BigText Migration Guide

New in version 25.4.0.

This guide provides instructions for migrating from the t_bigtext Table to a newer data structure.

Introduction

In previous versions, VidiCore stored most text information inside of a central table reserved for only this purpose, called t_bigtext. Multiple other database tables had references to t_bigtext. While this approach worked well for a long time, it has several downsides, including performance issues and maintenance challenges. To address these issues, VidiCore 25.4.0 can now store this data in the tables it belongs to instead of t_bigtext.

During regular application use, the system will automatically prefer to use the new data structure and also migrate objects that are updated or created to the new structure. Existing data in t_bigtext will remain untouched if not accessed. To fully transition to the new data structure, a migration process is necessary to explicitly move existing data from t_bigtext to the new structure. This is implemented in a new VidiCore cruncher named BigTextMigrationCruncher.

Starting Migration

By default, the configuration property bigtextMigrationDisabled is set to true, ensuring that this migration does not run automatically without user consent. To initiate the migration process, set this variable to false and start the service using the Vidispine-Service API. This will trigger the migration process and log certain steps of the process on the WARN and DEBUG levels. Once the migration is completed, the service will automatically disable itself.

In case of issues

Most migration issues should be handled and logged appropriately. However, if you encounter any problems, you can manually disable the migration again by setting the bigtextMigrationDisabled variable back to true.