MicroStrategy ONE

Compare Project Merge to Object Manager

Object Manager and Project Merge are both designed for migrating objects between projects. Both tools involve copying objects between projects in a definite order according to object types. Which tool you should use depends on several factors, such as how many objects you need to move at once. The following are some of the differences between the tools:

  • Object Manager can move just a few objects, or just the objects in a few folders. Project Merge moves all the objects in a project.
  • Using Object Manager to merge whole projects means moving many objects individually or as a subset of all objects. This can be a long and tedious task. Project Merge packages the functionality for easier use because it moves all objects at one time.
  • Object Manager must locate the dependents of the copied objects and then determine their differences before performing the copy operation. Project Merge does not do a dependency search, since all the objects in the project are to be copied.
  • The Project Merge Wizard allows you to store merge settings and rules in an XML file. These rules define what is copied and how conflicts are resolved. Once they are in the XML file, you can load the rules and "replay" them with Project Merge. This can be useful if you need to perform the same merge on a recurring schedule. For example, if a project developer sends you a new project version quarterly, Project Merge can make this process easier.
  • Project Merge can be run from the command prompt in Microsoft Windows. An added benefit of this feature is that project merges can be scheduled using the at command in Windows and can be run silently in an installation routine.
  • The changes to be made through Object Manager can be saved as an update package and applied at a later time. For instructions on how to create and use update packages, see Copy Objects in a Batch: Update Packages.
  • The changes to be made through an Object Manager update package can be reversed using an undo package. For instructions on how to roll back changes using Object Manager, see Copy Objects in a Batch: Update Packages.