Archiving and Restoring Several Applications in the Same Directory

Suppose that you have several applications (perhaps different Base runs and different groups of Policy Closures and Policy Shocks) in the same directory.

1. Which ZIP archives should you create to preserve these?

2. If you wish to restore these applications at some stage in the future, how should you do it?

Creating ZIP archives

Consider the example (click here for the details) with two different Base runs (NORMAL or PESSIMISTIC growth), two different sets of Policy Closures (PRE-tax or POST-tax wage bargaining) and two different sets of Policy Shocks (FAST or SLOW tariff reductions).

The Sim Names for the Base are NOR (NORMAL growth) and PES (PESSIMISTIC growth).

The Sim Names for the Rerun are PRE for the PRE-tax wage bargaining case and POS for the POST-tax bargaining case.

The Sim Names for the Policy are FAS for the FAST tariff reduction case and SLO for the SLOWER tariff reductions.

In some sense there are 8 different applications here. You could create full ZIP archives for all 8. But that would be wasteful since each full ZIP archive contains the Model and Starting data files so there would be huge overlap between the zip files.

It is better to create on full ZIP archive and then to create suitably chosen ZIP archives containing just Closure or Shocks files. We describe below how you might do this.

Below we assume that the Model name is MYMODEL.EXE.

First load Simulation Details from Sim Details file MYMODEL-NORB-PRER-FASP.DS1. [This has NORMAL growth in Base, uses PRE-tax wage bargaining and has FAST tariff reductions. This Sim Details file was saved when you ran application number 1.] Then create a full ZIP archive for this. [Use the menu item Save Ingredients as ZIP archive under the Zip menu.] If you accept the name suggested by the program, this ZIP archive will be called

MYMODEL-NORB-PRER-FASP.ZIP.

This full ZIP archive contains the Model files, the starting data files and all Closure and Shocks files for the NORMAL Base, the PRE-tax Policy Closures and the FAST tariff reduction Policy Shocks. [Note that the name suggested by the program for the ZIP file is the same as that of the standard Sim Details file name MYMODEL-NORB-PRER-FASP.DS1 except that the suffix is .ZIP.]

This leaves the PESSIMISTIC Base, the POST-tax bargaining Policy Closures and the SLOW tariff reduction Policy Shocks not yet preserved. You can preserve all of these by creating a ZIP archive containing just the Closure/Shocks files for these (and their constituents).

First load the relevant closures and shocks by Loading Sim Details from file MYMODEL-PESB-POSR-SLOP.DS1 (see case 8 in the example). Check that the Sim Names (on the Sim Overview page) are now PES, POS and SLO. Then select menu item Save Just Closure/Shocks files as Closure/Shocks ZIP under the Zip menu. Select All (Base and Policy) from the options shown on the right when you click on that menu item. If you accept the name suggested by the program, this ZIP archive will be called

MYMODEL-PESB-POSR-SLOP.ZIP.

By default, RunDynam will store this in the CLOS-SH subdirectory of the ARCHIVE subdirectory which sits under the directory which contains your RunDynam program.

This Closure/Shocks ZIP archive contains all Closure and Shocks files for the PESSIMISTIC Base, the POST-tax Policy Closures and the SLOW tariff reduction Policy Shocks. [It does not contain any Model files or any starting data files.]

So you have succeeded in storing all files relating to these 8 applications in just two ZIP archives, one full ZIP archive and one Closure/Shocks ZIP archive. You can pass all 8 applications to a colleague by sending him or her just these 2 ZIP archives.

Restoring from these ZIP archives

Suppose that you want to restore the files from these two ZIP archives at some later date because you need to run the applications again (possibly making some changes). Or suppose that you want to tell a colleague how to install these applications. How would you or your colleague do it?

1. Restore the full ZIP archive MYMODEL-NORB-PRER-FASP.ZIP using menu item Restore Ingredients from ZIP archive under the Zip menu.

You will be asked to specify which directory you wish to put the restored files in. In this case it is probably a good idea to specify a new (empty) directory. For example, you can specify the name by typing the name in the open file dialog. RunDynam will create the directory if it does not already exist.

At the end of this restoration, accept the suggested standard name (namely, MYMODEL-NORB-PRER-FASP.DS1) as the name to be used to save these Sim Details in the directory to which you are restoring the files. When you are asked Make this restored application the current application?, respond Yes.

2. Restore all files from the Closure-Shocks ZIP archive MYMODEL-PESB-POSR-SLOP.ZIP using menu item Restore Closure/Shocks files from Closure/Shocks ZIP under the Zip menu.

You will be asked to specify which directory you wish to put the restored files in. Choose the directory to which you restored the other files (see 1 above). There may be some files common to the two applications. If so, click on all when you are asked if it is ok to overwrite some files.

Again use the suggested standard name to save the Sim details (namely MYMODEL-PESB-POSR-SLOP.DS1) in the directory to which you are restoring the file. When you are asked Make this restored application the current application?, respond Yes.

At this stage you have recreated Sim Details files for just two of the eight applications, namely

· NORB-PRER-FASP (NORMAL growth in Base, PRE-tax bargaining and FAST tariff reductions), and

· PESB-POSR-SLOP (PESSIMISTIC growth in Base, POST-tax bargaining and SLOW tariff reductions).

You could run all parts (Base, Rerun and Policy) of these two applications by loading the relevant Sim details.

To load the other 6 variants, you need to load the appropriate parts of these Sim details and then changing the Sim Names to reflect what you have loaded. You can do this in the same way as we recommended you to proceed when you set up the 8 different applications.

You can also restore results files if you zipped them up.

URL of this topic: www.copsmodels.com/webhelp/rundynam/hc_multiarch.htm

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