Tool

SchDiff is a Win32 tool that allows you to select two trees and analyse differences between these trees. You may also use this tool to check for schema changes on one tree over time.

Online vs. Offline

'Online' mode is used if you have live access to a tree. You have a client connection and can read the schema information. If you have online access to a tree, you may also save the schema to a file for future offline usage.

'Offline' mode is used if you access the schema information saved into a file.
The offline mode allows you to check for schema differences on trees that you do not have live access to.

• 2 online trees
• 1 online tree, 1 offline tree: you want to compare a live schema with a saved schema (e.g. an earlier version of the same tree, or the schema on a remote site)
• 2 offline trees
  Compare two trees that you do not have direct access to.

Usage:

• Select the two trees that you plan to compare

  Online access:
  For online access, you need to have made a client connection before starting the tool Select the tree from the dropdown list. You may reload the schema at any time by pressing "Load from Tree"
  
  Offline access:
  For offline access, you previously must have saved a schema with SchDiff Select the file containing the schema and click "Load from File"

• Optional: Save schema information
  You may save the schema information for a tree that you have online access to.
  This can be useful to compare schema information between remote sites or at different points in time Schema information is saved in a proprietary readable standard text format.
• Optional: Get Schema Details
  If at least one tree has been loaded, a new Tab "Schema Tree #" shows up
  Here you get a list of class names and attribute names for the selected tree
  When clicking on one of the classes or attributes additional information on the selected item is displayed
• Compare Classes
  If two trees have been loaded, a new Tab "Compare Classes" shows up As a 'Quick Check', you will get a list of classes that are unique on one of the trees
  To do an in-depth comparison of class definitions between the trees, select the sub-tab "Thorough Check" and press "Start ...": For each class, the class definition will be loaded and compared.
• Compare Attributes
  If two trees have been loaded, a new Tab "Compare Attributes" shows up
  As a 'Quick Check', you will get a list of attributes that are unique on one of the trees
  To do an in-depth comparison of attribute definitions between the trees, select the sub-tab "Thorough Check" and press "Start ...": For each attribute, the attribute definition will be loaded and compared.
• Saving Results
  Most display lists allow you to save their contents to text files:
  Simply right-click in the window to get a save dialog popup

Notes:

• You may use the tool SchExp.exe to export schema elements (classes and attributes) as LDIF files.
• To run the application, you must have the NetWare Client32 software installed.

Changes Log

• 2005-11 v1.01 First release on WolfgangSchreiber.de & Novell's "Cool Solutions"
  
• 2005-12 v1.02 Added feature to compare individual classes & attributes
  Added comparison of class flags