bmenicucci]

Hello Magnus,

I've been able indeed to make the connection happens and the script loading, even though I had to make a small adjustment to "LoadContainerMap" sub as per attached screenshot.

Thanks again for your time and support!

Brunello