Integration Process FAQS

1. What is an integration process?
• The integration process involves transferring data from the source or loading tables into the target datastore. It often uses a temporary integration table during the process.
2. What is an integration strategy?
• An integration strategy defines the specific steps for integrating data. It determines how the data should be handled during the process, whether it needs to be inserted, updated, or deleted.
3. What are the common integration strategies?
• Append: Deletes all records in the target datastore and inserts new data.
• Control Append: Similar to Append, but it includes optional flow control to manage the process.
• Incremental Update: Deletes all records in the target datastore, identifies new and existing records, and inserts new or updated records.
• Slowly Changing Dimension (SCD): Implements Type 2 SCD to track changes in data over time, maintaining historical records when data changes.
4. What is the difference between 'Append' and 'Control Append'?
• Append deletes all records in the target and inserts new data.
• Control Append does the same but with an added flow control, which gives more management over the data integration process.
5. What is an incremental update strategy?
• The incremental update strategy deletes all records in the target datastore and compares the data flow with the target. It identifies new and existing records, then inserts new records and updates existing ones as needed.
6. What is Slowly Changing Dimension (SCD)?
• SCD Type 2 tracks changes over time in a dataset, storing previous versions of records when they change. This is useful for historical reporting and keeping track of data history.
7. How do servers affect the integration process?
• The integration process can involve one or more servers:
• Single server: When both the staging area and target datastore are on the same server.
• Two servers: When the staging area and target are located on different servers.
8. Is data flow control always necessary?
• Data flow control is optional, but it helps manage the integration process, especially in strategies like Control Append and Incremental Update, where precision and sequencing matter.
9. What is a temporary integration table?
• A temporary integration table holds the data before it's inserted into the target datastore, helping to facilitate the integration process.
10. Can I choose different strategies for different data sources?
• Yes, you can apply different integration strategies based on the requirements of each data source or target datastore.