Setting a new Default Catalogue Template

Updating the default catalogue template

The default catalogue template is automatically applied to all datasets upon creation in FAIR, for all FAIR instances the initial default catalogue is the FAIR Standard Catalogue.

FAIR administrators can change the default catalogue via the FAIR configurations endpoint.

GET/configurations/default-catalogue-definition returns the current default template:

  "code": "default-catalogue-definition",
  "name": "Default catalogue definition",
  "id": 382,
  "value": {
    "value": "standard-catalogue"
  },
  "original": {
    "value": "standard-catalogue"
  },
  "secure": false
}

PUT/configurations/default-catalogue-definition allows users to set a new catalogue template as the default

{
  "value": {
    "value": "new-default-template"
  }
}

Migrating existing datasets to a new default template

As detailed here, there is no requirement for all datasets within FAIR to use the same catalogue template, and even after a new default is applied data owners will still have the option to use any other enabled template in preference to the default. Additionally, the default will not be applied retrospectively to existing datasets.

Therefore there is no system requirement that the catalogue for existing datasets be compatible with the new default template. However, the administrator may be introducing the new template with the intention that a large number of existing datasets will be transferred over to it. In that circumstance, the following steps are recommended as part of the transition:

1. Create a completely new template. An existing template can be used as the basis for the new one, but creating a completely new template means that it can be applied selectively, and rolled back easily in the event of problems.

2. Create a test dataset. Creating a private dataset with a fully populated catalgoue to test the transition from the existing default template to the new default template allows this process to be tested without impacting live datasets.

3. Test the template before enabling it. Setting a catalogue template to "enabled": true makes it available to for selection in the UI. If the user wants to test the new template without making it available they can set it to "enabled": false, this means that the template cannot be selected in the UI but can be applied to dataset via the PATCH/datasets/{code}/settings endpoint.

4. Migrate datasets in stages. Once the new template has been validated using the test dataset, select a small number of live datasets and transition those to the new template. Allow these to run on the new template for an agreed period, and review any issues that are identified in that time. If no issues are identified further datasets can be migrated.