Sharing Models using Templates
Provided the template feature is enabled in your Enterprise Qloud, Quantrix Modelers can publish models to Qloud as template models within Modeler's Publish option.
A template model has the structure and data you have given it. It can be shared with users and groups, and can be used as a template for users to view and from which to create copies of the model.
Using the template feature allows you to share the same model with many users and/or groups, to allow some users to create model copies from the template, and allows you to control which users automatically receive models created from the template.
There are three types of Qloud Template users:
- Model publisher/template owner
- Template user
- Users who receive copies made by template users
The Advantages of Using Templates
While you can share a model with multiple users and with groups without using templates, when you publish a model as a template model, you can identify "template users" of a template model as well as specify which users and groups can automatically get any model copies made by the template user(s). Template users can create copies of the template model from their Templates list. Template users can optionally be given permission to share the template copies with designated users. The model publisher/template owner controls who automatically receives model copies created from the template by each template user.
Template Formula Merge
You can check out a template model you've published to Qloud, make changes to formulas in Modeler, check in the template model containing the formula changes, and choose to view the recorded formula changes (that is, you cannot see the actual formulas on Qloud, but you can verify the formula line detail changes that you published). You can choose to merge formula changes to template copies, thus bringing all users current with updated formulas.
To restate: formula change lines that you can view and/or merge to template copies are changes that were made in Modeler and checked in since the original version, or since the last version not yet merged to template copies. When you optionally merge formula changes to template copies, you are merging the formula changes to the Qloud model server and also automatically sending the merged result to all template copies of the model.
The template feature is very powerful, and allows you to control with whom template models are shared and with what type of access and what roles they are shared, and whether formula changes should be automatically updated in the template model copies.
Template Workflow Summary
The workflow for template creation and use can be summarized as follows:
- A Quantrix Modeler publishes a model as a template model, and thereby becomes the template owner
- The Qloud model publisher/template owner sees buttons for both Models and Templates lists on their home page
- On the Templates page, the Qloud template owner configures which Qloud users will be 'template users'. Template users are able to make model copies and, provided the template owner gives them permission to share, can share the model copies they create from their models list, according to the share options (such as check out and assignable roles) the template owner specifies
- A template user can only create model copies of the template, or delete the template. The template user cannot open and modify the template model from their Templates list
- A template user (as identified by the template owner) sees both Models and Templates buttons on their home page and can make template copies that appear in their models list. The template user can open and edit the template copy from their Models list and, provided they have been given share permission, can share the models
- The Qloud model template owner configures which users will automatically receive model copies that are created from the Templates List by the template user(s)
- Users who are configured to receive model copies created by template users see the models on their home page's Models list like any other shared model but they can't remove models that are shared with them via templates
- Template models that are checked in with formula changes can be merged to all versions or to a selected formula change version, and can optionally be merged to all template copies
Creating Templates as a Model Publisher
To create a template model, choose the "Publish as Template" option in the final publish pane from Quantrix Modeler.
From Quantrix Modeler, you can check out any template model from the Qloud. Template models show a different icon in the check out dialog.
Once checked out, you can make changes to the model template and check the changes back in to Qloud.
On Qloud, your home page clearly shows regular Models and Template models. The list defaults to show Models (non-template models) by default. Click the Templates button on the home page to see your template models, and click back to the Models button to show the regular models.
You can publish the same model as a template and a regular model: each is listed separately as a Model or a Template, and each has distinct model ID's and versions.
Users with Model Access to Template Copies
Users given access to model copies created by the template user see the model like a regular shared model on their model list. Users receive model copies in their model list because the model publisher/owner selected the user for "model access" to the template model copies created by a template user. Template model copies can be thought of more accurately as template model instances.
Users can make whatever changes to the model are permitted given their assigned role, but they cannot delete model copies. The delete icon on the models list is grayed out, and if you hover over it, a message explains that you can't remove a model shared with you via templates.
If a template user deletes a model template and model copies, the model is removed from the user's model list.
Administrator note: Administrators can configure the Template Users and Model Access from Admin > Models > Templates. When an Admin user searches for template users or model access, all users are available.