Organizing rules into rulesets
To identify, store, and manage the set of rules that define the reusable elements of an application, organize rules into rulesets. When you group rules into a ruleset, you save time, because you can reuse an entire ruleset within different applications in your system instead of reusing or creating individual rules.
For example, if you create a ruleset to store service-level agreement (SLA) rules, you can reuse the ruleset in many applications that process cases requiring the same SLAs.You identify each ruleset by name and version number. Each version number consists of the following parts:
- Two first digits that correspond with a major version, or a release of an application. A release change represents extensive changes to application functionality. For example, if an accounting department uses an application to process expense reports, and the department wants to extend the functionality to track employee time off for payroll purposes, you create a new release of the application.
- Two middle digits that correspond with a minor version or an enhancement. For example, if you want to include an automatic audit in an application that processes expense report, you create a minor version of the application.
- Two last digits that correspond with a patch version. For example, if you notice that one field in your application has the wrong label, you create a patch version to correct the label.
When you create a ruleset, you define whether the ruleset is locked or unlocked. By creating a locked ruleset, you protect the ruleset from accidental changes because developers must enter a password before editing the ruleset. You can also define passwords for other actions, such as adding a new ruleset version, or updating the ruleset.
To allow members of your development team to work simultaneously on different features, create branch rulesets that developers use as isolated sandboxes. As a result, you reduce the risk of overwriting work, and improve the quality of your application.
- Creating rulesets
Reduce development time and costs by creating rulesets. After you create a ruleset, you can group rules, which are reusable elements of your application, together in a logical way in the ruleset. As a result, you conveniently manage, maintain, and reuse your rules.
- About the Ruleset Maintenance wizard
The Ruleset Maintenance wizard helps you copy rulesets and ruleset versions into new versions, merge several ruleset versions into one version, move rules out of one ruleset into another, or change a ruleset version's number.
- Defining the security of a ruleset
Complete the Security tab on the Ruleset form to update security information for a ruleset. For example, you can control who can change rules in a ruleset, and prevent potential conflicts when two or more users attempt to change one rule at the same time.
- Categorizing a ruleset
Complete this tab to control the category of this ruleset and to provide additional information for Component rulesets.
- Deleting a ruleset
Use the RuleSet Delete tool to delete an entire ruleset or a specific version of a ruleset, or to restore a ruleset previously deleted with this tool.
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