Planning Analytics / TM1 Migration Readiness

When preparing to migrate a TM1 / IBM Planning Analytics model from an on-premises infrastructure to cloud, upgrade from an older Planning Analytics version to a newer one, or perform an audit of existing processes and chores, it is useful to understand how Turbo Integrator (TI) Processes and Chore definitions are represented in the underlying model files.

TI Processes (.pro) and Chore (.cho) files are TM1 object definition files stored in the data directory for v11 and earlier implementations of TM1. Within these files, many properties are represented by numeric control codes. Understanding these codes makes it possible to perform offline discovery against a copy of the model folder, even when the TM1 database is not running and cannot be accessed through Planning Analytics Workspace, the REST API, or TM1py.

This offline approach is especially useful during migration planning. Processes that use ODBC data sources, file-based data sources, cube views, dimension subsets, SAP/ODBO sources, Security Access, Unicode ODBC settings, or hard-coded paths can be identified quickly and grouped for further review.

For Planning Analytics as a Service and TM1 Database 12 migrations, ODBC processes may require changes to connector names, exposed data-source names, credentials, certificates, firewall/egress rules, or connector endpoints. File-based processes may need to be reviewed against the target environment’s file content area, File Manager, upload process, API approach, or approved integration pattern.

The same approach is also valuable for audit and governance. For example, processes with Security Access enabled can be identified and reviewed separately, since they are allowed to modify TM1 security data. Chore files can also be scanned to understand which processes are scheduled, whether chores are active, how frequently they run and whether they use single or multiple commit mode.

This article does not aim to provide a step-by-step guide to bulk editing model files. Instead, it explains how the control codes can be used for offline interrogation, migration impact analysis, audit, source-control comparison, and controlled remediation planning.

How to read the TI Process files

Most “records” are stored as <code>,<value> pairs.

Some records are multiline count blocks. For example, a script section for Prolog, Metadata, Data or Epilog can look like:

				
					572,10

<10 Prolog lines follow>

When lines are added to a script block, the count after 572, 573, 574, or 575 is updated accordingly when the process is saved. Manual updates are possible but ill advised.

The same principle applies to data source variable blocks such as 577 through 582.

Code 565 is rather unique as it has encrypted data and stores the data-source password along with other internal information. The encrypted value of Code 565 changes on saving the process and should not be altered manually.

TI Process Control Codes

The below control codes relate to those found in a “.pro” file. There are some standard control codes for every process. Depending on what your process does, you may see a different set of these control codes e.g. those with a data source, those using the old mappings etc.

