AX2092

Managed and non-managed files

Axiom managed files are files that are stored in the Axiom Software database. By default, Axiom Software stores all Axiom files in the database—plan files, templates, reports, and driver files—as well as other supporting files such as the default Start file and calc method libraries.

Access to managed files is controlled by Axiom Software security. Managed files are also available to Axiom Software utilities, such as the Process Plan Files utility.

A file does not have to be managed in order to use certain Axiom Software functionality. For example, you can use Axiom functions in regular Excel spreadsheets, and they will return data as long as the file is opened within Axiom Software. If the non-managed file has a Control Sheet, you can also use Axiom file functionality such as Axiom queries.

You can use non-managed files to query data from Axiom Software, but you cannot use non-managed files to save data to the database. If you were to save data to the database from a non-managed file, then there would be no record of how the data in the database was calculated. Therefore, saving data from non-managed files is not supported.

All files related to file groups must be managed files. Report files can be managed or non-managed; however, we recommend keeping all reports as managed files so that Axiom Software security can be applied.

Saving a managed file as a non-managed file

You can save a managed file locally (to your computer or a network drive) by clicking the down arrow on the Save button and then clicking Save As (Local File). The file is then considered a non-managed file.

The most common reason to do this is to move files between Axiom Software systems. You can save the managed file locally, and then import it into another system.

Saving a non-managed file as a managed file

You can save any file to the Reports Library and make it a managed file. If the file is an Excel file, you can open the file in Axiom Software, then click the down arrow on the Save button and click Save As (Repository). If the file is not an Excel file, you must use Axiom Explorer to import the file to the Reports Library.

Any file that is saved in the Reports Library can be opened from the Reports menu. If the file is not a file type that can be opened within Excel (such as a Word file), the appropriate program is launched (if installed on the computer).

You can save files to other folders in the Axiom Software file system using Axiom Explorer, but these folders are more structured. For example, the File Groups folder should only contain valid file group files. Imagine that you have an existing Excel file that already has all of the information that you want to use for a driver sheet. You could take that file, add a Control Sheet, configure it as appropriate, then save it to a Drivers folder in Axiom Explorer.

Only advanced users should save files to locations other than the Reports Library.