How to Generate a PowerPack Version Report in SL1 to Track Updates and Changes

To successfully merge your custom changes into a new PowerPack version, you’ll need to understand how to identify the differences between versions. This process involves:

1. Comparing the original PowerPack version (used to create your custom version) to your customized version – to identify custom changes.
2. Comparing the original PowerPack version to the new ScienceLogic-released version – to identify new features and updates.

After understanding these deltas, you can determine whether:

• The new version already includes features that cover your customizations, or
• You need to merge and reapply custom changes onto the new version.

Let’s walk through the process using an example and then detail the steps to generate and compare PowerPack reports in SL1.

Example Scenario

Suppose your team customized PowerPack version 112 and named it 112.1. ScienceLogic has since released version 115. To upgrade your custom PowerPack to a new branch (say, 115.1), you’ll need to:
✅ Compare 112 vs 112.1 to identify what was customized.
✅ Compare 112 vs 115 to identify what’s new from ScienceLogic.
✅ Review release notes for versions 113, 114, and 115 to spot added features or fixes.
✅ Decide which customizations are still needed and merge them into 115.1.

Step 1: Generate PowerPack Information Reports

SL1 provides a built-in report to list the contents of a PowerPack version. Here’s how to generate it:

1️⃣ Ensure the PowerPack version you wish to report on is installed in your SL1 stack.

⚠️ Important: Do this in a non-production or test environment, as installing older versions may affect data or configurations.

2️⃣ Navigate to the Reports section in SL1.

• Go to Reports (Navigation Bar).
• Under Run Report > EM7 Administration, select Power-Pack Information.
• Choose the specific PowerPack version to report on.
• Select the Excel format as the output and click Generate.

3️⃣ Save the generated Excel file.

🔁 Repeat this process for each version you wish to compare (e.g., original, customized, and new versions).

Step 2: Compare PowerPack Versions Using Excel

Now that you have the reports:

1️⃣ Open both Excel files (e.g., 112.xlsx and 112.1.xlsx) in Excel.
2️⃣ If the Developer tab isn’t visible:

• Click File > Options > Customize Ribbon.
• Under Main Tabs, enable Developer and click OK.

3️⃣ Under the Developer tab, click COM Add-ins.

• Check the Inquire add-in and enable it.

4️⃣ You should now see an Inquire tab.

• Select Compare Files.
• Choose the two files you want to compare.
• A Spreadsheet Compare window will open showing the differences.

💡Pro Tip:

🔹 Ignore differences in fields like ID and Edit Date – these are environment-specific and reflect the PowerPack installation date.
🔹 To reduce confusion, consider hiding or removing these columns in Excel before performing the comparison.

🔍 Instead, focus on meaningful differences, such as:

• Additional or removed objects, including:
  • Dynamic Apps Summary
  • Dynamic Apps Details
  • Event Policies
  • Device Classes
  • Reports
  • Dashboard Widgets
  • Dashboards
  • SL1 Dashboards
  • ScienceLogic Libraries
  • Actions
  • Credentials
• Changes to version numbers or descriptions for these objects, indicating feature updates or enhancements.

This focused comparison helps ensure you’re identifying functional changes rather than irrelevant metadata.

Final Thoughts

By systematically generating and comparing PowerPack reports:

• You can clearly identify what customizations were made and what changes the new version introduces.
• This helps you confidently plan your PowerPack upgrade path and minimize risks.

✅ Review release notes for intermediate versions to avoid duplicating enhancements already included by ScienceLogic.
✅ Always perform this analysis in a non-production environment first.

With this approach, you’ll be able to efficiently track PowerPack updates and changes while maintaining your critical customizations.