Observed / Known TI Process Control Codes

Code	Purpose / Friendly Name	Notes
601	FileVersionNumber	.pro file format/version record. Commonly observed as 100
602	Name	Process name.
562	DataSourceType	Data source type. Examples include None, Text (CharacterDelimited, PositionDelimited), ODBC, Cube View, Dimension Subset, ODBO/SAP-type sources depending on version.
586	DataSourceNameForServer	Server-side data source name/path.
585	DataSourceNameForClient	Client-side data source name/path.
564	DataSourceUserName	Data source username.
565	DataSourcePassword	Encrypted/hash-like password payload. Do not manually edit; often excluded from source-control diffs.
559	ODBCInterfaceUsesUnicode	ODBC Unicode flag.
928	TargetActiveSandbox	Target active sandbox setting.
593	DataSourceODBOProvider	ODBO provider e.g. TM1OLAP
594	DataSourceODBOLocation	ODBO location/server.
595	DataSourceODBOCatalog	ODBO catalog.
597	DataSourceODBOSAPClientID	ODBO SAP client ID.
598	DataSourceODBOSAPClientLanguage	ODBO SAP client language.
583	DataSourceOleDbMdp	OLE DB Multidimensional Data Provider
596	DataSourceODBOConnectionString	ODBO connection string.
800	DataSourceODBOHierarchyName	ODBO hierarchy name.
801	DataSourceODBOCubeName	ODBO cube name.
802	DataSourceODBOHierarchyFilterLevels	ODBO hierarchy filter levels
803	DataSourceODBOHierarchyFilterLevelMembers	ODBO hierarchy filter level members
566	DataSourceQuery	SQL, MDX, or other query text depending on source type.
567	DataSourceASCIIDelimiter	Delimiter for ASCII/text data source.
588	DataSourceASCIIDecimalSeparator	Decimal separator for ASCII/text source.
589	DataSourceASCIIThousandSeparator	Thousand separator for ASCII/text source.
568	DataSourceASCIIQuoteCharacter	Quote character for ASCII/text source.
570	DataSourceCubeView	Cube view data source.
571	DataSourceDimensionSubset	Dimension subset data source.
569	DataSourceASCIIHeaderRecords	Number of header records for ASCII/text source.
592	OnMinorErrorDoItemSkip	Minor-error behaviour: skip item setting.
599	MinorErrorLogFileMax	Minor-error log maximum setting.
560	ParametersNames	Multiline parameter-name block.
561	ParametersTypes	Multiline parameter-type block. TM1Forum observations show 1 for numeric and 2 for string.
590	ParametersDefaultValues	Multiline parameter default values.
637	ParametersPromptStrings	Multiline prompt strings.
577	VariablesNames	Multiline variable-name block.
578	VariablesTypes	Multiline variable-type block. TM1Forum observations show 1 numeric and 2 string.
579	VariablesPositions	Multiline variable positions/order.
580	VariablesStartingBytes	Fixed-width starting byte positions.
581	VariablesEndingBytes	Fixed-width ending byte positions.
582	VariablesUIData	Variable Types: 32=String,33=Numeric, Type-Indicates Ignore,Other(827) etc.
931	DataSourceSAPShowSAPTechnicalNames	Show / use SAP technical names
603	VariablesUIDataEx	Extended variable UI / mapping metadata. Dimension mapping.
572	PrologProcedure	Multiline Prolog script block. Number of lines in Prolog.
573	MetaDataProcedure	Multiline Metadata script block. Number of lines in Metadata.
574	DataProcedure	Multiline Data script block. Number of lines in Data.
575	EpilogProcedure	Multiline Epilog script block. Number of lines in Epilog.
576	UIData	Maps tab / UI data, including generated action settings e.g. DataAction, CubeAction, CubeLogChanges,_ParameterConstraints
930	UIDataMore	Additional UI data.
638	Complete	Process-complete / syntactically complete flag. 0=Saved with errors/Incomplete, 1=Saved syntactically correct code.
804	DataSourceUseCallerProcessConnection	Use caller process connection setting.
1217	GrantSecurityAccess	Security Access: 0=No, 1=Yes

Example Process Decoded

Process lines	Purpose
601,100	FileVersionNumber
602,”~S-SaveDataAll”	Name
562,”NULL”	DataSourceType
586,	DataSourceNameForServer
585,	DataSourceNameForClient
564,	DataSourceUserName
565,”bQas…T@Ol”	DataSourceEncryptedData
559,1	ODBCInterfaceUsesUnicode
928,0	TargetActiveSandbox
593,	DataSourceODBOProvider
594,	DataSourceODBOLocation
595,	DataSourceODBOCatalog
597,	DataSourceODBOSAPClientID
598,	DataSourceODBOSAPClientLanguage
596,	DataSourceODBOConnectionString
800,	DataSourceODBOHierarchyName
801,	DataSourceODBOCubeName
566,0	DataSourceQuery
567,”,”	DataSourceASCIIDelimiter
588,”.”	DataSourceASCIIDecimalSeparator
589,	DataSourceASCIIThousandSeparator
568,””””	DataSourceASCIIQuoteCharacter
570,	DataSourceCubeView
571,	DataSourceDimensionSubset
569,0	DataSourceASCIIHeaderRecords
592,0	OnMinorErrorDoItemSkip
599,1000	MinorErrorLogFileMax
560,0	ParametersNames
561,0	ParametersTypes
590,0	ParametersDefaultValues
637,0	ParametersPromptStrings
577,0	VariablesNames
578,0	VariablesTypes
579,0	VariablesPositions
580,0	VariablesStartingBytes
581,0	VariablesEndingBytes
582,0	VariablesUIData
931,1	DataSourceSAPShowSAPTechnicalNames

