MDM–Designing a repository (Part 2)

Designing a repository is no other than to decide which type of records to be stored in the table(s), listing down all the fields to be included in the repository, decide what type of data each fields will contain, decide which data can be stored in lookup tables or tuples, describing the taxonomy of product categories and attributes needed to define each category.

There are several types of tables :

• Main table – It's normally a flat table which with records and fields (rows and columns) that contains primary information about the business object such as product, customers, employee or supplier.
• Lookup table – Used to store values that are shared by many records in other tables. In layman terms, its a dropdown list.
• Hierarchy table – Organizes information in an ordered mannered where each record is related to a parent record or sibling/child records. Picture a tree (parent record) with multiple branches (sibling / child records)
• Taxonomy –  It is similar to a lookup table, but only used to store specific attributes that applies to a specific category. For example, for a given product such as a gear, you would have different specifications for two similar gears in terms of size, the number of teeth, the diameter and etc. Thus, all these specifications are stored into the taxonomy table.
• Tuple -  A list of record template that groups together and names a set of related fields but without the actual storage of an instance.

First step to designing the repository starts by mounting the MDM Server and opening the related repository to work on.

**Refer to MDM – Creating a New Repository (Part 1)


Select the respective repository that you’d want to create the table(s). Then you’d be able to view the list of tables associated to the server on the top right window while the table details are listed at the bottom pane.

From the console hierarchy, you’d see the a yellow file icon which signifies the main table in the repository.

Let’s start by creating a lookup table in the TEST_Monster repository.
Right click in the tables pane to add a new table. Once a new table is created, you’d be able to see a white-coloured file icon below the main table. This would represent your newly created lookup table / sub-table.
 

After adding a new table, next we’d add the fields in each of the newly created tables. Just click on any of the lookup tables created and you’d be able to see the list of fields associated to the table listed on the top right pane with its field details listed at the bottom pane.

To add a new table, just right click in the field pane above and select “Add field” and you’d be able to insert/modify the field details at the bottom pane. Field details are able to be modified are as below:

• Name – give a field name.
• Code – give a field code.
• Field description – a simple description of the given field.
• Field type – describes the data type such as text,integer,Boolean,hierarchy,tuple,main and etc.
• Display field (yes/no) – whether this field would be displayed in the main table.
• Unique field (yes/no) – describes if the field is a unique field or not.

Other than the common fields describe above, you can also set the other field details if you do not want to keep the default values.

After you’ve completed the fields, select “Shift + Enter” to save the details or alternatively you can click on the above field pane to save the details.

Reordering of the field details :

Once you’ve completed creating the lookup table, you may also want to reorder the field details in the table. For example if you have an country name code listed before the country code/abbrevation (eg: Argentina, Ag) and wish to have it appear the other way round (eg: Ag,Argentina). Just right click on the field pane and click “Reorder”.

 

A Reorder Field Positions prompt up box would appear. Select and drag the fields in the box to reorder the position.

Once the position of the fields have been changed as shown below, click “OK” and you’d be able to see the position of the fields in the above right window pane changed.