Survivorship in Match and Merge - Unmerge

Survivorship rules in unmerge run to:

  • Suggest the values to survive on the golden record that were present before unmerge but exist after a number of sources have been removed from it.
  • Suggest the values to survive on a new golden record created by unmerging a number of sources.
  • Suggest the values to survive on a reactivated golden record after moving a number of sources to it.

For more information on unmerge, refer to Match and Merge Clerical Review - Unmerge topic here.

Updating a Golden Record Created through Unmerging

The unmerge process is done when erroneously flagged duplicates are merged together. In this use case, the corrected golden record, created by removing the false sources, is updated based on the values selected for survivorship.

  1. In the unmerge UI, a user removes a number of source records and golden records that do not belong to the record.
  2. The algorithm removes values originating from the removed sources since those values no longer belong on the golden record.
  3. The algorithm attempts to restore the cleaned values from revision history, applying the value as it was before it was set to the now cleaned value. This step does not happen for multivalued references and data containers.
  4. Finally, the algorithm applies survivorship for all available source records to the golden record. These applications of survivorship rules will function as 'Match and Merge Survivorship update - when import merges with existing record.'

Using Survivorship Rules within the Unmerge Process

If using a golden record that was created from unmerging individual sources, the process uses survivorship rules like in the previous golden record updating scenario.

  1. In the unmerge UI, the user removes a number of sources form a golden record to create this new golden record.
  2. The unmerge algorithm sorts the source records associated with the new golden record by the time of editing the records and applies the changes, starting with the oldest source.
  3. The survivorship of the oldest source, when applied, works like the 'Match and Merge Survivorship when Import creates new record' operation.
  4. The newer source records, when applied, work like 'Match and Merge Survivorship update - when import merges with existing record' operation.

Unmerging a Golden Record from Another Golden Record

  1. In the unmerge UI, the user removes a falsely merged golden record from another golden record using the unmerge UI.
  2. The unmerged golden record is reactivated and it is assumed to have the attribute values it had when it was merged.
  3. The algorithm removes any values that originated from removed sources since those values no longer belong on the reactivated golden record.
  4. The algorithm attempts to restore the cleaned values from revision history, applying the value as it was before it was set to the now cleaned value. This step does not happen for multivalued references and data containers.
  5. The algorithm applies survivorship rules for all available source records to the golden record. The application of survivorship rules functions as 'Match and Merge Survivorship update - when import merges with existing record' operation.