Match and Merge Traceability

This functionality is used by a Match and Merge solution. For more information, refer to the Match and Merge topic (here) and the Configuring Match and Merge topic (here).

Match and merge is designed for the data hub, and as such, how records are identified by the source systems is important. If traceability is not configured, match and merge imports update data directly into golden records and discard the non-surviving data, making unmerging less effective. Configuring traceability retains source record information for better revision history and improved unmerge capabilities.

This topic includes how to:

  • Configure source record data in Web UI (in the Configure Traceability in Web UI section)

  • View source record data in workbench (in the View Traceability in Workbench section)

Additional traceability configuration is required as defined in the following topics:

  • Storing Source Records for Golden Records (here)

  • Golden Record Source Traceability Screen (here)

Configure Traceability in Web UI

Configure the following component and screen to view traceability information in Web UI.

Golden Record Source Information

The 'Golden Record Source Information' component offers an overview of the golden record's history and the systems from which data was received. The default component label is Source Records but can be modified if desired. Once added as a child component on a node editor screen, no further configuration is required.

On a node editor screen for an entity, the child component displays:

  • Source Record - the ID of the source record.
  • Source System - the name of the source system from which the record originated.
  • Created - the date the source record was created.
  • Last Updated - the date the source record was last updated.

For more information, refer to the Node Details Screen topic of the Web User Interfaces documentation here.

Golden Record Source Traceability Screen

The 'Golden Record Source Traceability Screen' offers a more comprehensive look at a golden record's revision history. It can be configured with header rows to display the values of attributes, attribute groups, data container attributes, and reference types. This allows the user to track changes to individual aspects of a golden record, it displays the system from which the new values originated, and it records when the changes were made.

For more information, refer to the Golden Record Source Traceability Screen topic here.

View Traceability in Workbench

Once the 'Matching - Merge Golden Record' component model configuration is complete, no additional configuration is required to display traceability in workbench.

On the revisions of the individual records, all merge and unmerge information is displayed in the 'Comment' parameter along with the Source System ID and Source Record ID.

When merging, the surviving golden record has the ‘Merged into’ information with the object ID that was merged into this golden record.

When unmerging, the IDs of the reactivated or new golden records are listed in the ‘Unmerged into’ parameter.

Examples

Removing a Record from a Golden Record - This example shows a golden record with a record mistakenly merged into it and then unmerged.

  1. Golden Record Name - Oliver Johnson

  2. Deactivated Golden Records - CustomerGR378497 and CustomerGR378499

  3. In Revision 2.0 and Revision 3.0, these two deactivated golden records are merged into the Oliver Johnson golden record, leaving the ‘Merged from’ traceability information.

  4. In Revision 5.0, the CustomerGR378499 golden record is unmerged from the Oliver Johnson record and reactivated, leaving the ‘Unmerged into’ traceability information.

On an active golden record, the ‘Merged from’ information is stored with the object ID of the golden record into which it was merged. When the golden record is reactivated in an unmerge operation, the ‘Unmerged into’ information is stored as a reference.

A Record's Removal from a Golden Record - This example shows how the removed record traces unmerging.

  1. Golden Record Name - Olivia Johnson, CustomerGR378499

  2. Olivia Johnson is merged into the active golden record - Oliver Johnson, CustomerGR378495.

  3. In Revision 3.0, this merging was reversed and unmerged from the Oliver Johnson record which re-activates the Olivia Johnson golden record.

On the Olivia Johnson golden record, the Oliver Johnson record is stored as a reference of the 'Unmerged From' reference type.