The text based channel database (CDB) is a legacy tool to mangage satellite channel rx-/tx-parameter in a conveient way. It has been replaced with a SQL based database solution which entirely is operated through the sat-nms Web client. The description below is contained in the manual for reference only, it may apply to older M&C installations using the sat-nms Java client.
The sat-nms CDB table editor is a versatile tool to manage satellite channel lists in an easy and clear way. The table editor displays the contents of the CDB in spreadsheed like layout, lets you edit, add or delete channel definitions. Beside this, the table editor may be used to export or import the CDB table or parts of it on your client PC.
The picture above shows the table editor's toolbar. Below you find a short reference for all functions which are accessible here. A more elaborate description of the table editor's capabilities you find at the paragraphs forther down at this page.
--- The login field. To log in, click into the field and enter your user name / password in the dialog popping up. You need to be logged in to save the edited table back to the server, all other functions work without login als well.
--- The database selection. The M&C server may maintain other database tables beside the satellite channel list. Using this drop down selection you may switch between these databases. With your sat-nms installation, the field may be missing or limited to the 'channels' selection only.
--- Saves the edited table back to the server. You need to be logged in for this.
--- Reloads the table from the server. This abadons all changes since you opened the editor (or since the last save).
--- Opens the import dialog. Lets you read a CSV file with channel definitions from you local PC and import these definitions into the CDB.
--- Opens the export dialog. Lets you export all channels (or only the selected ones) to a CSV file on you client PC.
--- Toggles the search function. Requires a search pattern to be entered in the field at its right. --- The search pattern field. Enter a search pattern here to select all channels matching this pattern. See 'Searching channels' below for a more detailed description how seaching works.
--- Duplicate row. Makes a duplicate of the (topmost) selected channel.
--- Add row. Inserts new channel definition above the (topmost) selected channel. The new channel gets initialized with default settings.
--- Delete row(s). Deletes the selected channel or all selected channels if more than one is selected.
--- Shows this help page.Document style workflow
The table editor handles the CDB table like a document. When you start up the editor, it requests the complete database contents from the server and presents it in the editor window. It does not change the database until you click the save button to write back the changed channel list to the server. At this point all devices using the channel table will be informed about the changed database.
This workflow implies two things:
Logging in
A login as a user with a privilege level 100 or higher is required to write a modified table back to the server. All other functions, viewing channels, exporting them etc. are possible without login.
Login is done quite similar to the sat-nms M&C software, simply click to the login field in the upper left corner of the window and enter your user name and password at the dialog popping up.
Selecting the database
Some software installations may use multiple CDB databases, e.g. one for satellite channels and another for BISS keys. These installations show a selection field for the database to edit beside the login field. This field may be missing with your software installation.
Sorting the channels
The table editor normally presents the channels sorted alphabetically by the channel ID. By clicking to a column header of the table, you may sort the table by this column, e.g. by receive frequency. Clicking again to the table header reverts the sort order. Clicking to the header of the first column (channel ID) restores the original sort order.
Searching channels
When entering a text in the search field of the tool bar, the editor highlights all channels which contain this text in their channel ID. Beside this more complex searches are possible:
Selecting channels
A single channel is selected by clicking somewhere into the table row representing this channel. Holding down the SHIFT key while clicking to another table row selects a range of channels between these rows. Holding down the CTRL key while clicking to some channels adds these channels to the selection (or removes them if they are already selected).
Editing channels
You may change any channel parameter 'in place' in the table. For selection parameters simply click to the parameter field and select the new value from the drop down list. For numeric or textual parameter you need to double click the table field to switch it to edit mode. As soon as one value has been changed, the "MODIFIED" indicator shows up at the upper right corner of the window.
When you change the satellite name or the channel name, the program makes a new channel identifier from this and checks if this identifier is unique in the channel list. If not, a suffix is added to the channel name to make the identifier unique and a warning ist displayed.
If you are using the 'Import EBU channels' at the RX-Channel device, the channels imported from the EBU channel list are marked read-only anf cannot be edited in the table editor.
Adding new channels
There are two options to add a new channel to the database. 'Add a channel' means to add a new channel named 'NEW' and filled with defaults for all parameters. The second way to add a new channel is 'Duplicate channel'. As the name suggests, this duplicates the selected channel. All parameters are copied from the source channel and a suffix is added to the channel name to make the channel ID of the new channel unique. The new channel gets added above the actually selected row. If multiple rows are selected, the new channel is added above the topmost selected channel, this also acts as the template for the 'duplicate' function
Deleting channels
To delete one or more channels from the table, select the channels to delete and then click the 'delete row' button in the tool bar.
Importing channels
The table editor permits to import a set of channels from a CSV file which is located at your client PC. To import a file, click the 'import' button in the tool bar, select the file in the dialog box popping up and finally click 'Open' in this dialog box.
The table editor imports the file and adds the database records defined in this file to the table. It does this in an intelligent way:
The file format the import function expects, depends on your software installation and software version. It is always safe to import files which have been created using the export function on a sat-nms M&C with the same version number.
Exporting channels
You may export either all channels in the table or a subset of them to a local CSV file. Select the files to export and click the 'export' button in the tool bar. Then select or enter the file name you want to save to an click 'Save'.
If no channels are selected, the software exports all channels. You may use the search button (the magnifier glass) to remove an existing selection. If only one record is selected, the software will export this record only.
Saving the changed table
The 'save' button writes the changes you made back to the CDB server. You need to be logged in with a privilege level of at least 100 to do this operation. Once you click 'save', all RX-Channel and TX-Channel devices in the M&C get informed about the changed channel list.
If you made changes to the table and close the editor without saving the table, the program shows a warning about this.
Reverting all changes
The table editor offers the 'reload' button in the tool bar to discard all changes ant to load the table again from the CDB server. You may want to use this if you accidentally messed up the channel table.