603,0	VariablesUIDataEx
572,5	PrologProcedure
	Prolog line 1
#**Begin: Generated Statements*	Prolog line 2
#**End: Generated Statements**	Prolog line 3
	Prolog line 4
SaveDataAll;	Prolog line 5
573,3	MetaDataProcedure
	Metadata line 1
#**Begin: Generated Statements*	Metadata line 2
#**End: Generated Statements**	Metadata line 3
574,3	DataProcedure
	Data line 1
#**Begin: Generated Statements*	Data line 2
#**End: Generated Statements**	Data line 3
575,3	EpilogProcedure
	Epilog line 1
#**Begin: Generated Statements*	Epilog line 2
#**End: Generated Statements**	Epilog line 3
576,CubeAction=1511DataAction=1503CubeLogChanges=0	UIData
930,0	UIDataMore
638,1	Complete
804,0	DataSourceUseCallerProcessConnection
1217,0	GrantSecurityAccess
900,	DataSourceSAPClientId
901,	DataSourceSAPLanguage
902,	DataSourceSAPAddConnParams
903,	DataSourceSAPInfoCubeName
906,	DataSourceSAPCharacteristicName
929,	DataSourceTopProcessName
907,	DataSourceSAPHierarchyName
908,	DataSourceSAPHierarchyVersion
904,0	DataSourceSAPInfoCubeCharacteristics
905,0	DataSourceSAPInfoCubeKeyFigures
909,0	DataSourceSAPCharacteristicAttributes
911,	DataSourceSAPUserFilter
912,	DataSourceSAPRoleFilter
913,	DataSourceSAPTableName
914,	DataSourceSAPExchangeType
915,	DataSourceSAPCurrencyFrom
916,	DataSourceSAPCurrencyTo
917,0	DataSourceSAPUsingRoleAuths
918,1	DataSourceSAPUsingTexts
919,0	DataSourceSAPInfocubeRestrictions
920,50000	SAPPacketSize
921,””	DataSourceSAPMaxDateFrom
922,””	DataSourceSAPMinDateTo
923,0	DataSourceSAPCharactHierProps
924,””	DataSourceSAPCharactAttrMaxDateFrom
925,””	DataSourceSAPCharactAttrMinDateTo
926,””	DataSourceSAPCharactTextsMaxDateFrom
927,””	DataSourceSAPCharactTextsMinDateTo

A cautionary note. Processes can have one data source defined in the process properties but this can be changed or extended inside the Prolog, Metadata, Data, or Epilog sections.

For example, file names, ODBC DSN/Username/Password, output paths, AsciiOutput, TextOutput, ODBCOpen, ExecuteCommand, or DatasourceNameForServer assignments may appear inside the script blocks and alter what is seen in the initial datasource.

Ensure that you review Processes matching your search criteria to fully understand what the final usage is and how you would need to address this for the migration.

When reviewing security-sensitive processes, include both direct process execution and Chore execution. A Process with Security Access enabled may be locked down directly but still be executable through a Chore if the Chore security allows it. This makes the Process-to-Chore relationship an important discovery during audit and migration reviews.

Legacy SAP Connector Control Codes

The codes below are included for completeness and are particularly useful during upgrade or cloud-readiness reviews because they can identify legacy SAP/ODBO dependencies that may need to be retired, replaced, or revalidated.

The table is not sorted but left in the order typically observed in a Process.

