Materializing Virtual Catalogs

By default, virtual catalogs are created as views. This makes it easier and faster to edit a virtual catalog, but it can reduce the runtime performance in comparison to base catalogs. To improve runtime performance of virtual catalogs, you can materialize them using the MaterializeVC.vbs script.

MaterializeVC.vbs Script

You use the MaterializeVC.vbs script to set a catalog attribute so that the catalog will be materialized when it is rebuilt.

The MaterializeVC.vbs script is located in the \Program Files\Microsoft Commerce Server 2002\Support folder.

When you rebuild a virtual catalog, it will be built as a materialized virtual catalog, or a non-materialized virtual catalog, depending on what it is to begin with.

The CatalogFlags Catalog property (see the column called CatalogFlags in the CatalogGlobal table) controls whether a catalog is materialized or not. Following is a extract from the Catalog.idl file:

{
CATALOG_FLAG_DEFAULT= 0, // default value for the column
CATALOG_FLAG_MATERIALIZE_VC = 1,
}CatalogFlagsEnum;  

For information about running MaterializeVC.vbs, call the script using /?.

Note

• If a virtual catalog is materialized, you must rebuild the virtual catalog when any data changes in the associated base catalogs. For instructions about rebuilding a virtual catalog, see Rebuilding a Virtual Catalog.

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