Syndicating Records

This section explains how to perform a syndication. It begins with a description of the Destination Preview tab and follows with the actual procedures for executing syndications, including how to limit the number of records included in the syndication file via search selections and suppression options.

1.6.1 Selecting Records to Syndicate

Context

Making search selections from the Search Parameters pane narrows down the set of records eligible for syndication. Only records matching the current search selections appear in the Records pane and are thus eligible for syndication.

To view search selections:

Procedure

● Click the Search Parameters tab to view the search selections currently in effect.

This search selection feature works the same way in Syndicator as it does in the Record mode of Data Manager. For more information about MDM search selection features, see Searching for Records in MDM Data Manager Reference Guide linked below. The concepts and procedures described there are equally valid in Syndicator.

1.6.2 Suppressing Unchanged Records

Each time a record is syndicated, Syndicator adds a timestamp to the map’s remote system indicating the date and time the record was syndicated. When the Suppress Unchanged Records map property is enabled on a map, Syndicator uses this timestamp to determine whether a record has changed since its last syndication to the remote system of that map. If the record is new or changed since the last timestamp, the record is included in the syndication file. If not, the record is not included.

For Syndicator to keep track of record timestamps, the Key Mapping property of the current table must be set to Yes on MDM Console. Because timestamps are noted for current table records only, the status of the Key Mapping property on lookup tables is not relevant.

By assigning timestamps to remote systems, a record that is syndicated to one map’s remote system is still considered unchanged to all other remote systems. It is therefore possible to syndicate records using one map and have these records appear unsuppressed on a map with a different remote system, even if the records have not changed in the meantime.

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Note

The remote keys named in the Remote Key Override property of a map have no affect on timestamping;

it is always and only a map's remote system that gets the timestamp.

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Note

Mapping the current table’s remote key fields is not required to suppress unchanged records.

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Note

While the default behavior is to suppress unchanged records by remote system, it is possible to suppress by port instead.

The option is controlled by the Suppression Mode property for the remote system on the Remote System table in MDM Console. When the Suppression Mode property is set to port, a record is not suppressed until it has been syndicated to every outbound port on the remote system.

Identifying Suppressed Records

When the map property Suppress Unchanged Records is enabled on the current map, records which have not been edited since the last time they were syndicated to the remote system of the map appear in gray in the Records pane, as illustrated in the following figure. Though they appear in the Records pane, the grayed-out records will not be included in a syndication file.

1.6.3 Previewing the Syndication File

The Destination Preview tab offers a preview of the syndication file based on the state of the current map. It is useful to consult this tab while constructing your map, as it instantly reveals the effects of any mapping or item changes you make.

By default, the preview is limited to 10 records. This limit can be changed in the Configuration Options window.

The records shown in the preview are taken in order from the top of the Records pane.

The Destination Preview tab updates instantly whenever the Records pane changes, so if you want to see how a particular record set will appear in the syndication file, simply make search selections that limit the records in the Records pane to that set. (Be sure to reset search parameters afterwards.)

For flat maps, the tab displays each previewed record in a separate row. Destination item data appears across the row in the order that is shown on the Item Mapping tab.

For XML maps, the tab displays the actual XML code for each previewed record.

1.6.4 Executing Syndications

Context

At least one source item must be mapped to a destination item before a syndication can be executed.

To execute a syndication:

Procedure

1. Click the Execute Syndication button on the Syndicator toolbar.

When syndicating to a port, Syndicator automatically saves the syndication file to the port’s Ready folder.

In this case continue with step 3.

If otherwise a Save As dialog appears, continue with step 2.

2. Choose a file name and location and click OK to begin the export.

3. Monitor the Exporting… dialog for the syndication status.

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Note

For more information about syndicating to a port, see Ports and MDSS in MDM Console Reference Guide linked below.

1.6.5 Customizing XML File Syndication

The Syndicator default behavior is to create a separate XML file for each output record. The XML File Output map property lets you change this behavior to include all output records in a single XML file.

1.6.5.1 Syndicating All Records to One XML File

Context

To syndicate all records to a single XML file:

Procedure

1. On the Map Properties tab, click in the Value cell of the XML File Output property and select All output records in one file from the drop-down list.

2. For the Repeatable Record Name property, in the Value column, select the repeating XML element that contains the record structure.

3. On the Item Mapping tab, Syndicator automatically maps the root source item to the repeating record node.

4. Execute the syndication.

1.6.5.2 Limiting the Size of an XML Syndication File

If you decide for the single XML syndication file but are concerned about file size, the Max Records Per Output File map property lets you specify the maximum number of records to include in a syndication file.

Once this threshold is reached, a new syndication file is created to store any excess records. This process repeats until the syndication is completed and may result in multiple syndication files being created.

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Note

MDM appends incrementing numbers to the name of each new syndication file created (for example,

<Filename>[2].xml)

1.6.6 Syndicating Checked Out Records

Syndicator checks out the version of a record which is visible to the connected user.

If a record is checked out and the user is part of the record checkout, the checked out record is syndicated. If the user is not part of a record checkout, the original version is syndicated.

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