Model Explorer allows you to connect with remote databases, and open the models they contain. In addition, Model Explorer allows you to manage and maintain models.

You can start Model Explorer through Windows or Modeler. Starting Model Explorer (Model Explorer)

When you start Model Explorer, the left pane shows the SQL icon. When you expand the SQL icon, Model Explorer shows the Servers that contain bookmarked Databases. If there are no bookmarked Databases and there is a local server, Model Explorer shows the local Server. You can add other servers to Model Explorer through the SQL icon's context menu. Note that if you add a Server and do not bookmark any Databases on that Server, the Server will not appear in Model Explorer next time it is started.

When you expand a Server, Model Explorer shows the bookmarked Databases on that Server. If there are no bookmarked Databases on that Server, Model Explorer shows all the Server's Databases. You can show Databases that are not bookmarked on the Server by right-clicking the Server, and then clicking Show All Databases. You can then bookmark Databases you want to work with by right-clicking each Database, and then clicking Bookmark. Note that you do not have to bookmark a database to work with it, but a bookmarked database will always appear in Model Explorer.

SQL, Server, Database and Model operations can be performed by right-clicking the SQL, Server, Database and Model items, and then clicking the appropriate commands.

You can refresh the view of a Server or Database by right-clicking the item, and then clicking Refresh.

A Database's icon indicates whether the database is bookmarked and available; and whether you have access permission to read it.

Note that when you first show a database that is not bookmarked, no status information is shown for the database until you select it in Model Explorer, that is, the icon is shown as follows:

A Model's icon indicates whether the model is protected.

Through Model Explorer, you can perform the following operations (assuming you have the required access permissions to do so):

Starting a database

Start a database.

Stopping a database

Stop a database.

Backup a database.

Restore a database.

Synchronize a database with Active Directory changes.

Optimize a database.

Set database and model access permissions

Model Explorer allows you to set access permissions for databases and models. These access permissions work in conjunction with Database options set in SQL Server, and access permissions granted to Packages within a model. For more information about the implications of the access permissions, see Overview of model item access permissions

Create models

Creates a model in a database.

Version models

Creates a new version of the model. By default, Modeler and its add-ins work with the latest version of a model.

Rename models

The model name must be unique within the database.

Open models

Model Explorer shows only those models to which you have read access permissions. Show versions in Model Explorer to open model versions that are not tip versions.

Clone models

Creates a copy of a model in the same or another database. The name of the copy is prefixed with 'Clone of'. When you create a clone of a model, you can choose to retain the access permissions, or use default access permissions (the user who performs the clone is granted Owner access permissions to the model and each Package, and the Public Write check box is selected for the model and each Package).

Create replicas of models

Creates a Modeler model from a model that is stored in a configuration management tool (CM tool). The two CM tool integration commands (Create Replica > From Configuration Management and Create Replica > From Directory) populate the Modeler model with only the Package structure of the CM tool model. You populate the Package structure through get latest or check out operations.

Export models

You can export a version of a model to an empty folder. The exported files can then be imported to other databases.

Import models

You import a model from a folder to which a model has been exported. When you import a model, the Last Changed By property of each item is set to you, and the Last Changed On property is set to the time of the import. The user who performs the import is granted owner access permissions to the model and each Package in that model. Imports do not maintain access permissions.

Generating a model family report

Generates a report on all the model versions in a model. For each model version, the reports records which user created the version, and at what date and time the version was created.

Generating a model branch report

Generates a report on all the model versions in a branch. For each model version, the reports records which user created the version, and at what date and time the version was created.

Delete models

You can delete all versions of a model, or just selected versions of a model.

For information about setting access permissions, refer to Overview of model item and diagram Access Rights

Through Model Explorer, you can perform the following database-based configuration management operations:

To perform the preceding database-based configuration management operations you require a Modeler license and a CM Integration license.

For more information about working with branches, see Working with branches sandboxes