Loading and Saving Auxiliary Data Files Stored in Databases
File versions stored in a database that are referenced as auxiliary data by a model opened in the COMSOL Desktop — either as input source or output target — are loaded on-demand from the database to a temporary working copy directory located on the computer running COMSOL Multiphysics (the server computer when running COMSOL Multiphysics in client–server mode). Any input read by the model, and any output written by the model, goes via files in this directory.
There are various situations in which the model will write to the files in the working copy directory. You may, for example, have added an Export to File node () for a Parametric Sweep such that, when the corresponding study is computed, export nodes in the Model Builder tree run for different parameter values. When Model Manager detects that there are unsaved changes written by the model to the working copy directory, those changes can be saved as a new file version when the model itself is saved via the Save window — see Saving Models to Databases. You can also save a new file version directly via the Auxiliary Data window — see The Auxiliary Data Window for Database Input and Output.
Changes in working copy directories are not automatically saved when running an external COMSOL Multiphysics batch process. In this case, you can use the Model Manager API from a model method to save the working copy contents as a new file version.
Exporting Output Directly to a Database
You can save output to a database from nodes in the Model Builder tree with export functionality. If you have specified a database as the output target via the Select File window, you can click an Export button (), or something similar, to export and save the output as a new file version.
For better control over the saved file version, you can also perform the export via the Export window. This enables you, for example, to write a custom save comment or change the tag assignments of the file. Choose the database that you want to export to in the list of options on the left. Choose Add Database () if you want to add a new database.
The Export window is, for example, opened when you click the expand button next to Export () and select Export To () in the Settings window in the Model Builder workspace.
To export output data and save it as a new file version:
1
Write the title for the file version in the Title field.
2
Write the filename of the main output file in the Filename field.
3
Write an optional save comment in the Comments field.
You can later read and update this save comment in The Versions Window or The Commits Window. You can also find your file version by applying a filter on the comment text.
4
Click the Save button () to export output data and save it as a new file version.
If you want to force the creation of a new data file instead, click the expand button next to the Save button () and select Save as New ().
The Export window is otherwise similar to the Save window used to save a new model version — see Saving Models to Databases. You can change the target branch for the export by clicking the Location link button and selecting another branch in The Select Location Dialog. The Location link button is hidden if the database only contains a single branch, which is the default for a new database. There is also an Information section displaying additional information concerning the saved file, a Description section for changing the file’s description, and a Tags section for setting the assigned tags of the file.