Integration Platform Technologies: Siebel Enterprise Application Integration > Creating and Maintaining Integration Objects > Synchronizing Integration Objects >

Synchronization Rules

During the synchronization process, the Synchronization wizard follows particular update rules. Consider a simple example involving the Siebel Account integration object with only Contact and its child components marked as active in the object. Figure 16 helps you to visualize this example.

Figure 16. Example of Selected Integration Components

Because the Account component is the parent of Contact, it is also selected, even though you cannot see it in Figure 16.

Updating the Entire Integration Object

Either the business object or the integration object might have changed since the integration object was first created. The Synchronization wizard creates a new object that takes into account any business object and integration object changes.

Figure 17 illustrates how the Synchronization wizard takes into account any changes.

Figure 17. Synchronizing the Integration Object

Figure 18 shows how the resulting integration object is structured after the synchronization.

Figure 18. Completely Updated Integration Object

The integration object now contains two new components, Business Address and Opportunity. Other components are updated with the definitions of the corresponding components in the business object.

About Deleting a Component from the Integration Object

If you choose to deselect a component in the Synchronization wizard, you specify to the wizard to delete the component in the integration object with the matching External Name Context property. The integration object that exists in the database has a component with the same External Name, External Name Sequence, and External Name Context as the unchecked component in the component selection tree.

In Figure 19, the Contact_Personal Address in the existing Account integration object is unchecked in the Synchronization wizard tree. This is represented by an X in this figure.

Figure 19 illustrates this concept.

Figure 19. Deleting a Component from the Integration Object

Figure 20 shows the integration object after synchronization.

Figure 20. Synchronization Resulting in a Deleted Component

The component Contact_Personal Address has been deleted. When you use the updated integration object, you cannot pass data for that component between a Siebel application and an external application.

This example shows you how you might cause unexpected results by deselecting components. However, if you do want to delete a particular component from the integration object, deleting a component from the integration object method accomplishes that goal.

As the examples illustrate, you must be aware of the possible changes that can occur when you are synchronizing business objects and integration objects. The Synchronization wizard can provide assistance in managing your integration objects, but you must have a clear understanding of your requirements, your data model, and the Siebel business object structure before undertaking a task as important as synchronization.