Drop Work Table FAQS

1. What is the purpose of the "Drop Work Table" task?
•  The purpose of the "Drop Work Table" task is to delete the temporary loading table in the staging area after the data integration process has been completed. This helps clean up the resources used during the loading phase.
2. When is the "Drop Work Table" task executed?
•  The Drop Work Table task is executed after the data has been loaded into the target or staging area. It occurs once the data integration phase is completed. It only runs if the DELETE_TEMPORARY_OBJECTS option is enabled in the Knowledge Module configuration.
3. What happens if the DELETE_TEMPORARY_OBJECTS option is not selected?
•  If the DELETE_TEMPORARY_OBJECTS option is not selected, the loading table is preserved and not dropped. This allows the table to be kept for debugging purposes or further analysis.
4. How does the "Drop Work Table" task work if the loading table does not exist?
•  The Drop Work Table task uses the "Ignore Errors" flag, which means it will not fail if the loading table does not exist at the time of execution. The task will simply proceed, ensuring that any non-existing tables do not cause issues.
5. Can the name of the loading table be customized?
•  Yes, the name of the loading table is dynamically generated using the snpRef.getTable("L", "COLL_NAME", "A") expression, which retrieves the table name from the system. The table name will be replaced with the actual loading table name at runtime.
6. Why is the loading table dropped after the loading phase?
•  Dropping the loading table after the data is loaded helps with resource cleanup. It removes unnecessary temporary tables and ensures that the system does not retain unused data structures, keeping the environment clean and efficient.
7. Is the "Drop Work Table" task required for every mapping?
•  The "Drop Work Table" task is typically part of the standard data integration process, especially when using temporary tables in the staging area. However, if preserving the temporary table is needed (e.g., for debugging), it can be controlled by the DELETE_TEMPORARY_OBJECTS flag.
8. What happens if the "Drop Work Table" task fails?
•  The "Drop Work Table" task will not fail the overall data integration process because of the Ignore Errors flag. If the table doesn’t exist, the task will continue, and no error will be thrown.
9. Can I modify the command used to drop the table?
•  Yes, you can modify the SQL command in the Knowledge Module (KM) by editing it in ODI Studio. However, in most cases, the default command suffices for dropping the temporary tables.