Code	Constant / practical purpose	Notes
931	DataSourceSAPShowSAPTechnicalNames	Show / use SAP technical names (Duplicated here for completeness)
900	DataSourceSapClientId	SAP client ID.
901	DataSourceSapLanguage	SAP language.
902	DataSourceSapAddConnParams	SAP additional connection parameters.
938	DataSourceSapConnectionType	SAP connection type.
937	DataSourceSapCurrencyFrom	SAP currency-from setting.
936	DataSourceSapSystemNumber	SAP system number.
935	DataSourceSapRouterString	SAP router string.
934	DataSourceSapCodepage	SAP code page.
932	DataSourceSapInfoCubeThreadCount	SAP InfoCube thread count.
933	DataSourceSapInfoCubeThreadingCharacteristics	SAP InfoCube threading characteristics.
903	DataSourceSapInfoCubeName	SAP InfoCube name.
906	DataSourceSapCharacteristicName	SAP characteristic name.
929	DataSourceTopProcessName	Top/source process name, often relevant for generated connector processes.
907	DataSourceSapHierarchyName	SAP hierarchy name.
908	DataSourceSapHierarchyVersion	SAP hierarchy version.
904	DataSourceSapInfoCubeCharacteristics	SAP InfoCube characteristics.
905	DataSourceSapInfoCubeKeyFigures	SAP key figures.
909	DataSourceSapCharacteristicAttributes	SAP characteristic attributes.
910	DataSourceSapCharacteristicHierarchies	SAP characteristic hierarchies
911	DataSourceSapUserFilter	SAP user filter.
912	DataSourceSapRoleFilter	SAP role filter.
913	DataSourceSapTableName	SAP table name.
914	DataSourceSapExchangeType	SAP exchange type.
915	DataSourceSapCurrencyFrom	SAP currency-from setting. Seems both 915 and 937 have similar naming.
916	DataSourceSapCurrencyTo	SAP currency-to setting.
917	DataSourceSapUsingRoleAuths	SAP use role authorizations flag.
918	DataSourceSapUsingTexts	SAP use texts flag.
919	DataSourceSapInfocubeRestrictions	SAP InfoCube restrictions.
920	SapPacketSize	SAP packet size.
921	DataSourceSapMaxDateFrom	SAP max date-from setting.
922	DataSourceSapMinDateTo	SAP min date-to setting.
923	DataSourceSapCharactHierProps	SAP characteristic hierarchy properties.
924	DataSourceSapCharactAttrMaxDateFrom	SAP characteristic-attribute max date-from.
925	DataSourceSapCharactAttrMinDateTo	SAP characteristic-attribute min date-to.
926	DataSourceSapCharactTextsMaxDateFrom	SAP characteristic-texts max date-from.
927	DataSourceSapCharactTextsMinDateTo	SAP characteristic-texts min date-to.

Practical Notes for Source Control and Automation

For .pro comparisons, exclude or normalize code 565 from comparisons and source code diffs as it can change without any meaningful logic change when the process is saved.

For .pro editing, avoid manual edits unless you understand related sections. Not every line is a control-code record. Maintaining the line counts and related metadata blocks is critical to avoid corrupted processes.

Script sections 572 to 575, parameters 560/561/590/637 and Variables 577 to 582/603 must remain internally consistent i.e. line counts must reflect the same number and have the relevant details for the section.

For migrations, use offline scanning to build the inventory and impact assessment, then apply changes through controlled methods such as the user interface, REST API, TM1py, deployment tooling, or carefully tested file-based updates where appropriate.

Chore Control Codes

A Chore file, .cho, is a container for one or more TM1 processes, with properties such as Name, StartTime, Frequency, ExecutionMode, and Tasks (TI Processes to execute).

Chore scanning is particularly useful during cutover planning because it identifies active schedules, disabled schedules, process execution order, parameterized process calls, and commit mode.

Just like with Processes, values and parameters are assigned to control codes that dictate the Chore’s behaviour.

Observed / Known Chore Control Codes

Code	Purpose/ Friendly Name	Notes
534	Chore file format/version header	534,9 in older examples and 534,10 in newer examples. Appears at the top of the .cho file.
535	Chore name / display label	Example: 535,Daily Backup 9pm.
530	Chore start date/time	UTC/Z timestamp in YYYYMMDDHHMMSS format. Example: 20260522230100 = 2026-05-22 23:01:00 UTC. TM1Forum notes this is the scheduled start basis, not a continuously updated “next run” value.
531	Chore frequency / interval	DDDHHMMSS: days, hours, minutes, seconds. Example: 001000000 = every 1 day.
532	Number of processes/tasks in the chore	Multi-code section. Integer count of called processes. Codes 13, 6, 560 relate to each process in the chore.
13	Task/process-reference marker	Observed before a task’s process-name line, commonly as 13,16. This appears to be an internal object/task marker rather than a user-facing chore property.
6	Referenced process name within a chore task	Example: 6,”Server Backup” or 6,”Save Data”.
560	Parameter count / parameter-value block for the preceding task	Example: 560,0 means no parameters passed to that process task.
533	Active flag	1 = Active, 0 = Inactive.
1405	Multiplecommit / execution mode flag	1 = Multiple commit and 0 = Single commit.

Example Chore Decoded

Chore lines	Notes
534,10	.cho file format/version record. Commonly observed as 10
535,Daily Save	Chore name / label.
530,20260522230100	Start basis: 2026-05-22 23:01:00 UTC
531,001000000	Frequency: every 001 days, 00 hours, 00 minutes, 00 seconds.
532,1	Count of Processes or tasks in the chore. In this case just the one.
13,16	Internal task/process-reference marker.
6,”Server Backup”	The Process called by the task.
560,0	No parameters passed to Process being called.
533,1	0=Inactive/not scheduled, 1 is Active.
1405,0	0=Single-commit, 1=Multi-commit mode

Use-Cases for Offline Search

Use-case	Purpose
Offline cloud-readiness inventory	Classify processes as low-risk, file-dependent, ODBC-dependent, SAP/ODBO-dependent, security-sensitive, or schedule-sensitive.
Process-to-chore dependency mapping	Identify which processes are manually executed only, chore-driven only, or both.
Cutover planning	Identify active chores that should be disabled, rescheduled, or monitored during migration.
Chore security review	Identify cases where a sensitive process may be executable through a chore even if direct process access is restricted.
Security Access audit	Find 1217,1 processes and review who can run them, directly or indirectly.
Credential remediation	Identify processes with stored ODBC credentials and plan secure credentials reset or connector configuration.
Unicode consistency review	Identify ODBC processes where Unicode settings should be validated against source data and driver/connector behaviour.
Hard-coded path discovery	Find file dependencies in both data-source fields and script blocks.
Legacy connector decommissioning	Identify SAP/ODBO-related processes that may need replacement or retirement.
Source-control diff cleanup	Normalize noisy fields such as encrypted data-source values so that code reviews focus on meaningful changes.
Environment comparison	Compare development, test, and production for differences in data sources, Security Access, chore schedules, and process completeness.
Incomplete process detection	Use 638 to identify processes saved with errors or incomplete syntax.
Testing prioritisation	Prioritise migration testing for processes with external dependencies, security changes, chore execution, or file exports.
Parameter review	Identify processes and chores that depend on runtime parameters, especially where parameter values are stored in chores.
Sandbox review	Use the target sandbox setting to identify processes that may behave differently in sandboxed environments.

Conclusion

Understanding TM1 Process and Chore control codes provides a practical way to interrogate a TM1 model offline. This is especially useful when the database is not running, cannot yet be connected to, or needs to be assessed before migration, upgrade, audit, or cutover activity begins.

The value of this approach is not simply that individual values or directives can be found in .pro and .cho files. The greater value is that the files can be scanned at scale to build an inventory of external dependencies, security-sensitive processes, scheduled activity, file-path usage, ODBC usage, legacy connector usage, unicode settings, and environment-specific configuration.

This makes control-code analysis a useful companion to Planning Analytics Workspace, the REST API, TM1Py, and other administration tools. Online tools are better suited for supported updates against a running model, while offline file analysis is valuable for discovery, comparison, triage, and migration planning.

Direct editing of process and chore files should be avoided and if really necessary, treated with care. Some sections contain line counts, encrypted values, generated metadata, and version-specific internal properties. For that reason, the safest use of these control codes is to identify impact, prioritise remediation, support governance reviews, and guide controlled updates that are then validated in a non-production environment.

In short, control codes turn the model’s data folder into a searchable source of migration and audit intelligence. Used carefully, they can reduce manual review effort, highlight hidden dependencies, and improve confidence before moving or changing a Planning Analytics model.

If you are looking at a migration to cloud, reviewing or auditing your model(s) and need assistance, please contact us and we will be happy to engage and advise further.

Sources: www.tm1forum.com, www.ibm.com (various pages), code.cubewise.com, exploringtm1.com

Disclaimer: This document does not server to replace the TM1 Migration utility provided by IBM which analyses your models in much the same way to highlight potential issues ahead of a v12/v3.1.x migration.

The reader undertakes to make any changes to the code at their own risk and understands that this article is to be used as a guideline and does not advocate a global “search and replace” strategy.

Tagged IBM Planning Analytics - Learning